A former collegiate golfer at the University of Northwestern Ohio, Chelsea Crow, has been selected to be IU South Bend's first women's golf coach.
Although the team will not begin competition until the 2017-18 academic year, Crow is busy recruiting. "It's a great opportunity for women who played golf in high school to continue to play in college at an IU program with affordable tuition," she explained.
A latecomer to golf, Crow's hard work and dedication paid off, and she was a successful collegiate golfer. "All the long hours of practice were worth it," she said. "I have so many fond memories of traveling with the team and playing so many different courses, not to mention the wonderful friendships I developed with my teammates."
Her father and golf pro Steve Mulcahy were mentors and coaches to Crow during her collegiate golf career. As she begins her first coaching job at IU South Bend, she hopes to emulate their coaching style, inspiring confidence and improving her players' skills. "In high school, women play from the women's red tees," she explained. "In college, they play from the men's black tees. My job will be to help them successfully transition to the longer distance."
Crow, also an IU South Bend admissions counselor, enjoys both her roles. "I have the advantage of recruiting high school students to IU South Bend, while I also recruit golfers for the team," she said. Prior to coming to IU South Bend, she was an admissions counselor at Ohio Wesleyan, where she met her fiancé, Justin Akers, IU South Bend's first men's golf coach.
As she reflects on the impact she hopes to make as IU South Bend's first women's golf coach she remarked, "It's not about winning as much as it's about the girls growing both on and off the course."