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Reid Rader '03 College: University of Washington How I got involved with golf I was exposed to golf at a pretty early age. I’m not sure why I like it more than other sports. Maybe because it’s definitely more challenging than anything else I’ve ever tried and I had to practice hard if I wanted to play well and get better. I also had a lot of fun. I enjoyed being outside, playing on nice golf courses—the whole process. Some notable successes Lakeside School and Junior Golf
UW Golf
Challenges One of the reasons I stopped playing golf after my sophomore year in college is that I was battling back problems. During both my freshman and sophomore years it really bothered me, so I wasn’t able to play as much as I would have liked to. Staying motivated Aside from the sport itself, I love competing. I’ve always wanted to be the best in most everything I’ve undertaken in my life. I think that’s another reason why by the time I was in high school I was only playing golf and basketball. I didn’t feel I could be the best in every sport. Another thing that kept me driven and focused was knowing I was going to play in college. I got a fair amount of recognition in junior golf and I knew if I kept it up and improved, I would be able to play pretty much anywhere I wanted, and most likely get a scholarship. That, coupled with the fact that I enjoyed golf, made it somewhat easy for me to get out there even if I didn’t feel like it. Impact of sports on academic/personal life I think the combination of playing golf at a fairly high level and being serious about it, as well as going to a school as academically rigorous as Lakeside forced me to always be on top of things. Although I was focused on golf, academics were also very important to me. Time management was definitely a skill I took with me from Lakeside, and that made college so much easier for me than a lot of my contemporaries. Being involved in athletics also helped me become goal oriented and motivated in general. On a personal level, I’ve learned from golf’s historic tradition of etiquette and its unwritten rules, such as honesty, trust, and being polite. Unlike many other sports, in golf, when someone you’re playing against hits a good shot, you compliment them. It’s a very gentlemanly game.
Advice for current Lakeside students contemplating college athletics I had a lot of fun playing at the collegiate level. It was definitely much more of a commitment in terms of time and energy than I initially anticipated, and that’s another reason why I stopped playing. I realized that everyone I was playing with and against planned on playing professionally—I think that’s almost across the board with most Division I sports. I just knew that wasn’t something I wanted to do. That being said, I don’t regret playing those two years. It was awesome, although I feel like I missed some of the college experience. But I made up for that in my last two years. I’m sure most Lakeside students who plan to play college athletics don’t necessarily end up going to the Division I schools. I have some friends who played Division II or III golf, and it was definitely much more relaxed. They didn’t practice five hours every day or travel as much. At UW, we played 10-15 tournaments a year. Only one was in Washington, so we were always flying across the country, and would come back exhausted. In the other divisions, you still get to play, compete, and develop relationships with your teammates and coach, so it’s a good experience but not as intense. Family support My parents have always supported me, yet never pushed me, even when I first started getting serious about golf. They gave me all the support and resources I needed to be the best that I could be, but if I wanted to walk away—which ultimately I did—they were fine with it. They’re great!
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