Olivia Kochan '22 Recruiting Profile

When I was five years old, I started competing in Figure Skating. Figure skating required a tremendous amount of time, dedication, and perseverance. I learned a lot about what it takes to be successful at sports. I had a lot of fun skating and was relatively successful at it, but I did not love it. So, shortly before I turned eight years old, I decided to stop skating and try other sports. My mother suggested I try golf. I immediately fell in love with golf and I have been playing it ever since. I love the challenge of golf and, though it can sometimes be frustrating, I believe it has taught me patience. I think one of my strongest traits is my ability to put bad shots and bad holes behind me. My dad says he is often not able to tell from looking at me if I just had a good or bad hole.

As a freshman last year at John Paul II, I was able to be part of a team for the first time. I enjoyed having other girls to play and practice with each day and having a common goal of getting to state. We had one senior who served as captain, but she did not play well most of the spring. The coach decided to move me to the number one position. I was a little nervous being paired with the top players from the other schools, most of whom were at least a couple years older than me. I am very proud of the way I handled the pressure. While I was one of the youngest members of the team, my teammates knew they could count on my leadership and consistency. As a result, we were able to win the Regional championship and finish second in state and I was able to finish sixth individually.

I have transferred to Plano West Senior High School effective August 2020. I tried out for the golf team and shot 70 in the qualifying at Pecan Hollow. I am excited to start school and play on the team there. I will miss my friends at JPII, but I am excited about this new chapter of my life.