University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOL DIARIES - YOUNG-A YANG
January 29, 2002 | Women's Golf
Jan. 29, 2002
My last season at the University of Tennessee started as soon as classes began on Jan. 9th. It is very hard to believe that I am about to start my very last college season. It seems like that I just arrived in Knoxville to start my college career, but it has already been four years. Although I have been in college for three and a half years, I always get overwhelmed by all the stuff that I have to do in classes, but not what I have to do in golf. It usually takes me about two weeks until I feel that I have control over everything. Then, everything falls into place.
Just two days after the classes began, our off-season workouts started too. These workouts normally last about an hour and a half, three times a week. I guess I can divide our off-season work out into three big categories. We normally start our workouts with conditioning, which consists of running, sprinting or using the cardio machine. Then we move to lifting. We don't do the same kind of lifting in the same week. The last part of our training is abdominal work and stretching. Our strength and conditioning coach Cayla Bearg usually challenges us with variety of different stuff. During the off season, our workouts are the only thing Judi (Pavon, head coach) and Mike (Whitson, assistant coach) ask from us unless we have some kind of mandatory meetings. We have these meetings when we have guest speakers, talk with boosters, or other important events we have to participate as members of Lady Vol Golf team.
Lately, the weather has been especially nice here in Knoxville. So, a lot of us have been taking advantage of the nice weather. I have been playing a lot with my teammates. I worked with Mike during the off-season and I really enjoyed it. Not only did I have fun but I learned a lot from him. Mike gives me a whole different perspective on golf.
During my three and a half years at the University of Tennessee as a member of the golf team, I have learned so much from everybody involved with the program. It is almost funny to look back and realize how naive I was. Ann Furrow, a donor, and Judi tell me almost every day about how much I have grown up. I guess I was able to mature because of them. Ever since I came to college, Judi has been more than a coach to me. I have learned so many things from her, not just with golf, but with everything. She has been there to give me the right advice.
As I enter my last part of my college career, I hope I can consume everything Judi and Mike are trying show and teach me. Mike tells me all the time that I am going to miss college experiences. I already know that I am going to miss every aspect of my experiences in college, but more specifically, my experiences at the University of Tennessee as a member of the Lady Vol golf team. Knowing that this is my last season in college makes me very sad. On the other hand, it makes me very excited that I still have another season to enjoy.
As I look forward to my last season in college, I see more things my teammates and I need to accomplish. This is my last chance (as well as for fellow seniors Tina Schneeberger and Carrie Cole) to win the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA Championships. I have always wanted to have the ring a Lady Vol athlete gets when a team wins either championship. I am looking forward to starting my last season because I know I am going to enjoy it. I also know no matter how well I play in my final season, the experiences I have gained and people I have encountered at the University of Tennessee will be what I will always remember.
