(May 6, 2014)–Shani Amelia Waite loves warm weather and interacting with different cultures in her native city of El Segundo, CA. At just 11-years old, there is an abundance of activities for a youth her age to be involved with in this beach city of Los Angeles.
“I love the hometown feel. The weather is always great and our Parks and Recreation Department always has things going on in town. The beach is less than a mile and we even have an ice skating rink,” says the youngster who was first introduced to the game of golf at just 6-years old. It all started when a friend’s mom handed her mother a flyer about The First Tee of South Los Angeles. Shani’s parents had played golf earlier in their lives, but had not taken the game seriously.
With Shani’s home golf course, The Lakes of El Segundo in El Segundo, being less than 3 minutes away, she is able to practice her game very frequently. Today, Shani carries a 10.3 handicap and belongs to several notable golf organizations: The First Tee of Los Angeles, the Western States Golf Association (WSGA) Honors Club, The Tiger Woods Foundation, and the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Youth on Course.
“I currently play on the Southern California PGA Players Tour and enjoy playing a lot with my sister, Sarina, age 5,” states the 6th grader whose favorite subject is science. Shani’s younger sister, Simone is deceased and would have been 8 years old. Her presence is always missed by the loving family. “I have met many people on the course and through my organizations that were willing to share their experiences and share how to be successful. I have learned about different careers and been able to travel to so many places playing this game. I hope one day kids learn golf as part of their gym class.”
Shani plays at least 12 rounds of golf a month. “I play the most with friends and dad, but I practice the most with my mom.”
In June 2013, she placed 3rd in the Junior PGA Section Championship. In August 2013, she won her division at the Western States Golf Association (WSGA) Junior Golf Championship in Los Angeles, CA, making her a two-time champion over the past two years.
“In the last year, I had seven top 5 finishes on the SCPGA Players Tour, placed 1st in the inaugural Drive, Chip, and Putt local qualifier, and 4th in the Regional qualifier. In April 2014, Shani played in the LPGA Pro-Am at the El Caballero Country Club with LPGA’s Demi Runas to support The First Tee. In the 2014 Los Angeles City Junior Golf Championship, and placed 6th in her division out of a field of 23 players.
“Over the next few months, I will be playing in the 2014 US Kids State Championship in California, the FCG International Junior Golf Championship in San Diego, CA, and the 2014 WSGA Junior Championship in Portland, OR.”
“I love the challenge of playing on beautiful, complex courses. It is not just hitting a golf ball, you have to really think how you can use it to beat each and every hole. I also like meeting different people on the golf course when playing my practice rounds. “
Since she was 8-years old, Shani has received golf instruction from Coach Aubrey Shaw at The Lakes of El Segundo and from various PGA professionals. “The golf instruction helped my swing tremendously and gave me confidence in my game.”
But this sport is not without its challenges to Shani. It’s her strong will and determination that helps her get better with each round. “My biggest challenge is the mental game and I am working on that every day. It is very hard to let a bad shot go as if it never happened. So I have been working on a pre-shot routine and post shot routine to remain focused after a good or bad shot.”
When asked how she stays motivated, “I keep remembering how far the game can take me. I know not only will this game teach me life skills, the college opportunities are there and even more if I keep working on my skills, play good golf, and keep my grades up.”
In her free time, Shani is a Cadette Girl Scout in El Segundo Troop 5005 and have been in the Troop since Kindergarten. She is an outstanding representative and known as one of the top Girl Scout cookie sellers in her neighborhood— after selling over 3800 boxes of cookies over the last five years.
“I earned my Bronze award making welcome kits for kids spending their first night in foster care. Now, I am working on my Silver Award. I mentor the incoming Daisy/Kindergarten aged girl scouts of my troop.”
“I love to design nail art, dancing and cooking different types of foods in the kitchen. My dad is Belizean and my mom is from St. Louis, so they are teaching me how to cook some of the foods they grew up on.”
“When I go to college, I want to learn how to teach the game of golf to kids like me and others with special needs. My late sister, Simone was born with a rare syndrome and I think of her every day. I know, if she was here, I would have done my best to show her and other children that Simone could do anything, even with her few physical hiccups. She has inspired me to want to teach children, of any need, the game of golf. I want them to enjoy the game like I do and play to the best of their abilities.”
“By playing golf, I have learned so much about life and I am so happy my mom got that flyer.”
