Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Three Questions with Danielle Kaufman
04/10/2020 | 12:30:00 | Women's Golf
What are your thoughts on the 2020 season and how it ended?
I have a lot of mixed emotions about the season considering there was nothing we could do about the situation. Our team was heartbroken, but we have to take it as we can and stay positive. We have a great group of girls! Â
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I was really excited to get back to competition this spring. Our seniors were finally released from injury and given the green light to play. The whole team was ready to go, but you have to step back and realize this is happening all over the world. We are all devastated over this. My heart goes out to every team and all of my Saluki family.Â
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Where were you when the news came down and what did you tell your team?
I was in my office when I officially found out. I had just had the team in for a meeting and then I had to bring them back that same afternoon to tell them the news. Our administrative staff had been very positive and we were all hopeful, but that quickly changed and the season was quickly over.Â
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That was very heartbreaking for us. It was hard to believe in the moment that it was actually happening. All the girls took it to heart, but also understood the situation. We just kept thinking about all the other teams out there. Together, we need to stay positive. This is hard for everyone, but there are so many things going on in the world that are bigger than golf. You can't take take anything for granted. The girls are so humble and understanding. We look forward to getting back to competing.
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What are you doing working from home?
I'm doing a lot of self-reflecting as a coach. I've been thinking about the past two seasons, ways to improve, and what went well as a coaching staff. There's been a lot of note taking and I've also been working on next year's schedule. I have a little home office setup and I've been doing a lot of video calls to check in with my girls. They send me weekly schedules on what they are doing.
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The biggest thing I am having everyone do, including myself, is continue to stay in the same routine that we were in during school. Make sure your family is safe and everyone is staying healthy. I'm really trying to spend this time to focus on what I can do to better my team, come back next year on a positive note, and to compete for a chance to win another championship.Â
