Golf captain hits the sweet spot with psychology

As a Fair Trade ambassador, a varsity athlete, a learning coach and a full-time student, the greatest asset that Scott Kerr has gained at Simon Fraser University (SFU) is the ability to manage his time.

In particular, it was a sports psychology class that greatly improved Kerr’s golf game. The class project on deliberate practice helped him pinpoint, understand and improve his habits and intentions both on and off the fairway.

“Being involved hasn’t left me with much time to waste,” says Kerr. “The discipline aspect of being an athlete and being a student is similar. If you don’t do your readings before class, you won’t be prepared, and the same logic applies if you don’t practice before a tournament.”

Kerr transferred to SFU in order to join the men’s varsity golf team and chase after new opportunities on his journey to becoming a professional golfer. Despite initially struggling to adjust to the commute and the intensity of his courses, the psychology major and criminology minor soon grew accustomed to his demanding schedule. Kerr balances a full-time course load with the demands of golf, volunteering and working while earning grades high enough to be listed on the dean’s honour roll.

In the last two years of his undergraduate degree, Kerr has captained the golf team.

Kerr feels connected with the university because of the bond he’s developed with his teammates and coaches, and thanks to the professors who nurture his learning. He says that the people around him have helped him believe that his voice matters as an undergraduate student.

“As a psychology major, there are a lot of opportunities for me to translate what I learned in my classes into competition,” says Kerr. “I don’t keep psychology and golf separate—there’s a lot of mental calculation going on because golf is a game of strategy, from deciding which club to use to choosing the type of shot to hit. There’s definitely an aspect of what I’ve learned and knowing how to apply these things that’s different from what athletes in other faculties may encounter.”