Sports

TRINITY LEAGUE ATHLETE PROFILE: ERIN TRITZ

JSerra Girl's Golf standout is a team leader

By Jenelyn Russo     11/9/2017

Erin Tritz spent a number of years playing competitive soccer, but as she approached high school, she felt it was time for a change. 

“I just had burnt out and wasn’t feeling passion for the sport (soccer) anymore,” says Tritz. “So my dad hinted at playing golf and said I could play the rest of my life. I tried it out, and I ended up really enjoying it. I felt the competitive drive and it was really nice trying something new.” 

 

 

The JSerra Catholic High School senior has only been playing golf since her freshman year, but her time on the links for the Lions has brought Tritz a passion for her new sport. 

“I love that each time is different,” says Tritz. “I think it’s the inconsistency of not knowing how that day will turn out.” 

That inconsistency means some days Tritz plays well and other days she doesn’t, but the 17-year-old never gives up the pursuit of her mental game. 

“People kind of tease that golf is so easy, but it’s so much more than that,” says Tritz. “Instead of worrying about a certain score, it’s more about finding the mental game on that day.” 

In her final year as a four-year varsity player for JSerra, Tritz continues to leave an indelible mark on JSerra’s girls golf program. As the only senior on the squad, she hopes to use her remaining months to help reach others on her campus and introduce them to the sport. 

“Erin has been incredibly valuable to our JSerra team through her dedication to improve, her willingness to lead her teammates and her never give-up attitude,” says JSerra head girls golf coach, Brian Schippel. “Erin has also brought camaraderie and friendship to our team. Golf is a game of honesty and integrity, and Erin has always displayed these qualities exceptionally well over the years, which has set such a great example to everyone around her.” 

Away from the course, Tritz enjoys being part of the school’s Law Magnet Program, where she participates with her classmates in Mock Trial. Her goal is to walk on to the golf team wherever she attends college, preferably on the East Coast, as remaining a student athlete is important to the Laguna Hills resident. 

Golf has taught Tritz about the power of a positive outlook and how knowing herself well is the gateway to building the mental stamina required for this sport. Her role as team captain has strengthened her attitude and her faith, as she’s grown from “praying and bargaining” her way through each match to thanking God for the chance to play. 

“For me, I thank [God] if the round goes [well], and if the round goes bad, I ask him for courage to accept the bad round,” says Tritz. “Keeping that outlook fosters your faith instead of stunting the growth of your faith.”