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The pressure of fighting fires is vastly different from the pressure of fighting for college recruits. Carrie Forsythe knows. She wanted the former but opted for the latter when a decision had to be made about her career. Forsythe, a 1989 graduate of Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, wanted to be a paramedic and had an interview set up with the San Diego Fire Department. Then the former UCLA golfer got a call from Cal State Northridge concerning a head coaching job for the women’s golf team. Both interviews were on the same day. “I was faced with making a choice right there, and I chose Northridge,” said Forsythe, who was at the school for xxxx years before accepting the position of women’s golf coach at her alma mater in 1999. But before moving up the collegiate ladder to UCLA, Forsythe had to start at the ground level at Cal State Northridge, where she revamped a moribund program and put pressure on herself to succeed. “My first few years in coaching were really tough. It’s still tough,” she said. “You go through phases every year with a team, so to me, I take it very personally — more so than I should. It’s not really just a job; it’s a life and a lifestyle to be a coach. They are my family in so many ways. “When things aren’t going well, when there’s infighting or other problems, it’s tough. I take it very personally, and my first few years at Northridge were an absolute struggle. For someone who wanted excellence, I wasn’t getting the type of athletes who were of high enough quality as players.” The quality rose when Forsythe got to UCLA, but so did the pressure. But she has handled it well, as evidenced by the Bruins’ five NCAA tournament berths in her six years at the helm, including the national championship in 2004 and a runner-up finish in this year’s tournament. She also has been Pac-10 coach of the year three times (2002, 2004-05) and was named national coach of the year. But despite those titles and grooming players such as three-time All-American Charlotte Mayorkas, two-time All-American Susie Mathews and standout freshman Amie Cochran, the medalist at the 2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur, Forsythe continues to feel the pressure. It’s a feeling she’s had since first walking into her Morgan Center office and seeing all of the national championship plaques from other women’s programs. “When I took the job, the mindset going in is if you’re at UCLA and you’re not great, you’re doing something wrong,” Forsythe said. “You should get the best players and be in contention nearly every year. I came into this place with that feeling and my athletes do too. Ultimately, why we’ve been so successful comes down to the fact that I’ve really recruited some great people — not just golfers, but great people.” Forsythe likes to recruit blue-collar grinders who play well, are solid citizens and fit into her team-first concept. “I learned to pay attention to the little things. I get a lot of impressions from people really quickly,” said Forsythe, whose penchant for visiting players as often as she can explains why the Bruins don’t recruit many of the overseas stars you see on other teams. And that’s fine with Forsythe, who will welcome Jane Park, the Rancho Cucamonga freshman-to-be and reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, to next season’s team. Park will join Mathews, Cochran and Hannah Jun (the 2004 Pac-10 Newcomer of the year) on a UCLA team that likely will be favored to win its third straight Pac-10 and West Regional titles. How’s that for pressure? “The last couple of years, I’ve recognized I’m doing something worthwhile,” Forsythe said of her attempt to relax and enjoy her success. “I’m not saving lives, I’m not saving the world, but now I’ve come to realize I do have a very important role. I have the opportunity to shape the lives of these young women and influence them in a positive way. Now that I’ve come to that realization, I’m a lot happier as a coach. I want to feel important and that I’m making a difference, and I feel like I am.” n |
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