Kernels' Maddie Childs leads girls golf program through consistency in pursuit of lofty goals

May 13—MITCHELL — There was a time when a young Maddie Childs would rather be anywhere but the golf course. It wasn't until Childs, who went through a phase where she was enamored with footwear, was gently bribed to practice more by the gift of a new pair of golf shoes. Now a senior standout for the Mitchell High School golf program and a future college golfer at Augustana, Childs looks back at her origin story with several laughs and a few head shakes.

From her early impressions of the sport, her outlook has flipped 180 degrees. "It's actually kind of surreal and also a little dumb in a sense that that's what it took (to get Childs golfing), but I'm so grateful my parents did it," Childs said. "Obviously, this was part of some plan for me all along; I just didn't see it.

If I told my younger self that I'd be as good as I am at golf and it's the sport I love, I would probably think that I'm crazy. " Once Childs set her mind to playing golf, there was no going back. That spark carried right into what has been one of the most successful careers in MHS girls golf program history.

Right away, as a seventh-grader, Childs landed a place among the Kernels' varsity top-six positions. By her freshman year, she had taken over the No. 2 spot on the roster based on 18-hole average.