Pitts Readies For Goodbyes With Senior Golfers

The Cookeville Cavs head to Crossville this week for the district tournament and head golf coach Larry Pitts said that the end of the regular season comes with bittersweet emotions.

This year the district tournament will be held at Deer Creek Golf Club. Pitts said he is confident his team will do well and advance to regionals. But he said although this is an exciting time for the team, it also means saying goodbye to his seniors.

“Coaches are kind of rated and judged on their win and loss records,” Pitts said. “But I’ll tell you when a coach looks back and sees the accomplishments that some of their players have made, you know, how far they’ve come. Once you’ve been coaching for a while, you can know that you had a part in them growing up and help forming what they’re going to do from now on and that’s a big reward as far as I’m concerned.”

This year the Cavs golf program will graduate four seniors. Ethan Posten, Posten Bost, Ben Casey and Sarah Tinsley. Pitts said a joy of coaching is seeing his golfers go from kids to young adults.

“I look back on some photos from when these kids were freshman and look at them now as they’ve developed through the years,” Pitts said. “And maturing and becoming leaders on the team. Encouraging the younger players and stuff where they were once in that spot.”

Pitts said while he can get caught up in the emotions of the end of the season, parents of the graduating golfers take it much worse.

“Honestly it’s harder on the parents when it comes down to the last few matches,” Pitts said. “Because parents are thinking ‘well this is the last regular season match, this will be the last district tournament, this will be the last regional tournament.’ And it’s tough on them too.”

With the seniors already familiar with what is expected, Pitts said his job next week at districts is to help his golfers navigate the course.

“They don’t need a pep talk, they know what they need to do,” Pitts said. “But we talk about different aspects of the game as far as short game, and on this golf course where your misses are.”

Pitts said he is excited to hopefully see his seniors play the best golf of their lives this week at the district tournament.