Senior Athlete Profile: Sarah Dutton
Nick Aldrich, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of NGU Athletics
Sarah Dutton is one of the many outstanding athletes currently enrolled at North Greenville University. Dutton is a senior who is currently on the golf team at NGU. She originally got involved with the sport so she could be apart of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, or FCA, at her middle school. She tried it out and loved it, deciding to stick with it. It was also an activity that she and her father both enjoyed and could bond over. She first became interested in NGU at the end of her Junior year, as she was looking for God to call her to a faith-based school that would allow her to “grow stronger in my walk with him.” She was contacted by the school and asked to come for an overnight visit to help her get a feel for the university. Dutton remembers praying to God one night in hopes that he would lead her to the school that he wanted her to go to. Dutton stated that “That very night I dreamed I was walking the campus of North Greenville. In the dream, I knew where every building was, and I had a backpack as a student would. When I woke up that morning I just felt an overwhelming peace that this is where God has called me to be.” No less than three days later, she was made an offer to play at NGU and happily accepted.
Dutton has been playing on the golf team for all four years that she has spent at NGU, and she has thoroughly enjoyed her time playing. She enjoys that strategy that is involved in the sport, and how every shot is different. She also loves how you must adapt to your situations when golfing. Every aspect of your environment must be taken into account, the terrain you are golfing on, the placement of the golfing pin, and the aspects of the weather that could potentially affect the shot. Dutton also enjoys the randomness involved in the sport. “I just love how you always have to stay focused. You can get good breaks from bad shots and bad breaks from good shots. It is always a mystery how the round will play out.”
Another aspect of the sport that Dutton has loved is making relationships, be it with the girls on her team or other players from other schools. She loves making new friends and connecting with them while sharing the love of God. Dutton says that “I believe that God calls us to minister in every walk of our lives, in every, situation, and it is usually where we least expect it.” This attitude has allowed Dutton to be light to her peers, spreading the love of God far and wide through her love of the sport. Despite loving golf, Dutton has decided not to pursue golf professionally. She is currently studying elementary education at NGU and hopes to be a middle or high school golf coach. She also hopes to get involved with The First Tee organization, which helps introduce kids to the sport while imbuing them with life-enhancing values.
