Shannon Ralls '20 Recruiting Profile

My golf career began when I was a young girl because my father and his brother would travel to Arizona for Spring Break each year. In the cold winter months my mother would receive pictures from my dad in sunny and 70 degree weather. From the moment my mom showed me that photo I decided I was going to become an amazing golfer and enjoy the sun while my family was at home in the snow. As I got older my goals and aspirations evolved from simply wanting to bask in the warmth to becoming one of the best female athletes at Lee's Summit West. While it is easy to say that you will be the best, it is much more difficult to actually become the best. Long hours of practicing puts and drives were spent over the years, and it came with its reward. In my freshmen year of High School I was selected to be part of the JV Girls Golf Team, and in my sophomore year I was elevated to Varsity status and qualified to the State Tournament. I would never have accomplished all of this if it had not been for the hard work and dedication I put into mastering the sport with the support of my coaches, Keith Woody and Richard Myers. I have taken the lessons they taught me and I have translated into the other aspects of my life. One of the reasons that I love golf is because it is a sport that forces personal discipline and self-reflection, but it also provides me with a team. In many sports you have to choose between only relying on yourself or a team, but golf allows for both. Golf contains the perfect blend of camaraderie and personal responsibility. 

I hope to continue improving and growing in this amazing sport, and creating new relationships with future teams and coaches. Golf may have started as an excuse to travel to some place warm with my dad and uncle, but it has grown into so much more. It has given me new friends, family, and an opportunity to expand my horizons.