Teeing Up Success: Nick Freis’ Story and the Value of Connection

There are powerful connections to be made and pivotal conversations to be had around every corner– you just have to remain open to them. Many of my recent talking points indicate that in both my professional and personal life, I have been repeatedly amazed at the power of authentic human connection and the immense potential in simple conversation. An example of this I love sharing is my friend and Rockerbox -sponsored athlete Nick Freis, who kindly agreed to an interview in an effort to encourage stepping outside one’s comfort zone, laying the groundwork for new relationships, and pursuing your goals despite the odds.

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Like myself, Nick grew up a “sports kid.” From his earliest years as an athlete, he threw himself headlong into every game he played and was fully committed to learning, growing, and performing to the best of his ability. That passion and drive is what eventually paved his way to playing collegiate basketball at Springhill College in Mobile, Alabama, but he would never have guessed where it would lead from there.

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Nick was a senior in high school when he first picked up a golf club, and played golf recreationally during his freshman year of college on the rare occasions he found time outside of the classroom and basketball practice. He had started falling in love with the sport and found a real outlet in it. When a friend on the college golf team encouraged him to walk onto the team, Nick’s interest was piqued, but it was the team coach’s encouragement and support that convinced Nick to fully pursue his newfound passion. Nick explained, “The coach said, ‘You’ve got a lot of really good natural potential. If you quit basketball and focus on this, you could be really good.’ I took his advice, quit basketball, and worked really hard for the next three years. I had natural talent, but when I shifted my full focus onto golf, I saw a really big improvement.”

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“The coach could have turned me away, and I would’ve just stuck with basketball. That conversation completely changed my life.”

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That was the first conversation to change the trajectory of Nick’s story. The second came a few years later after he had graduated and as he was gunning for a chance to launch his professional golf career. What those outside the industry may not realize is that the route to becoming a professional golfer comes with a sizable price tag. As Nick describes it, professional golf is not strictly a space for talent, but also a space where luck and privilege are essential to rising through the ranks. To achieve placement and status within tours, fund airfare, housing, and other travel expenses, acquire proper training and care to maintain optimal wellness, and stay outfitted with the necessary equipment is no small, inexpensive feat. For this reason, Nick got a job as a caddy and started seeking out sponsors as soon as he graduated. He remarked, “I wasn’t financially able to play much right out of college, so I knew I needed to fight for sponsorship.”

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“I looked around a lot, I talked with small businesses and local businesses and a good friend of mine told me, ‘Really just reach out to anybody. The worst they can do is say no.”

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While working as a caddy that first year out of school, Nick met my friend Bryan Sanders. Bryan was also caddying at that time and was an Olympic ski jumper. As Brian told Nick, he’d had someone take him under their wing early on in his career and help him make connections, spread his name, and ultimately achieve his goals, and he wanted to pay that forward. A series of happy coincidences later, one of the relationships Brian helped Nick secure is the one he now has with Rockerbox.

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From our first introduction, I saw a lot of myself in Nick. First of all, I love to golf. Second, growing up as an athlete has fundamentally shaped the person I am and has given me resilience, work ethic, and drive to succeed which has continuously fueled my career. Nick and I are go-getters, and we’re people who set big goals without stopping to wonder whether they’re too big. One good conversation over breakfast, and I knew I wanted to help support this young man’s aspirations. Rockerbox is now helping to fund Nick’s golf career and help relieve some financial pressure so that he can put his main focus on his golf game. In return, keep an eye out for him repping our swag!

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Nick’s advice to young people, especially young athletes seeking professional careers: “You never know what relationships you're gonna develop. So just be straightforward and be honest. ‘Hey, this is who I am and this is what I’m trying to do.’

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When you're trying to do something special, you need people around you who are really supportive and have good positive energy.

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When I met with Philip, I really liked how he was, and who he was. When somebody like that runs the company, I'd love to represent that company. I want to achieve my goals with somebody like Philip. Those are the kind of people you want to keep around and those are the kind of people that you want to have good connections with and grow your relationships with.”

Regarding the power of connection, Nick added, “It’s one of my favorite things about what I do. I’m pretty introverted, I’m not a big people person. But the amount of people I’ve met, things I’ve learned, and places I’ve been, puts everything into perspective. It’s something I’ve worked really hard on, to get to a better place mentally and view things in perspective and just really be grateful for what I get to do.”

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Nick took a leap of faith in himself, stepped beyond his comfort zone, and continues to chase his goals at full speed. I’m so thankful our paths crossed and for the roles, we’ve been able to play in each other’s lives and careers. Nick’s story is such a great reminder that the path to success is often forged through a willingness to embrace new opportunities and build meaningful relationships. It’s not our efforts alone that get us to where we want to be, but those of the people supporting us. Don’t hesitate to accept a helping hand, and never hesitate to extend one either; it all comes back around in the end.

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To learn more about what we do at Rockerbox and to explore what a strategic partnership could look like for you or your company, visit the Rockerbox website.