It's fitting that his summer job is at a local golf course.
Former Sacred Heart High School student and athlete Matthew Procyshen, currently employed at York Lake Golf and Country Club, is back after his first year at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri. Procyshen spent?his first year of college on a golf scholarship at Missouri Valley where he became the?only freshman to earn a place on the varsity golf team this year.
In order to make the varsity squad, Procyshen was required to play a week long, 72 hole qualifying tournament. He finished fourth of fifteen golfers vying for a place on the team.?
His experience at the Sask Amateur tournaments and the Canadian tour events helped Procyshen recognize what he needed to do to compete. He saw that he had to overcome the size advantage of many of his opponents. "You have to know where your strengths and weaknesses are. If you try to push it, it just causes you trouble," he suggests.
One feature of the school's program is that studies come first, Procyshen reports. "Down there basically school comes first and golf comes second. You want to play well and represent the school well, but if the grades aren't there, then you don't go and play golf," he explains.
Missouri Valley is in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). All the schools in the conference host tournaments. Typically the?Missouri Valley's?varsity team attends the top four or five tournaments.
The golf courses Procyshen played in the U.S. were generally longer than he played at home. Whereas Deer Park is about 6500 or 6600 yards, the American courses his team plays are generally 7,000 yards or more. "It's typical of Deer Valley or Dakotz Dunes or Moon Lake and Willows in Saskatoon," he estimates.
"Equipment makes a huge difference to a player's game," Procyshen agrees.
The technology of golf clubs has advanced phenomenally over the last decade, changing the game a lot, he suggests. "Missouri Valley college is affiliated with Titelist, Calaway, Taylor Made and has ties to Mizuno. If any varsity team player needs a set of clubs, a couple of reps come down with fitting carts and fit the golfers up very well," Procyshen states.
The first term went well, Procyshen feels. It took some time to get used to the game and conditions at the school. His best performance was a fifth place finish at an invitational tournament at Marshall. While his scoring average of 77 wasn't bad, it wasn't good enough down there, he insists. His play has improved with the extended season. He played until Christmas and resumed again in March. Training is all important. In addition, diet plays a significant part in a golfer's game. "Basically, what you put into it (training), is what you get out of it," he declares.
Procyshen has hired a swing coach out of Regina and started a diet to bulk up as well as spending time in the gym. He's also considering including some yoga as part of his conditioning program. Yoga improves flexibility. "The more flexible you are, the bigger turn you can make, which generates more power." he says.
He follows a hectic schedule during the golf season, which ends in October.?He's in class from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. The he'll go hit a bucket of balls and play nine holes. After supper he'll hit the gym and/or the books. Training continues into the off-season, with golfing until December. The team works out two days a week. Most team members also go to the YMCA three days a week during the off-season. "You play golf five days a week in season and if you train five days a week in the off-season, it makes the transition a little easier."
Procyshen finds he's a little stronger and a little thinner?than last year. The biggest improvement is in his mental game, he suggests. He no longer dwells on mistakes and poor shots or poor games. "The big thing is minimizing your damages. You make one mistake, you don't want to follow it up with two or three," he explains.
Team members are very supportive and help each other out. Of the six man varsity squad, four are Canadians, Procyshen points out. They help both with golf and with classes. "It's basically like a family away from home," he says.
Procyshen is currently studying kinestheology. He's looking into a business minor. School comes first for him. If he doesn't perform in the classroom, he won't be allowed to perform on the golf course, he notes. "Take care of business first and then follow whatever?golf dreams you have later," he states. Procyshen golfed in the Saskatchewan Amateur Golf Tournament last week. He finished tied for 16th place out of 150 golfers. He feels he played well with scores of 73, 72, 73, 74. The event which features the top golfers in the province saw the winner shoot a course record 62 on the third day.
