Carter Dornseif has gotten plenty of golf trophies over his three years attending The Lifetime Sports Academy – enough to line a shelf in his bedroom.
But the final award presented at the closing ceremony Friday was a first.
Dornseif, 15, earned the Chris P. Nixon award for golf to celebrate not only his golf prowess but also a positive mental attitude and sportsmanship. It was one of several awards presented at the ceremony, though most of the small, gleaming gold trophies were handed out earlier.
Dornseif got some of those, too, but it was the Nixon award he was clutching afterward.
“I’m pretty honored to get it,” said Dornseif, who will be a sophomore at Heritage this fall. “It’s pretty exciting.”
The awards ceremony capped the 13th year of the seven-week program that provides free golf, tennis and swimming lessons for children ages 8 to 18. About 1,700 kids were enrolled in the program this year and participated in 3,600 golf lessons, 1,900 tennis lessons and 2,400 swim lessons.
When kids pass certain skill tests, they can earn golf clubs and tennis rackets. About 70 rackets and 70 sets of clubs were earned this summer.
Dornseif earned his clubs the first year and kept coming back because he said the lessons “really help.”
“All of the (coaches) have made a big difference in my golf game,” Dornseif said. “The biggest difference is in distance off the tee. The lessons and tips they gave me have helped me substantially.
“I love all the people, the staff. It’s really fun to come back here. The kids that come here are really fun to talk to.”
That’s what parks Director Al Moll likes to hear.
Moll has gotten positive feedback from parents and kids over the years and said the success of the program continues to grow. Moll said through private support, The Lifetime Sports Academy is funded “forever” and will continue as long as there is participation at any level.
In his speech at the closing ceremony, Moll praised the program’s staff but called the kids the “real heroes” and pleaded with them to come back next year.
Akira Seals, 8, expects to do just that. Seals headed home Friday with a first-place golf trophy for putting in her first year in the program and also passed four tests this summer to earn clubs. They’re pink – matching the shirt she wore.
“It’s fun,” Seals said. “(I like it) because I can learn more about golf.”
