After holing out on his 17th hole in the national championship, Josh Hebrink was not only about to make Piedmont history, but he was about to begin a mentally-tolling endeavor. The 2023 NCAA Division III National Champion would now face the heightened expectations of success.
“I definitely have more expectations on myself,” Hebrink said. “The feeling of winning and then you have to go back that up.”
Success didn’t come naturally for the senior psychology major from Elk River, Minnesota. In the early stages of his athletic career, Hebrink did not realize the potential he held in golf, spending most of his adolescence playing multiple sports. His lack of success in other sports encouraged Hebrink to solely focus on golf.
“I wasn’t very good in high school, so I had two schools in Northern Minnesota I was looking at,” Hebrink said. “I went to one and I just wanted to play, and it was not good at all.”
Frustrated with his lack of playing time at the University of Minnesota Crookston, Hebrink transferred to Piedmont in spring 2021. In his first semester at Piedmont, Hebrink competed in seven events and officially began his collegiate campaign. He learned from his teammates and coach to develop his game into that of a national champion.
“I improved a lot by coaching and being pushed by other players that are here,” Hebrink said, noting that it his teammates that a played a huge role in his development. “They pushed me to further levels that I didn’t have before.”
Those teammates are the same people that led him to his national championship. The team was in the final group of the championship field, and that left them playing with the best players. Hebrink holed out for eagle on the 17th and made a par on the 18th that allowed him to hoist the trophy, finishing seven under par and becoming the first NCAA Golf Champion in Piedmont history.
“I kind of blacked out,” he said. “I couldn’t feel any part of my body.”
But that’s not where his story ends. As the reigning national champion, he has the eyes of the entire collegiate golf community on him. Hebrink would face the expectations of any successful athlete: backing it up.
Athletes of any caliber are continuously increasing their expectations to perform. Once an athlete checks a goal off their list, they are immediately led to believe that goal is attainable every time. However, athletes fail to realize that they are human. There are always going to be mistakes made both on and off the field. This is when athletics becomes more of a mental battle than a physical one.
According to Perform Sports Psychology, athletes’ heightened expectations may actually lead to hindered performance. “When your expectations are unreasonably high, you feel every match, every set, and every point is a ‘must-win’…when you’re in danger of not hitting your expectations, your brain sends out panic signals and your body fills up with anxiety, negative emotions and performance-damaging thoughts.”
Hebrink felt just that. His pressure was not only rooted in his desire to continuously win, but also the added pressure of now needing to lead his team. “I feel like I’ve put more pressure on myself to lead,” said Hebrink. “I want everyone to play well, but I can’t control what they do. And then when I went out and didn’t play well, I (realized that) I have to worry about myself here a little bit.”
That pressure was evident in his performance at the NCAA DIII Preview tournament in October. Hebrink finished +10 over the three days, placing 41st out of 90 golfers from across the nation. Finishing among the top half of the best golfers in the nation would be an impressive feat for most, but was disappointing for the defending champion.
“I think it’s very tough to come off of a very strong season and not put a little bit of pressure on yourself to be perfect,” said Adam Rogers, a sophomore teammate who led the Lions at the tournament, finishing tied for 21st at +5.
Hebrink’s championship led to his status as a role model on the team, and that only added pressure for Hebrink to continuously succeed. Eric Penland, a four-year teammate, recognizes Hebrink’s selfless tendencies. “Josh is a very friendly and competitive teammate that wants nothing but the best for everyone and will help anyone that needs it.”
However, they also recognize that it is in his best interest to focus on himself a little more, “I think Josh needs to be more selfish,” Rogers said. “While that sounds like a bad thing, sometimes for golf it isn’t. He has to know that he is the guy for the job, and maybe rub it in some people’s faces some time.”
As he enters his final semester as a Lion, Hebrink acknowledges that he must let these expectations push him in the right direction, rather than deter him.
“It’s hard to put (the championship) behind because it’s such cool memory, but every week is a new week, every hole is a new hole, and every round is a new round,” Hebrink said, adding that his plan for his senior campaign is to take it day-by-day and “go show what I can do.”
