GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRSP) - Before most students arrive at school, Diane Howie and Arden Hammond are already working through their first commitments of the day.
Both City High Middle School students are part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, and both have chosen to continue their music education—even with already full IB schedules. That means Howie gets to school early for zero hour choir, while Hammond starts her morning in zero hour orchestra. By the time the first bell rings, they've already checked one activity off their lists.
Then come their other IB classes, lunch, and the rest of the school day before their focus shifts to golf.
On a practice day, Howie drives to Mines Golf Club for a 3:15 p.m. start. The team begins at the range with a bucket of balls before moving to the putting green. Some days include chipping games or putting horseshoes. Other days, the team gets out for nine holes.
This season, simulator sessions will become part of their routine, too. The technology gives players a chance to see details they can't always feel in their swings, including swing path, point of contact, spin, loft, height, and distance.
“We want to be on the simulator, especially early in the season, as much as possible,” coach Calvin Sielaff said. “I think it will help us get our swings back in shape, then we can transfer that to more practical situations at the course.”
For Howie, practice isn't the end of her day at the Mines. After practice, Howie heads straight to work, serving as a host and service assistant at the restaurant or helping put away the golf carts. She usually works until around 9 p.m. before heading home for dinner and homework.
Finding time for schoolwork can be one of the hardest parts of her schedule, but she knows it is still a top priority.
“My priorities are school, then golf, then working,” Howie said.
Her weekends include working, homework, the occasional round of golf or a bike ride, and time in Spring Lake with her dad.
For Hammond, the day changes when the Redhawks have a match. She may leave school early—or miss it entirely—to compete. Some match days start as early as 8 a.m. and include two nine-hole rounds of golf at different courses.
On these days, golf may be the most visible part of Hammond’s schedule, but schoolwork happens behind the scenes. She uses free time at school and between matches to get assignments done, all while staying in close contact with her teachers.
“My schedule requires a lot of communication with my teachers,” she said.
That same flexibility carries into her other activities. As head lobbyist for Michigan Youth in Government, Hammond is preparing for the Fall Conference. When a golf match conflicts with a club meeting, she misses the meeting; when practice conflicts with Youth in Government, she arrives late to practice. That kind of prioritizing allows her to fit every activity into her already packed days.
And as if that weren’t enough, Hammond also participates in Rotary Interact twice a month during lunch, meeting with community members and visiting businesses to learn about the professional world. Outside of school, her commitments continue with weekend guitar lessons, regular babysitting, and Sunday softball training.
For both girls, the challenge isn't simply finding time for golf. It's finding room for everything else, too.
From zero hour classes to weekend activities, Howie and Hammond rarely have an empty spot on their calendars. Still, they find ways to make it all work. For them, being Redhawk student-athletes isn't about having more time; it's about making the most of the time they have.
