Danielle Greene – Fourth-year Physical Education
Many athletes live and breathe their sport. But U of T’s star golfer Danielle Greene literally grew up on the green. “I’m from the Kingston area and my parents own a nine-hole golf course, and it’s in the backyard of my house. I kind of live on the golf course,” said Greene.
While Greene has dabbled in a variety of sports, including field hockey, hockey, soccer, badminton, and baseball, golf remains closest to her home and her heart. “I chose golf because of all the sports I’ve played it’s the most challenging and I’ve met the greatest people through golf. I love how it brings different generations together. I’ve played with 70-year-olds; I’ve played with 10-year-olds.”
Her teammates must feel lucky to have played with Greene, as she led the Blues to a bronze medal at the OUA Championship. Greene also captured her third consecutive individual gold medal.
Despite these accomplishments, Greene is often teased by her fellow phys ed students. “Everyone is always like, ‘Oh, you’re a golfer, you’re not an athlete.’” But Greene argues that there’s more to golf than pure physical prowess. It requires a great deal of mental stamina as variables constantly change. “You’re never in the same situation; there’s never the same hole you’re playing on, and if it is, you’re always in a different spot. You’re never in the same state of mind.”
Yet, there’s one constant for Greene: she sees herself playing golf until she “can’t anymore.”
Rob Schmidt – First-year OISE
Rob Schmidt first learned about tennis from television. “I saw it on TV when I was four and I said to [my] mom and dad that I want to do that,” explained Schmidt. After borrowing his parents’ racquetball equipment and hitting balls in the kitchen, Schmidt grasped the nature of the sport.
Now that Schmidt has moved onto the court, he can teach others what he learned as a child. Schmidt definitely has a lot of knowledge to pass on as a five-time OUA champion. His most recent victory was his first with U of T, after winning four with Western. “The first year I played at Western was 2001 and we lost in the finals to U of T, which was a little bit heartbreaking,” Schmidt said, revealing that this year’s gold medal vindicates his initial loss to Toronto.
Schmidt came to Toronto because of his passion for teaching, which stems from his experiences as a tennis player. He’s coached for 10 years, and is looking forward to conveying the lessons he’s learned as an athlete to his future students. Schmidt admires athletes who are not the strongest physically, but never give up in the face of adversity. He believes that this attitude can be taken off the court and into the classroom.
“Anybody who is any good at anything are almost always inevitably the people who worked the hardest at it,” Schmidt said. “I get a real kick out of seeing kids when they’re working at something and they finally have that ‘aha’ moment.”
The underdog Blues exhibited this same work ethic, fighting through early season struggles. “[The championship] was maybe one of the most, if not the most, gratifying win because we weren’t really supposed to and everybody just picked up their socks at the right time.”
Adrian Cord – First-year Management
The first thing you notice about golfer Adrian Cord is that he’s a laid-back guy. But as you get to know him, you realize his easygoing attitude stems from his selfless nature. While Cord won an individual bronze medal at the OUA Championship, he was more excited about his team’s accomplishments as the Blues scored their first gold medal since 1988.
“It was the first OUA championship that I was a part of and we won so it was just icing on the cake,” said Cord. “Chris [Tortorice] and Dave [Woods], the coaches, were pretty thrilled, so it was fun to see them and the other guys on the team so excited.”
Cord believes that it’s better to win as a team because a collective championship makes more people happy. “Winning with the team was cool, that’s what you’re there for.”
This team mentality is what led Cord into golf in the first place. “One factor that probably kept me in [golf] was just that my friends played and I always had guys to go out and play with,” Cord revealed. “My little sister plays too, so it was a good way for us to spend time together.”
Although Cord enjoys hitting the links with those around him, he is looking forward to relaxing this off-season. “It’s nice to take a break because when golf season comes back around in the summer, it’s almost bittersweet. You haven’t had it for so long and then it comes back and you’re just so excited. I always say that my favourite time of the year is that first drive into the golf course. It’s kind of corny, but for me it’s just what I look forward to.”
