SSN Coach Profile: David Young, boys golf

Brock Cardinal

Coach David Young has been coaching boys golf at HSE since the 2004-05 school year.

Growing up in a sport-oriented household, Young has always been involved in athletics. Throughout middle school and high school, Young played cross country and tennis. Tennis was his specialty sport for a while, until he picked up golf his junior year of high school.

Currently, Young is a member of the Indiana High School Golf Association. He would also go on to become an assistant golf pro during and after his college years for 7-8 years. In the process of that, he learned that he loved the management side of golf. 

In following years, students of his pressured him to apply for the position of head coach of the boys’ golf team, at HSE. He took over the position of head coach from the previous coach, Bill Zoeller, in the 2004-0season. 

Throughout his time as head coach at HSE, Young has been able to achieve championship titles year after year. He coached HSE teams in past years to 3 regional championships, 4 sectional championships, and 3 conference championships.

Young also won state runner-up in the 2016 season and has more state finals appearances than any other current coach. In addition to this, he was named the HCC coach of the year in 2010 and 2014. 

Despite his past successes, Young does not treat these achievements as the foundation of his coaching career. Young finds joy in improving his players on and off the course.  

“I don’t live on our past successes,” said Young “I’m constantly looking for what is upcoming.” 

Viewing golf as a life-sport, Young takes a more personal approach to coachingHe believes that if he can teach his players to be good people and keep a level head on the course, the rest will come naturally. To teach his players to do so, Young puts emphasis on the idea of positive self-talk. 

Golf can be a game where people really beat themselves down,” said Young “If you think you’re going to have a bad day, you’re going to have a bad day.” 

Outside of golf, Young considers his main hobby to be his family. He has two kids, Tyler (10) and Avery (9), and a wife, Erin. They are obsessed with Disney and enjoy traveling to Disney World when the opportunity is presented. During his college years, Young attended Indiana University and later graduated from Butler with his master’s degree.