Katie Goodwin is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Notre Dame Preparatory High School for AZPreps365.com

SCOTTSDALE – When Fin Vander Ark walks into focus, the first thing people notice is his hair.

Brown curls surround his face until a natural smile pops out because he’s out doing what he loves.

Vander Ark’s dad was the one who played golf in the family, but 2-1/2 years ago, his son joined  him.

It was love at first swing and he hasn’t put the sport down since -- and doesn’t plan to anytime soon.

“I started playing with my dad and I loved it,” Fin Vander Ark said. “I love the grind and getting beat because then I have to work to be the best and not give up.”

One of two sophomores on the Notre Dame Preparatory High School boys golf team, Vander Ark plays a big role. He has received the medalist honors award at one match this season and consistently finds himself in the top four scores that count toward the team total.

Vander Ark is a contributing factor to the team’s success. Undefeated in their nine-hole matches, the Saints rely on team chemistry.

At practices, they’re constantly joking around and laughing, but they still know how to work hard. The state championship lingers in the back of their minds, knowing they have a great shot at winning it all.

“We’re pretty good, we’ve got a good shot at state and a great squad,” junior Dylan Wolfe commented when asked about the dynamic of their team.

Vander Ark chipped in with a smile on Wolfe’s statement saying, “what he said better be written down,” attesting to the truth behind what was mentioned.

The golfers know they have a good shot at state, but what they know the most is that they have a sense of unity and brotherhood.

The Notre Dame Prep golf team found themselves with six new members this season, all being freshmen. Rather than see them as only competition, Vander Ark welcomes them and wants to help those freshmen find success on and off the course.

“I want to make everyone feel welcome,” Vander Ark said. “We’re all a team. We have a goal and we’re not going to let anything get in the way.”

Besides being a member of his high school golf team, Vander Ark also plays frequently in Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA) tournaments. He plays in the boys 15-18 division and has found that playing in these events has developed him as a player.

Other players on the team who also participate in JGAA echoed his thoughts in how competitive the association is and how it makes them all better at the end of the day, even if it is difficult.

“It’s a great opportunity when you play with good players,” Vander Ark said on the competition within the JGAA circuit. “It makes me want to play better.”

Vander Ark is not the only one who sees his development in these tournaments, but his competitors and staff members see his progress as well.

“They start out by just being friendly, but soon they get to know each other,” Harrison Gaunt, an intern for the JGAA, said on the bonds that allow the golfers to develop. “It creates an environment where they feel comfortable when golf can sometimes be a stressful sport.”

Saints head coach Scott Watkins has seen the team progress together throughout the two years Vander Ark has been with the boys, believing that it’s leading to their success.

Everyone on this team knows they’re not playing for themselves, but rather for something bigger.