AUGUST HALFTIME REPORT - COACH KRISTEN ROOKE

During Coach Kristen Rooke’s time at CCES, her Varsity Boys Golf program was synonymous with success. Under her leadership, they won nine state titles and six region titles over the span of 11 years. However, what she taught as a coach extended well beyond just winning. While she certainly held her players to high standards, they knew at the end of the day that she cared about each of them as people first and wanted them to succeed both on and off the course.

 

Kristen was not originally a golfer but started playing the sport when she met her husband, and by the time she had children, she had “a good grasp of the game.” Prior to moving to Greenville, her family lived in Colorado where she worked with junior girls and served as a rules official for various tournaments.

 

After relocating to Greenville, Rooke started her coaching career at CCES in 2003, serving as the JV Field Hockey coach for two years. She volunteered as an assistant with the Varsity Girls Golf team for three years (2008-2011) until she became the Head Coach of the Varsity Boys Golf team.

 

When she took over the program, she knew from the beginning that motivation would never be an issue. A majority of her players golfed year-round so her role as coach was more preparing for a run at State. Rooke says that as a team, their “end goal each year was to win the State title.” In order to prepare them, she worked hard to schedule against the best competition possible in their matches and tournaments.

 

While winning was always the goal, Rooke felt that her top priority was to shape her players as young men through this sport. She wanted to “make sure the boys were kind, respectful, and appreciative of their opportunity to play golf.”

 

Her players certainly understood that she had high standards for not just their play on the course, but also for how they conducted themselves. The first time Rafe Reynolds ’20 (University of South Carolina Golf ’24) met Coach Rooke, he had been playing with his dad, and she overheard him complaining about a shot. He recalls how “she came up after the round and said that type of behavior would not be acceptable on the golf team.” Rafe learned quickly what Coach Rooke expected of them and says that many players “changed their attitudes for the better” under her influence. Stephen Reynolds ’16 (Furman University Golf ’20) echoes this sentiment, sharing: “She did not put up with any poor behavior on the course. I matured a lot from my 7^th grade year to my senior year in how I carried myself.”

 

While she certainly expected a lot of them, Kristen was also able to find that balance of encouraging and guiding, something that can be difficult in such an individualistic sport. Harry Reynolds ’18 (Indiana University Golf ’22) describes Rooke as possessing an “upbeat and positive attitude” and Jack Wofford ’21 (Presbyterian College Golf ’25) says, “she always has your back.”

 

Jack calls the golf course a “lonely place to be,” especially if you have a bad shot or round, but Coach Rooke was always there to help from the moment he joined the team in the 7^th grade. Even now, as they have both moved on from CCES, Jack says he knows she will always have his back.

 

For Harry, he specifically recalls a moment in the 7^th grade during regionals, halfway through what he calls “the worst round of his high school career.” Coach Rooke stopped and gave him some positive words of encouragement, impressing upon him that “bad rounds are not the end of the world or indicative of who I am as a player.”

 

The players all have fun memories on the team with Coach Rooke, which of course include a lot of winning. Stephen recalls winning the Daniel Island Tournament in which the competition consisted of all the previous year’s state champions across all classifications. Harry won State every single year he was on the team (six in a row), including a big comeback his junior year (2017) against Fox Creek and St. Josephs. Jack mentions the Southern Cross this past year, where they beat the best teams in the state from all classifications. Rafe says, “Winning the state championship every year was a highlight and it would not have been possible without Coach Rooke.”

 

Director of Athletics Molly Miller highlighted the success of the program under Rooke, but says, “More importantly, these teams have competed with class and sportsmanship, serving as exceptional representatives of Christ Church and the game of golf. Coach Rooke’s leadership set a standard for our Cavalier golf program and we are grateful for her service to our school community.” Parent Leslie Wofford notes how supportive Rooke has been of all her players over the years, stating, “Nobody has their backs like she does.” She says they could never thank her enough for all she has done for her players both on and off the course.

 

We want to wish Coach Rooke the very best in her retirement, where she is looking forward to traveling with her husband and playing more competitive golf. CCES is so grateful for her generously giving so much of her time to the school and this program over the years. Her legacy will certainly live on far into the future.