Oakton's Matt Ellis Is At Home On The Course
With snow on the ground and flames in the air, fire trucks packed themselves onto Saddle Crescent Circle. People huddled in dismay and concern for the now homeless Ellis family. When Oakton sophomore Matt Ellis returned from a ski trip with friends this past winter, the burnt shell of his house was not what he expected to find. "I didn't really know how to handle it. It was really unexpected."
Matthew Ellis, born in Melbourne, Australia, is certainly no stranger to challenges. At the mere age of one month, his family moved to Saudi Arabia. While living in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. invaded Iraq during the Gulf War. Some nights he could hear the bombs as he went to sleep. When he turned six, he moved to the United States. Few people have experienced first hand living in so many radically different societies.
"It has given me different views of the world," Ellis said. "I have experienced a bunch of diverse cultures and it helps me to see things in a broader sense."
At an early age Matt learned how to play golf.
"I started [playing] when I was about 11," Ellis said. "My dad definitely got me started on golf, and I have had a lot of good instructors that have kept me interested in the game."
Golf is a unique sport that takes many hours of practice and a lot of patience.
"A lot of sports you just go out and get aggressive," said Danielle Rust, Oakton golf head coach. "Basketball, football, soccer, it's just a completely different type of sport, and you have to know what you are doing if you want to be good."
Last year, as a freshman, Matt tried out and made the high school team, though he experienced some difficulty in the beginning of the season.
"He came out and was not in the top six," Rust said. "By the end of the season, he was able to play his way into the top six for two of our matches. One of his scores counted toward our team total."
Although he was in the top six at the end of last season, that does not necessarily mean he starts in the top six this year. It requires constant devotion.
"The kids are supposed to be playing year round regardless of what else they have going on," Rust said. "Our season is so short that I need them on all burners when they show up in August."
On top of a rigorous practice schedule, Matt also attends a two-week camp in Charlottesville to hone his game.
"He pursues a lot of opportunities in the off-season," said Rust. "He is continuing to focus on his golf and make that one of his priorities.
Finding time to practice golf can be difficult when you are participating in Oakton Crew, an outside basketball league, and coaching little league at the same time.
"Crew really threw off my golf game because I focused so much on crew that I didn't play golf for eight months," Ellis said. "Because of that I have had to work harder than ever before over the past few months to try and get my game back."
Furthermore, Matt is a double-scholar athlete, which means that on top of endless hours of practice he maintains a 3.5 grade point average or higher.
"It's difficult because the coaches of each sport really demand a lot from you and you have to put in a lot of time for your sports," Ellis said. "But at the same time you also have to focus and make sure that you put your schoolwork first."
"Matt brings a lot of enthusiasm and is mature for his age," Rust said. "[He is] quiet, confident, very easy-going, always respectful to me, and receives feedback...He is just a delight to have on the team."
Matt's improvement has come as a result of time and effort.
"I have really improved my game a lot simply by developing a better practice routine and by practicing more frequently," Ellis said. "I have cut about 12 shots off my game in the past two years."
Looking to the future, Matt just wants to continue to improve.
"Right now I'm just hoping to improve my game and move up on my high school team but eventually I would like to play in college."
