Avery Hood '23 Recruiting Profile

I started swinging a golf club at 13 months old and suffice it to say,I have never stopped.  My parents built a driving range pad in the backyard and by age 4 I had started going to the range.  On my 5th birthday, I played my first par 3.  Over the years, I have worked with a coach and attended golf camps on school vacations and throughout the summer.  I started on the Eastchester High School Varsity Golf team in 7th grade when I was only 11 years old, due to the fact that I skipped a grade.  I am academically accelerated 3 years ahead of my peers in math,  2 years in all my academic subjects and 1 year overall so I have consistently taken courses with students who are 2-3 years older than me.  

My first year on the team, I started in every match and was often playing opponents who were 6 or 7 years older than I.   This taught me how to handle myself around older and stronger players.  I was the youngest student in Eastchester High School history to make the team.  In 8th grade, I earned the MVP Award for the team.  My 9th grade season was cancelled due to Covid, but I made the most of remote schooling by going to the range and putting green for 2-3 hours most  days of the week.  I also have been working out with weights and building my cardio fitness in order to improve my strength and endurance.  I have consistently improved my scores and this past year, my high school team won our league and I made All League.   My coach has already told me that I will be Captain of the team this year as a Junior.  

Outside of golf, I am a nationally ranked chess player and have competed in hundreds of tournaments.  I have achieved the level of Expert and have been on the top 100 list since I was 7 years old.  I have been President of my school’s Chess Club since 9th grade.  I am currently conducting research on using chess to improve ADHD symptoms.  I also enjoy writing poetry and submit to our school’s literary magazine each year.  

I am very focused and committed to the things that are important to me.  My free time is devoted to working on my swing, spending time at the range, at the course, on a simulator etc., keeping up my strong academic performance and studying chess.    

It has been my dream for a long time to play golf at the college level at an academically selective institution.