Typically, a majority of families will take time out of their busy lives to bond by going to a movie, visiting an amusement park or simply sitting around a kitchen table for dinner. Although, others such as junior marketing major David Clay Anders are fortunate enough to have a mutual love for sports that bring him and his loved ones together year round.
Growing up, Anders traveled and sat on the sidelines of numerous ice hockey games alongside his family to cheer on his older brother Rodney. However, by age nine, he decided that he wanted to hit the ice himself.
After playing roller hockey in elementary school, Clay played as a successful and committed member on Indian Crests Junior High School ice hockey team. While he continued to support his older brother Rodney and younger brother Dawson at their games, roles had reversed as his family began to sit on the sidelines of his games as well.
Hockey is not the only sport that brings Anders and his family together,
though.
Aside from his dedication to his middle school hockey team, Clay also made time to begin golfing as an additional hobby. “I was not big into golf right away,” Anders said. “I was actually not very good at all and kind of against it.”
However, he had always been curious about the sport after being submerged in it from his brothers and grandparents throughout his childhood.
“I always loved going to the golf course that my grandma was a
member of with my brothers when I was really young,” he said.
Memories such as this are what influenced him to give the sport a shot. After playing leisurely and getting into the swing of things, Clay decided to join Souderton High School’s golf team. From there, he formed a passion for the sport and took part in tournaments that lead him to the Bahamas, Bermuda, California, Florida and so on.
Clay and his family have also taken multiple vacations over the years to play golf on different courses.
“Playing on courses in Pebble Beach, California in 2012 definitely ranks as one of the best times I’ve had golfing with my family,” Clay said. He and his brothers also had the opportunity to play in multiple competitive state tournaments this past summer.
Many of Anders favorite memories with both hockey and golf took place during his high school years.
“I loved playing alongside all of my friends and in front of all of my friends and family. It was always overall a lot of fun,” he said. During his senior year, Anders not only won within his conference alongside his golf team but also played in the Flyers Cup with his hockey team.
After graduating from Souderton, Clay’s family supported him to carry on his passions for hockey and golf onto college at Cabrini.
“I knew Cabrini was the place for me after seeing they had a roller hockey team and a golf team that usually has a good chance of going to nationals every year,” he said.
While Anders started playing hockey much earlier than he started golfing, he has formed a mutual and equal love for both sports over the years.
“Hockey is generally more fun because of the high energy atmosphere and element of working together with a team,” he said. “I like how I have more independence and control with golf because I don’t have to rely on or worry about anyone else.”
Although Clay does not have to rely on anyone else during his golf matches, both golf and roller hockey have brought him together with some of his closest friends. In addition to traveling to Florida for golf matches, he and his friends also practice chipping and putting on campus in their rooms on campus or in nearby driving ranges in Conshohocken.
With roller hockey, he typically travels to and from late night games with his friends on the team and goes out to eat with them after. In their most recent game against Villanova on Feb. 13, he scored a goal and an assist that added up to their 7-1 win. He and some members of the team then went out to Taco Bell after the game to celebrate.
Clay now looks forward to finishing up his junior year of college and golfing alongside his family over the summer. “I love roller hockey, but I know golfing is something I will continue to do for the rest of my life.”
