The Drill: Altman still working to make A/E golf team better
May 4—ADRIAN — Josi Altman is a good golfer, and in 2021 she helped her team qualify for the first state tournament in Adrian High School history. But golf is a difficult sport for even the best of them, and young golfers can be notoriously unsure of themselves at times.
Altman is aware of this, so she's working this year to become more confident in her already-significant abilities.
"This year, to become a better golfer, I'm going to work on my confidence," she said recently. "I tell Ben (Henning), our coach, that I can't do it or I'm not doing good, but then after I tell myself that I'm fine and I do good, then I golf better. So I'm going to keep working on that."
Last year as a junior, Altman carded a two-day 202 score — second on the Adrian/Ellsworth girls team to senior Gracia Altman's 198 — at the Section 3A tournament in Worthington. This year, the Dragons are judged to be a pretty fair bet to qualify for the state tournament again, and Altman is one of the major reasons why.
It will be interesting to note whether the senior becomes more comfortable with her entire club set. The favorite part of her game is driving, and she's a consistently solid driver. When she spoke to The Globe sports department recently, she said she doesn't like to use her woods. Until now, she's fared quite well with her woods safely tucked into her bag.
A three-sport athlete, Altman also plays high school volleyball and basketball. In golf, she enjoys not only the meets, but she also enjoys the trips to and from events.
"A memory that I'll always remember from golf is going up to any meet with the girls and we'd always jam out in the van with Mr. Williamson," she said.
After graduation, she plans to attend South Dakota State University in Brookings, where she intends to major in nursing. She's already thinking about furthering her education in the medical field after getting her first full-time job.
We spoke to Josi for a Globe Drill episode. You can see the video online at
. Here's a sample of the interview:
QUESTION: When were you introduced to golfing?
ANSWER: "I first started golfing when I was little, probably around 5 years old and my parents first bought me golf clubs. I had a lot of fun with it. I always used to practice in my backyard, and I would always want to go golfing with my parents. My family likes to golf. Both my parents do, and my grandpa does. So we usually go out and golf together."
QUESTION: What, in your estimation, has been the most important advice you've received in your sports career?
ANSWER: "I think the most valuable advice that I've had is that you don't worry about what other people think about you — like other peoples' opinions. You should just worry about yourself and try to worry about you."
QUESTION: When you're not participating in sports, what do you like to do in your spare time?
ANSWER: "When I have time that I'm not doing any sports or hanging out with people, I like to watch "Grey's Anatomy" (on TV). "I like it because it's about the medical field and that's what I'm going into. And I like all the drama in it. I've always liked helping people, so I thought nursing would be a good job for me to pursue because you're constantly helping people and doing things for others."
