THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - When he was deciding what college to go to, Alex Hird had opportunities to go to larger schools, but it was the comfort that the Cal Lutheran campus and community offered that was most intriguing to the current golfer.
"Probably the largest part of why I chose a DIII school was for the feel of a small school, because I came from a small high school [in Big Bear Lake]," he shared. "I loved the atmosphere of CLU because it gave off a similar vibe as what I was used to."
The athletic programs were another deciding factor for the overall sports lover who has developed into one of the top golfers for the Violet and Gold. As a sophomore he broke into the top-five and in 2014-15 he was the top returning golfer after producing a 76.6 stroke average a year ago.
"I knew going in that the SCIAC is one of, if not, the most competitive conference for DIII athletics, not only for golf but for all sports," he added, "So, instead of being strictly a student-athlete I can be an avid fan for all other sports as well."
An exercise science major, Hird hopes to someday become an athletic trainer and combine his two passions while helping student-athletes like himself.
"Being a student-athlete has had a huge impact on me, because of all the values I have learned along the way," he continued, "I have definitely learned to manage my time between school and golf and actually being social. I have learned a lot about camaraderie, because I have had to spend hours upon hours with my teammates at practice and traveling. I have also learned a lot about how to be independent, because it is a big change going from high school athletics to college athletics, because you are on your own in terms of honoring your commitments on top of living away from home for the first time."
Knowing that he had an older teammate or a coach to look to for direction as an underclassman when needed was comforting for Hird and now he has turned into that leader, guiding the younger group of Kingsmen.
He has expanded his leadership beyond the golf course and classroom by participating in numerous community service projects. Before he got to CLU he worked various canned food drives and with the homeless in different capacities including feeding them and creating care packages to be distributed to them. Earlier this year he got involved with the Cal Lutheran Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was part of the Habitat for Humanity project with classmates. This week he will also be joining up with other SAAC members by the flagpole for the Bone Marrow registry (all it takes is a mouth swab and a little paper work) as well as a Create-A-Card station, for pediatric cancer patients in the area, on Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each day.
The memories that he has already made are countless and range from the classroom, to the course to the community.
"The things I will remember most about being a student-athlete will always just be that I was part of something I enjoyed in college and that I got to share it with a bunch of guys that enjoy it as well," Hird said. "I will always remember the fun times we had especially when we traveled across the country, but also the good tournaments we had together where we were proud of the way we played and the accomplishments we had. And I will reflect on all the tough losses and the hardships that we have overcome as a team," he finished. "Being part of a team will just add on to the many memories that I will have from my overall college experience."
His career and season are not over yet. Hird and the Kingsmen play one more Multi-Dual match on April 11-12 before closing out the season at the SCIAC Championships on April 26-28.
During the course of Division III Week (April 6-12), CLUSports will be distributing a series of student-athlete related materials via Social Media (links below) and on www.clusports.com.
CLU Twitter: https://twitter.com/clusports
CLU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports
CLU Instagram: http://instagram.com/clusports#
Hashtags: #ownthethrone, #clusports, #gokingsmen #goregals, #purplepit #whyD3 #NCAAD3 #d3week
