Paul Iwanski already senses a fringe benefit of his new position as girls golf coach at Rosary.
In his younger days, Iwanski said he was a 9 or 10 handicap. These days, that handicap has swelled into double figures, but the St. Charles resident thinks being around the sport on a daily basis this fall could spark a turnaround in his own play.
“I’m actually going to have to think about my game a little bit more, so I’m expecting to get better,” said Iwanski, who hopes the same applies to his Royals.
Iwanski takes over for the late Scott Walker. Walker, 47, died of a heart attack in June.
Rosary athletic director Mary Lou Kunold said she approached Iwanski about the position but Iwanski, a theology teacher at Rosary and deacon at St. John Neumann Church in St. Charles, initially wasn’t sure he had the availability.
After some vacation time, Iwanski decided he could make it work.
"I thought I should really do this," Iwanski said.
Iwanski, who accepted the post last month, said he has been an avid golfer for about 50 years.
“He’s a major golfer and he’d been at [St. Francis] as a [volunteer] over there,” Kunold said. “He’s like Scott, he just loves the game, and nothing could be better than having an in-house person able to handle it and know the girls.”
Golf is the first fall sport to begin – tryouts are next week and the season begins the week after. A bustling stretch awaits Iwanski, but he said it’s “just for a couple months. ... I’m looking forward to it, actually.”
“The girls are comfortable, I’m comfortable and Mary Lou is comfortable, so that’s good,” Iwanski said.