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07/16/2024 11:22 AMWhile not really involving himself with the game of golf until recently, Will Sagnella has become drawn to its truly unpredictable nature. No matter the uncertainties of the sport, he has become one of the more dependable linksmen for the North Haven golf team during its very successful 2024 campaign.
The North Haven junior grew up playing both basketball and baseball through his elementary and middle school years. Yet during the pandemic, he picked up golf as a hobby after being drawn to it by his father and brother. He really grew to enjoy the game and decided to join the Nighthawks team. This year, Will stepped up as a junior and helped North Haven attain dual top 5 finishes at both of its postseason draws by finishing runner-up at the SCC Championship and fifth for states in Division II. Will finished the campaign ranked 19th out of 750 golfers in the state this spring, while earning All-SCC and All-State honors and placing seventh at the State Open.
“I love how challenging golf is and how it is a game that is impossible to perfect. I also like how you never know what to expect from it each day you play. All you can do is just try to get better each day,” says Will. “My success has come from my dad. He played college golf, and so he’s always been my coach and gives me great help when I need it. Another factor that has helped me is the access to the facilities we have at the high school and other high school courses. They provided opportunities for me to improve my game.”
While Will feels he has to work on his swats in the fairway, he has sharpened his skill set between the ears. He is making his summer project to put in the homework towards sharpening that shot.
“This year, I put a lot of effort into improving my mental game and just focusing on doing my best one shot at a time,” says Will. “One thing I have to improve is my iron game with ball striking, which is something I plan to work on this summer.”
Will has learned to never let negativity manifest in his mind after an errant stroke because then the miscues will just keep piling up. In a game of so many variables, he knows the one constant must be his attitude and mentality no matter what the links throw at him.
“The biggest thing for my mental game has been after a bad shot or bad hole to just breathe and forget about it. I avoid getting angry about it and just stay in the moment because if you get angry, it can snowball into more bad shots,” Will says. “I have also learned that a bad shot does not mean the end of the world.”
The Nighthawks truly relished in the little moments between competition, as they housed the right blend and balance for great team chemistry in such a solo-centric sport. They were a club of young men who knew when to level up the effort and conversely when to add the levity.
“The practices and the bus rides to matches were so much fun this past year,” Will says. “The different personalities mesh well together this season. We had guys on the team that knew when to help us laugh when we needed it but also took some authority when we needed to focus.”
After having their prior home site be under renovations, another asset for the Nighthawks this spring according to Will was having a permanent place to call home for match play. They also boasted a steady squad from top to bottom with burgeoning underclassmen.
“We had additions to our coaching staff this year, and they were able to give us valuable swing tips,” says Will. “Another thing that helped this year was that we had an actual home course this year with Tradition Golf Course. It was a great course, and the people there gave us so many chances to practice and opportunities to improve our game. We also had a big freshman class that stepped up this year, including two guys in our starting five. We also had some sophomores who stepped up at times.”
North Haven golf Head Coach Kevin St. Pierre sings Will’s praises for the intangibles he holds internally to get it done on the course and in the books. He anticipates it will be much of the same, as he ventures forward and prepares for his senior season next spring.
“Will is one of those players you want on your team. He not only leads on the course but is a stellar student. He excels in the classroom in all areas,” says St. Pierre. “He bought into the team as a freshman and never looked back. The entire team looks up to him. His traits of what it takes to be a leader will continue into his senior year. He is the true meaning of a captain and what it takes to be a successful student-athlete.”
The boys’ efforts throughout the regular season certainly became noticed by the SCC and entire state when it came to their postseason placements. While they did not emerge with the gold, their goal is that brass ring for Will’s senior season after welcoming back much of the same cast of determined competitors.
“Going into this year, we felt we had a good enough team to win both SCCs and states,” Will says. “Yet we finished second for the conference and fifth at states. For next year, our goal is to win both titles, and we feel we can do that with a solid team coming back.”