The Day’s All-Area Girls’ Golfer of the Year: NFA’s Caroline Goderre
Jul. 6—Caroline Goderre never dealt with an injury before this spring.
When a back issue sidelined her, Goderre took it hard.
She couldn’t even swing a golf club.
“I thought golf could possibly be over for me,” Goderre said. “It was definitely scary to just have that thought.”
With help from a sports physical therapist, Goderre eventually recovered and returned to impressive form. She earned medalist honors at the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship and helped Norwich Free Academy capture the team title. She ranked first in the conference in differential and won individual honors at the Wildcat Invitational.
Goderre, a sophomore, is The Day’s 2024 All-Area Girls’ Golfer of the Year, earning her second straight honor.
She impacts the Wildcats in so many ways.
“In terms of golf, she’s a great example of what hard work and dedication can get you in the long run,” NFA coach Jessica Chapman said. “She’s the first to be out there putting. And she’ll putt for two hours, which most of the girls don’t want to do because it’s not the thing that’s necessarily exciting.
“But she sets a great example on the golf course on how to golf beautifully, which always makes all the girls play better. All of my girls rise to the level that she sets, which is great.
“In terms of a teammate, she’s so appreciative of the sisterhood that the girls have created. She sent everybody a beautiful text after the season ended and thanked them for their contributions not only as teammates but also as friends.”
Goderre is healthy now. She plans to play some junior golf tournaments this summer and work on her game.
She’s unsure what caused her back injury, which developed over time.
“I guess I was overusing it and not 100% listening,” Goderre said. “I was thinking over time that maybe it would go away. But, obviously, that wasn’t the case. This was my first big, big injury. I’ve been very lucky with that, not having injuries.
“But this time, it hit me like a rock. There was no way I really could play through it or get through it. I just had to take time away.”
Goderre worked with Dr. Jeffrey DeLucia, a sports physical therapist who specializes in golf performance and rehabilitation.
After about a week and a half away from golf, Goderre was cleared to play again.
A week later, she shot her lowest round of the season, firing a 38 at Quinnatisset Country Club in Thompson. She was named the ECC Player of the Year.
“If anything, she came back better,” Chapman said.
Goderre’s injury and time on the sidelines ended up teaching her some valuable lessons and led to her making some changes in her approach.
“I’m grateful that the opportunity came to tell myself to — not in the best way with an injury — to come back and just relook at my game, relook at myself, regain my focus back,” Goderre said. “I feel like it was all a plan.
“I learned how to balance academics more with my golf. … Outside of that, I just learned how to listen to your body and respect yourself mentally.”
It’s important to Goderre that she’s known for more than just her golf game.
Goderre is involved in other activities.
For example, Goderre is interested in journalism, which she called her passion. She enjoys filming and videography. She writes for her high school website “NFA Red & White.”
She authored an article in April for The Day sports section about the growth of women’s sports. And she won an award along with Analys Canales Alvarez for a story on the subject for Fox61 student news.
“One thing I just don’t want is making golf my identity,” Goderre said. “I think a lot about athletes that just make their sport their identity. I don’t want to be known as a person that just plays golf. Because I think if you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m just a golfer,’ then you’re just a golfer. There’s nothing more to you.
“So I just want to be known not as just Caroline, who golfs. I’m like, ‘She does golf, but she also does other stuff. She likes to talk to people. She likes to get to know people.’ More than just golf.”
Goderre still has two more years to make her mark in high school.
Chapman looks forward to watching Goderre’s game continue to grow. Goderre took another step forward this past season.
“I think we forget how young she is; she’s 16 years old,” Chapman said. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in her in terms of her maturity and mental game and her ability to understand that golf isn’t always perfect. … That is the part of her game that I really saw tremendous improvement and a really great indication of what the next two years have in store for her if she continues on thinking in a growth mindset.”
The Day’s 2024 All-Area Girls’ Golf Team
Player of the Year — Caroline Goderre (NFA)
Mia Belcamino (Bacon Academy)
Erin O’Farrell (NFA)
Adilyn Risley (Stonington)
