 My dad is a preacher, so you know where we were every SUNDAY MORNING, eh? You betcha... My buns were wearing a groove mark in a church pew ! If I'm honest, I didn't love going to Church every Sunday, ESPECIALLY in my teen years. However, now that I am in my over the hill-ish years...I am VERY GRATEFUL for those good old fashioned lessons! So to this very day, my heart soul & mind are pretty well trained to spend time reflecting, reading, and mediating. This year I even added JOURNAL-ing to my repertoire! I know, I know, I'm growing up so fast! Now, don't get all impressed or nothin' ...'cause I'm a beginner here & still practicing this new skill. But, if you are still impressed somehow, this should help clear things up: full transparency - I had to "ChatGPT it" how do you spell "repetroire"... at least I was close! "Uff-da!" Today I would like to focus on the topic of RELATIONSHIPS! Probably one of the most important things we could ever get better at. Don't take my word for it, here is what a much wiser expert had to say about this topic: "The best way to predict your future is to create it." -JOHN WOODEN Coach Wooden as you know, was a true legend in the sports world & one of winning-est coaches of all-time. When I first read his quote, I didn't think of it as a "relationship" quote. How about you? I thought of it more selfishly and more along the lines of MY own FUTURE & MY personal SUCCESS. And THAT is my PROBLEM. My tendency is to get so focused on ME, MYSELF & I...that I forget WHY I am here. WHY I get to DO what I DO. Really I'm here to serve YOU, to serve my players, to serve OTHERS. John Wooden knew this very well and it is why he was so SUCCESSFUL. He was a legend in coaching, because he mastered the art of RELATIONSHIPS. He came at it from a unique angle and perspective, as all great leaders, coaches & parents tend to do. While this quote is often used in reference to personal growth, it really applies to RELATIONSHIPS—encouraging us to invest in and shape the future WE WANT through our actions...our COMMITMENTS and not just our WORDS. As a coach myself, I often struggle with that. Coaches have to talk a lot. It's just part of the JOB...but if I am "ALL TALK," I will eventually lose the respect, trust & ultimately the RELATIONSHIP with my players. That would truly be a LOSING record. People are what matter most, in life. We can take this off the court as well and apply Coach Wooden's lesson to our personal relationships. Just like on a team, all of our personal relationships will thrive with effort, intention, keeping commitments & our ACTIONS over our words! We have all heard this "GOLDEN RULE" of wisdom: "Your actions speak louder than your words," eh? But "UFF-Da" that ain't easy...it's a simple idea but it takes a lot of PRACTICE.  So how do we do better with our teammates, our coaches, our relationships?
In my 20 year experience in the school of HARD KNOCKS, it is as simple as these 2 things:
The Golden Rule encourages us to treat others as they would like to be treated. Ok...Duh...right?! More than meets the eye... Stay with me, the next part here is something that I just learned a few years ago, and I want to see what you think about this. Previously, I had always thought the "GOLDEN RULE" was just a "Christian-kinda-Rule." I really hadn't given it much thought as a kid and just figured "heaven is probably gold-ish, so "Golden Rule," and that's that ... let's move on here Sunday School teacher lady!" That SS teacher just so happened to be my mom & she is an AMAZING human by the way. :) But, Did You Know? I didn't know this until about 5-7 years ago... The Golden Rule is found in all cultures, religions, & even philosophies?! The rule serves as a global human foundation for ethical behavior & mutual respect. Wow...that is A LOT of people that ACTUALLY agree on something. This idea can be traced back to various ancient texts, such as:
I know I need to keep working on my RELATIONSHIPS & hope this message encourages you and maybe even CHALLENGES you a bit. A challenge to create yourself a BRIGHT FUTURE! Oh...and one last thing, Did I ever tell you? I'm a fortune teller as a coach, & "I can see ur future...it's so BRIGHT...u gonna have to wear SHADES...BABY!!" So you need to get on out there and JUST DO IT, do what Coach Wooden said, "The best way to predict your future is to create it." Great relationships are the richest and most successful you could ever possibly be! Who knows, You might even start to play better golf...okay that's probably too far. ;) Thanks for hanging out with me here via this blog...Peace, Love & Good VIBES being sent your way, -Coach Holen I'd love to help you & ur family in anyway I can Contact Me: 651-216-4539 For more coach talk, visit my new YouTube channel here:
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 We are excited to have you joining us in 2025... Hi There! My name is Coach Eric Holen, (most call me, "Holen" or "Coach") As the founder of Western WIsconsin Golf back in 2003, I am thrilled to welcome YOU to our 22nd season. It's really hard to believe it's been that long already! Mostly that means, I'M GETTING OLD! :) Welcome, Just wanted to take a moment and be sure you feel welcomed in our group! We have an awesome crew of golfers and golf families. We have something for everyone and at WWiGOLF we WELCOME all ages and all abilities. Okay, ENOUGH about us! What about you? I want to hear your golf story...that is our favorite part (My Contact Info is below - PLEASE use it!) You can also think of me as your personal "2025 WWiGolf tour guide." With that said, let's get you introduced, show you around and give you the FULL experience. Whether you want to play our traveling tour, a relaxed social league, get help with your game, equipment, attend camps/clinics...or just find out how to get STARTED in this crazy game, we are here FOR YOU! Seriously...PLEASE Let me help you and your family out with anything you need for the coming season. Way too many people have tried to figure out the "golf world" on their own and trust me, it AIN'T EASY! If we don't know, we will find out and point you where you need to go. Sound good? Helping our WWiGolf players and families out, talking them through golf stuff is, one of my favorite, if not THE FAVORITE part of my coaching job! If you know me, you know that I'll talk golf with anyone and EVERYONE willing to listen. And...it's okay, you can always cut me off, if (when) I start talking too much. That's best part of getting old, you don't get offended quite so easily, eh? :) Here to help... Coach Contact: Coach Eric Holen Phone: 651-216-4539 Email: [email protected]  That wraps up the short version... & If I have still kept your interest this long, you can stick around for the long version, if you like. 2025 Golf Journey... You would think it would start to get old after awhile. But honestly, as we head into this new season, I've never felt this EXCITED in all the past 21 years. I believe something BIG is on the horizon this YEAR. This season is gonna be good! I can FEEL IT...I JUST KNOW IT! (Sorry, It's a coach thing. Our gut just tells us stuff sometimes!) Most important, we are glad to have you be a part of it! This season we will be embarking on the golf journey of a lifetime. There will be amazing adventures, interesting CHARACTERS, some of which will become your new FRIENDS! Golf has this unique tendency to attract an "interesting" array of people...and I mean that in a GOOD WAY! You will love the people you meet along the way. In addition to our lively characters, we will have wild adventures on the golf course(s)! You will be sure to visit some old favorites, find hidden gems and play new, undiscovered courses as well. These action packed golfing adventures will be good fuel for stories and tall tales when you return home. Sound like a plan? Great! Pack your bags, because we are about to venture across the Western WIsconsin Golfing lands...and BEYOND! (I Feel like Buzz Lightyear, all of a sudden) Our History - "Let's Change The WORLD" At the ripe old age of 23, I decided to do something CRAZY. Go out and CHANGE the World! Cause that's what 20 year-olds like to think they can do, right? So I did, with lots of help of course... I was coaching HS Varsity golf & basketball at this time. In small towns you also "get to" run the youth booster program. Right away I noticed a big problem! Basketball had tons of opportunities for kids. Golf? Almost NOTHING! Kids would come out for our HS GOLF team and had never played in a golf competition! Can you imagine a player doing that in: football, basketball, hockey, volleyball baseball / softball? It would NEVER HAPPEN...So I decided we need to change that! Ok, OK...at least CHANGE our little corner of the WORLD! We went right to work that very first summer. We didn't have much for funds or supplies. So we just "Did the best we could, with what we had, right where we were at." (One of my favorite quotes) A few kids, a few coaches gathered together on a rural Wisconsin school yard. We had the very basics and a few bare essentials. Some old donated clubs, golf balls, our home made training aids & targets. It didn't take long, and word of a "Youth Golf Program" started to spread to other communities, we began to grow and had to start meeting up at local courses. (Fast Forward 22 Years) Western Wisconsin Golf Today Is one of the largest and most reputable golf programs in the entire Twin Cities / Western WI area. That is genuinely humbling & still blows my mind! Players and families will drive 1-2 hours (or more) to be a part of the WWiGolf experience. We are so grateful for this and it must mean we are "doing something right" to attract these incredible people and amazing families!  Before we go,
We want to share one last thought with you as we wrap up. Our WHY. Our WHY, wakes me up every morning. I wake up ready to SERVE others through the game of golf. Each day I look forward to the new adventures and opportunities that are sure to come my way. Each morning, I am "fired up"..."wired up" (that might be the coffee)... and "READY TO GO!" Our WHY called us to "GO FOR IT", even though it seemed crazy in 2003! Our WHY has me just as "FIRED UP" for our 22nd season here in 2025... Our WHY? ...YOU are, ...YOUR family, ...YOUR people, We do it all for YOU, to serve up a little joy and a lot of smiles through the wonderful game of golf! ...usually "a few colorful words" get sprinkled in there too, I suppose :) Welcome to the Team! -Coach Holen Please let me know how I can help, Phone: 651-216-4539 Email: [email protected] Web: www.wwigolf.com |
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