17
WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | DECEMBER 1, 2021
For more sports visit WestValleyView.com WestValleyView.com
/WestValleyView
Goodyear golfer named All-American BY KEATON MALLORY
West Valley View Staff Writer
B
orn in Lubbock, Texas, Kendall Todd moved to Arizona when she was 10 years old. She did not understand the profound affect it would have on her life. Inspired by her father, Michael, to play golf, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas freshman was recently named a 2021 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) first team All-American. “I was super happy the rest of the day after I saw the email,” she said about her first team All-American feat. “It’s really nice to see your hard work pay off.” Growing up in Goodyear, Todd tried a plethora of sports from tennis to soccer — but none of them stuck with her like golf. Meanwhile, she spent time with her golf-playing dad, driving around in the cart. Eventually, she picked up a club and started hitting. Immediately, she fell in love with the father-daughter bonding experience. “I love the fact that golf’s an individual sport,” Todd said. “I don’t have anyone else to rely on to do their part. I also love how you can turn around having a bad day or a bad tournament with just one good shot.” She cited her father as her biggest inspiration, but her first golf coach, Paul Smith, taught her how to play — and enjoy it. “He taught me the fundamentals, but he made it fun and helped me to not feel bad if I don’t play well,” she said. After she started working with Smith, she successfully played in tour-
naments. When she was about 15, she became a member of the AJGA. “Once I started playing in the AJGA tournaments, that’s when I sort of realized I could do something with golf,” Todd said. “I was playing against the top players in my age group, and I did my best to go in and win, and I pushed myself to get to where I want to be.” Although her high level of play and dedication led to her being where she is now, it wasn’t always an ideal situation for her. At one point in her golf career, she felt like what she was doing was pointless and wouldn’t lead to anything, “I went through a phase where I didn’t enjoy it and nothing felt right,” Todd said. “But, I just kept practicing and kept going.” Todd’s work ethic is next to none. She enrolled in an online-only high school for all four years in order to focus on golf. “It gave me way more time to focus on golf,” Todd said. “It just gave me less distractions, too, being able to avoid the drama and the time-wasting that would come with playing on a high school team. I wanted it to be more ‘me-based’ so I can focus on only myself.” This allowed her to solely focus on the AJGA tournaments, and it not only just paid off but it changed her life forever. “Being a part of the AJGA flipped around my entire career,” Todd said. “The program was amazing and was super competitive. It was a whole different level compared to the other tournaments, and it helped me to improve a lot.”
Golfer Kendall Todd grew up in Goodyear but is now a freshman at UNLV. (Photo courtesy of American Junior Golf Association)
Faith, Ledyard & Faith, PLC AT TO R N E Y S
AT
L AW
WE ARE SERVING ARIZONA DURING COVID-19 Please call us if we can assist. We can use email and phone to serve our clients remotely. If you or a loved one are in need of our service, please reach out today!
Schedule your Consultation • Call (623) 932-0430 Today
A FULL-SERVICE LAW FIRM SERVING THE WEST VALLEY AND G REATER P HOENIX FOR M ORE T HAN 40 Y EARS
Paul J. Faith David E. Ledyard Michael P. Faith Barry M. Aylstock Christine Faith Thomas R. Atkins Rachel K. Butts James S. Ferlmann
Real Estate Business Law Wills & Trusts Estate Planning Probate DUI Criminal Defense Employment Law Bankruptcy Foreclosure
Personal Injury Representation Auto Accidents • Personal Injury • Motorcycle Accidents • Accidental Death Semi Truck Accidents • Nursing Home Abuse • Dog Bites • Work Accidents
Talk Directly To an attorney NO RECOVERY NO FEE
At Faith, Ledyard & Faith, PLC, our lawyers and staff work hard to deliver quality solutions through superior service to our clients. Our mission is to serve the needs of our clients at a reasonable price and to maintain a lasting relationship.
Visit us online at westvalleyview.com
623-932-0430
www.Faithlaw.com
919 N. Dysart Road | Suite F | Avondale, AZ 85323
