by By Dan Ninham
Sadie Kelley (Oneida, Muscogee Creek, Shoshoni and Paiute) is a senior golfer on the Pulaski High School varsity team in Pulaski, Wisconsin. She is at the end of her final chapter climbing up the ladder toward the goal of being an elite high school golfer. Jennifer (Oneida) and Lance (Muscogee Creek, Shoshoni and Paiute) Kelley of Oneida, Wisconsin, are her parents.
“I have been playing pretty well the last few months,” said Sadie. “I improved my stroke average by 5 from last year. I feel like I have been playing better because I am more mentally prepared than what I was in the past years. I’ve played in more than 10 summer tournaments this year, and placed in the top 5 several times. I have two weeks left and hope to continue playing good by practicing and playing daily.”
The holistic ways of being are interconnected in practice and play with indigenous athletes. “I try to replicate real pressure situations that could happen on the course. I also practice shots that I normally wouldn’t be hitting so then if I happen to get in trouble I know I can still finish that hole with a good score because I practice tough shots. It’s how I come back from that hole that makes me stronger mentally.”
Sadie’s Oneida name is Yewelaha meaning “she has a good fire within”. This is the individual word of the collective Oneida core value Yukwatsistay^ meaning “our fire and our spirit within each one of us”. Oftentimes indigenous people’s traditional names coincide with who they are and who they become.
“She puts in the hours of practice and is learning to manage the strong mind rigor required in golf. Her climb has been supported by awesome native folks including her dad Lance, her Oneida PGA golf coaches Josh Doxtator and now Justine Nishmoto, and by her Shoshone sister in the Indian Way Pro golfer Gabby Lemieux,” said her Mom Jennifer.
“I think the hours of practice and playing helps her to think and grow. She has a strong spirit and shares herself as a native person where ever she is. I am so proud of the indigenous person she has become and am excited to support her in whatever she chooses is next for her,” added her Mom Jennifer.
“At this time Sadie is preparing for next year and choosing a school, which fits her needs academically and her best chance to play college golf. Regardless of the choice she makes, her Mom and Dad are confident she is in for the whole college experience. She has grown mentally and emotionally in the last several years, which has prepared her for next year,” said her Dad Lance.
“Since her freshman year, Sadie has dedicated herself to play college golf,” said Lance. “She has spent hundreds of hours on the range and course, most of the time by herself. She is starting to understand what total commitment means, especially seeing and talking with Gabby Lemieux, and they really bonded last summer during the Oneida LPGA tournament. Sadie knows working hard, whether in the classroom, fancy dancing in the basement or practicing on the greens, allows her to close the distance toward reaching her goals.”
The Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic was held the past three summers in Oneida, Wisconsin at the Oneida Nation-owned Thornberry Creek golf course. One of 33 LPGA tournaments held throughout the world, the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic attracted 144 of the world’s best golfers last July.
Gabby Lemieux, a member of the Shoshone-Paiute tribe in southwestern Idaho, was a sponsor invite at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic last summer. She is the only active professional female Native American golfer on the tour. Since 2018, Lemieux has partnered with Nike N7 with health and wellness initiatives with Native American tribes. Gabby became lifetime friends with the Kelly family beginning at the first event two years ago.
“Over the last two years I have grown close with Sadie and her family. I was lucky enough to have them as a host during the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. My time spent there was amazing because it felt like family. I was able to talk about future college plans with Sadie and her family to hopefully get Sadie going in the right direction. She has asked me about how I practice and what tips I have out there playing golf. To see Sadie have a big interest in golf is something I love to see. She is capable of doing a lot with golf and I hope she sticks with it! Not only that, I have had plenty of laughs with Sadie about the family trip we took to Six Flags. I love having a relationship with her that isn’t only about golf and that’s the way it should be. It should be about building a connection and inspiring the next generation in many ways more than one. She has great potential in all aspects of her life and I hope that I am just one little stepping stone,” said Gabby.
Trainers and coaches of all athletes enjoy seeing the progress and the results. Joshua Doxtator taught Sadie for three years through the 2018 season. He was the Chief Operating Officer for the Oneida Golf Enterprise Corporation at that time. He has since moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan and is the General Manager of Harbor Shores, a Jack Nicklaus signature course. Josh and Sadie continue to have long distance training sessions to this day.
Joshua said, “I had the pleasure of working with Sadie for a few years as she progressed in high school. She showed interest in the game and very early on we had a real discussion on her goals and expectations in the game. Initially she just wanted to make her JV team and hopefully have the skillset to compete. I challenged her to expect more and if we decided to work together, I would demand more.”
“We worked on sound fundamentals but eventually transitioned into strengthening her mindset to compete. Sadie became more confident and encouraged as she started competing with others and beating them. I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing junior talent and I can say, without a doubt, Sadie is one of the few that would put in the extra time to get better. She never settled for 2nd and I’m elated to see her successes coming at the right time,” said Joshua.
“One of her goals was to play NCAA golf and I’m confident that will come to fruition as she continues to strive for excellence. I couldn’t be more proud of Sadie and her accomplishments, she’s deserved every stroke gained and I have been privileged to work with her. She’s got the talent, she’s got the mindset and the rest is execution,” added Joshua.
Justin Nishimoto, PGA, Head Golf Professional, Thornberry Creek at Oneida, also trains Sadie during the offseason. “We worked together to make sure the foundation of her swing was solid, basically her grip, posture, and alignment. Once we got that settled, we worked on her mental game. Understanding that she shouldn’t try to change her swing in the middle of the game, but play her misses and afterwards work on the mechanics of her swing to find mistakes. We have found a lot of success. Again this was during the offseason and we worked this morning in fact and just allowing her natural swing work for her and not over analyzing. She is a great student and keeps looking to find success,” said Justin.
“Sadie is playing so well right now and it’s hard not to be excited”, said Sarah Kohls, Varsity Head Coach at Pulaski High School. “A bit nervous too, but excited! She absolutely LOVES the game of golf and has worked her butt off over the past four years practicing in the offseason, taking lessons, and playing in tournaments. Thanks to her parents for fostering that love and giving her every opportunity to better her game. Right now, my job as her coach is to mentally prepare her for what is to come. Golf is a fickle game. The biggest obstacle any golfer faces is how to overcome a bad shot or a bad hole. I will be with her during every round making sure she is confident in her club choices and make sure her overall confidence level is high. Golf isn’t like any other sport. You can’t take a seat on the bench to take a breather. You have to keep playing and be mentally tough.”
Sadie Kelly is peaking at the right time. She shot a career best 75 and placed first out of 144 golfers on September 21st at the Thornberry Golf Course. She is leading the FRCC standings with others close behind: http://www.frccwi.com/golf-g-stats.cfm
Sadie is continually preparing for the next day by working today. The Conference Meet and regional, sectional and state meets are right around the corner.
“I am really in control of my dreams by practicing so I can achieve them, and give me the best chance to make them into reality,” said Sadie Kelly.
