DAYTON - As a kid growing up in nearby Cincinnati, sophomore men's golfer Kyle Schmidt dreamt of playing golf with his dad. And when he was around 10 years old, he started taking advantage of a summer special at a course near where he lived, playing all day with his friends. The first time Schmidt was able to beat his dad at a round of golf, he didn't let him forget it.

"My dad has played golf for most of his life," Schmidt reflected. "When the opportunity arose for me to start playing, I took it because I had always wanted to play with him. I remember when I first started playing, I always wanted to play from the same tees that my dad played from and beat him. When I first accomplished that, I didn't let him forget it.

"A course I lived by had summer deals for juniors call "Junior Tuesdays" in which you could play and play as many holes as you wanted. My friends and I would go to the course early in the morning and play all day. That's where I really developed my passion for golf."

The first sports Schmidt started playing were baseball in the spring and summer, basketball in the winter and football in the fall.

"Sports were a huge part of my life growing up and were a year-round thing for myself and my siblings," Schmidt said. "Still to this day, I love playing other sports recreationally."
Schmidt says he comes from a very competitive family which has pushed him to succeed in all aspects of his life.

"My family has been an extremely influential part of my life. They have supported me 100% through thick and thin. Whether it's dealing with sports, school or my personal life, they always push me to be the best I can be. They encourage me to set high goals and having them by my side has shown me how powerful family can be. There is nothing I wouldn't do for them or they wouldn't do for me."

A 2019 graduate of Cincinnati's Lakota East High School, Schmidt says he realized he was pretty good at playing golf during his sophomore year as a Thunder Hawk.

"I won a tournament at NCR Country Club, which is now my home course as a member of UD's men's golf team, by a few shots against mainly kids that were older than me," Schmidt explained. "I thought it was cool I was able to compete against, and sometimes beat, guys who were bigger, stronger and older than me.

"That same year, I got my first college recruitment letter. That is when I realized playing college golf was a very realistic dream. I had always thought of it as something I wanted to do but it never seemed real until I got that letter."

Schmidt says he picked Dayton because he loved everything the University and Dayton men's golf head coach Gip Hoagland had to offer him.

"I had already met or previously known many of the guys on the team and knew that I would fit in well at UD," Schmidt remembered. "I also love how it is only about 30 minutes from home. I love spending time with my family and didn't want to go to a college that was a plane ride away. UD also has great academic programs and I knew I would be earning a great degree while also competing on the golf course."

Despite a tumultuous 2020 due to the global pandemic, Schmidt is enjoying his time as part of the Dayton Flyer family.

"Being a part of the golf team at UD has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Schmidt. "I consider the guys on the team some of my best friends and we do a lot of things together whether it is workouts, golfing or playing cards. Everyone on the team is extremely competitive and no matter what we are doing, there's always a competition which is a lot of fun. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys and coach to compete alongside.

"This year has been tough on everyone. One thing my teammates and I have focused on during this time is trying to find the positives. We aren't the only team in the country dealing with practice and season cancellations. We have all been trying to better ourselves both physically and mentally so we are ready to go once the spring 2021 season gets under way."

In true University of Dayton community fashion, Schmidt also wanted to pass along some props.

"I want to say thank you to my teammates, coach and the entire Dayton community for making college feel like a second home," Schmidt added. "I am truly grateful for every opportunity I have been given at UD and am looking forward to the next two-and-a-half years as a Flyer!"