The Charlatan talked to women’s golfer and hockey player Samantha Coates about her athletic career and time at Carleton as she prepares to move on.
The Charlatan (TC): What made you pursue golf as an athletic career?
Samantha Coates (SC): I really only ever played it in the summer, because I played hockey in the winter. I just always really liked it and I had a knack for it, so it wasn’t as frustrating as other things.
And I’m good, which makes it more fun. I wish I had taken it more seriously. I just always really liked it, I guess.
TC: How did you and the golf team fare throughout your Ravens career?
SC: Speaking for me, during my undergrad, so between my first and my fourth years, I improved every year doing better.
And the team improved every year doing better. Up until my fourth year when I went to nationals, we came fourth at provincials. I finished fifth in the province, which was really exciting.
This past season wasn’t quite as good, the whole team graduated. I was the only one who came back to do my master’s. It was pretty much a fresh slate this year for the team, so we didn’t do as well as last year.
TC: What do you plan on doing next year?
SC: After my master’s, I’m actually going to be applying to medical school, in clinical psychology to do clinical neuropsychology.
I’m sort of inclined to McMaster, just because it’s only a three-year program and I’ve already done my master’s. For clinical psych, I want to go to University of Toronto (U of T). I still have one year of my master’s.
TC: Will you continue your golf career after Carleton?
SC: I’ll probably keep playing golf. I enjoy it. It’s good connections too, for that kind of community. It’s not a bad thing. There’s a lot of doctors at golf clubs, and there’s sort of a window into the world that I want to be a part of.
I don’t know if I went to a different school, like if I went to U of T, if I’d play on their golf team. I plan on playing golf. That’s the good thing about golf is you can play it your entire life.
TC: What would be your favourite memory on the golf course?
SC: I would say that my favourite memory would be last year, coming fourth at Ontario University Athletics and getting to go to nationals. Nationals was a great experience, it was so much fun. It kind of sucked that it was in Winnipeg.
It was a nice course, and it helped that there were a lot of trees to keep the mosquitoes away, they were wicked. At nationals we didn’t do as well as we wanted to. We also had two players finish up on the all-star team, which was exciting.
TC: What was it like getting three new coaches in your final year? Did you find you learned anything new?
SC: One of the coaches is big into the mental game of golf. I’ve always had a pretty sound mental game. I stay pretty calm on the golf course.
I’m competitive, I’m competitive with myself, so I don’t get too too excited about a birdie and I don’t get too too low for a bogey. I’ll just kind of stay even. He’s helped with that.
The other two coaches are both teaching professionals, so it’s been really cool to have coaches who know how to teach and improve the weaker parts of my game.
If I’m not there, just for them to have fun and do as well as they can. For someone to step up and take over the leadership role for the women’s side.
I’m not worried about the men’s side, they’re losing their team captain as well next year. But I’m sure they’ll be well
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