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McClellan's dedication leads to golf success One of life’s greatest treasures is discovering what we are passionate about. Some people search their entire lives trying to figure out what their dream hobby or career might be. For MMI senior Jessica McClellan, the search was brief, as she discovered her passion for the game of golf at the age of three. Her uncles, George Patrick ’78 and Brian Patrick ’86, bought her a toy motorized golf cart with clubs strapped to the back for Christmas and she was hooked on the game. Since then, she has combined that passion with a spirit of relentless dedication and hard work geared toward learning and practicing the game. She is laser-focused on growing her golf career from youth leagues to leagues throughout Northeast PA to competition at the national and international level.
to her on the game. In addition to her work with MMI Head Coach Ryan Jastremsky, Brian Patrick serves as her personal golf coach. She said he’s worked with her to perfect her swing and that she recalls times when she was a child watching him hit balls all the way to the tree line of the range at what is now Sleepy Hollow Golf Center in Drums and dreaming of doing that herself one day. Patrick, who is the Head Golf Professional at Split Rock Country Club, was also an accomplished golfer at MMI, winning the Schuylkill League Championship during his senior year. He said that the first time he realized McClellan had a future in the game was when he saw the determination come out of her after her sophomore season. “She started to believe in herself and that was the moment we started to work harder and harder. What stood out to me was her drive to get better. She would call or text me after every round she played to tell me about it, good or bad," he said.
It’s no secret that dedication is one of the key components of becoming successful at something and McClellan is the prime McClellan competed at the local, example of how to make that work. regional, and state levels through the Depending on the time of year, she United States Golf Little League (USGLL) spends as many as 20 hours a week of Hazleton, the Anthracite Golf practicing and playing golf. Her Association, and the Philadelphia Jr. love of the game made her want PGA Tour. She has taken her golf game to pursue it as a career and she even farther by participating in the has supplemented that love during International Junior Golf Tour, where the summers by working at Split golfers ages 9-19 compete at courses Rock Golf Club. She also holds a across the United States, Canada, and junior membership to the Wyoming Scotland. Jessica McClellan tees off during the annual MMI Golf Tournament. Valley Country Club through their “When I was 10, I had the scholarship program, volunteers at opportunity to travel to California to compete in the USGLL Split Rock as a golf coach for their junior league, and practices as National Championship as a part of our All-Star team and then New much as she can. York the year after. I am excited to get to travel with my golf game “I truly love the game of golf. It is really rare to not find me at again. It’s a whole different world of golf,” she said. “Playing on such a golf course. We always joke that during the summer I spend more big stages creates a network with other top golfers of this generation. time at golf courses than in my own house,” McClellan said. “In I also use those experiences to better my own game. My game may golf, like many other sports, to be successful, you have to always be be good enough to dominate our area but, once you drive two hours improving and working on your game. It is really something that I from here, it’s a whole different game. To me, that’s the best part.” don’t take lightly, especially during the summer months.” Patrick began working seriously with McClellan as a coach when McClellan is fortunate to have two coaches to impart wisdom (continued on page 14)
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