The Scoop: This week’s Athlete of the Week is a freshman on the men’s Golf team, John Clare. Clare is a Central New York local from Camillus, NY. This rookie has made quite an impact on the greens already and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Out of the six tournaments played, John tallied two wins and two Top 10’s. He also won a whopping Rookie of the Week for the NE- 10 Conference five times. Clare also won Player of the Week once. Some other awards include 2013 Syracuse District Player of the Year, 2013 Post- Standard Amateur Champion and qualifier for the 2012 Mitchell Cup as the first high school player ever.

How he got started: “My parents got me started at Drumlins Country Club when I was really young then we moved to Camillus Country Club when we moved from Fayetteville-Manlius to Camillus. It was an instant love for the game. I would never want to leave the course, doing anything I can to stall my parents from leaving like hitting those extra putts and extra chips around the practice green until dark.”

Major and Future Plans: John is currently a Criminology major but plans to switch to an undecided major next year to explore more options. In the future he plans to play professional golf. He said, “It’s been my goal since I was younger and I don’t plan on giving up that dream anytime soon and since my coach, Joe Tesori, and Dan McCarthy have done it coming out of LeMoyne I don’t see it as impossible.”

Why Le Moyne?: “Choosing a college is always tough because it’s a huge decision for somebody’s future but what set Le Moyne apart from other schools on my list was the fact that Coach Joe Tesori told me during his recruitment of me that no other college told me was that I was wanted for more than just my clubs. That basically sealed the deal for me other than the great reputation this college has for education.”

Pre-game rituals/ Fun Facts: “My pre-game ritual has changed a bit in the spring season because it is without a doubt the more tough season to play in due to weather and the amount of time we get to practice due to the winter. This season I tried to simplify my ritual. I wouldn’t try and do anything different other than stop thinking as much. The worst thing any athlete can do is drown their thoughts with worries and concerns about things they can’t control. I tried to recall on the great things I did last season to try and draw some confidence out before I was ready tee it up and play.”

Most Influential Person To John: “There are multiple people because I’ve been blessed to have such a great family and great people surrounding me my whole life. Without my parents I wouldn’t have clubs or any way of playing in tournaments so they play a huge role. My older brothers for pushing me to get better and wanting to always beat them made me a better player. Joe Tesori has no doubt taught me the most about golf and has also taught me a lot about life. His wisdom is irreplaceable and I’ve been truly blessed to have him as a teacher, coach, and role model.”

Goals Achieved and Yet to Come: “I’ve reached my goal of winning as a freshman by winning twice but I’ve still got my sights set on All-American honors and getting this team to the NCAA National event. Knowing the final and hardest stretch of this season is coming up in the spring fuels me to keep working hard during the off-season in the gym and on my swing as well.”

Advice to other Players: “The best advice I can give to any athlete is that you don’t have to be good, you just have to be good enough. Joe [Tesori] and I made up this saying a few years ago and it’s been such a big part of my success. Having a clear view of what needs to be done instead of most people trying to do one thing on top of another and so on is what I believe sets me apart from my competition.”