Casey oppenheimer '18 Recruiting Profile

    Golf is often called a "game for life".  In my case it is a game that changed my life.  I started playing golf at 8 years old.  For the first couple years, I played once a week in a junior golf program at my Country Club.  I played many different sports when I was young.  I was a soccer player, a lacrosse player, a basketball player, and a competitive swimmer.   Eventually,  it became clear that golf was the game I loved.

    I was a shy kid from early on in my life.  I worked really hard in school, but struggled in school.  I did not have confidence.  At the age of 14 I was diagnosed with dyslexia and transferred to a school for kids with language based learning disabilities.  It was the beginning of a new life for me. Not only did I get the help I needed,  but they had a golf team.  The school embraced me and my golf game. The school cheered me on not only for my hard work academically, but for my success on the golf course.  I became the number one golfer on the co-ed team in my first year.  I began playing tournaments on the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour.  I won Player of the Year for the last two years on the junior tour.  I am extremely proud of this.  My confidence has really grown.

    I am now a junior and school is no longer a struggle.  My past struggles have become part of my identify, just like my golf game. The thing I am most excited about is my future in golf.  I now know that I am capable of attending college and playing golf at the collegiate level.  I believe that my golf game is only just beginning.  I have set goals from the beginning and have achieved all of those goals.  This past year my goal was to play golf rounds in the 70's.  I played a lot of tournaments this summer and posted rounds in both the 70's and 80's.  I played tournaments in both good weather and bad,  each time learning how to deal with a variety of conditions.  I also played a variety of tournaments that provided me with challenging settings.   These tournaments consisted of hilly, mountainous, and tree lined courses as well as coastal courses with significant wind and water hazards throughout the course.  Playing the number of tournaments I did the past two years has given me invaluable experience. I have learned how to play the game and face the challenges that each course presents. My goal for the year coming up is to consistently play rounds in the 70's.  

    I am hoping to attend a college that has a great golf team that will allow me to continue to grow as an athlete, as well as a school that understands and appreciates the abilities of a student with a learning difference.