By Greg Gielczyk
LocalSportsJournal.com

SCOTTVILLE–Earlier this year, Tim Genson announced his retirement and will no longer be teaching or occupying the athletic director’s office at Mason County Central.

But, he’s not through coaching. Not yet.

While he won’t be stalking the sidelines in front of the basketball team’s bench during games next winter, Tim Genson has been allowed to retain his position as the Spartans’ golf coach going into next spring.

Although retirees are supposed to have a 9-month separation from public schools, which certainly prevents him from doing basketball at this point. But golf doesn’t really get started until April 1.

“I asked if that was okay, if I retained that position, assuming I’m still here,” Genson revealed. “And assuming I have time. There are factors that are involved. We’re talking almost 12 months.

“Obviously, golf has a little less of an intensity level than basketball does,” he said. “It’s something that I enjoy doing. It’s really my hobby, and it’s something that maybe I can invest a little more in out of season than in the past. Maybe a little something in the summer, a little something in the fall, with some of the kids who like to golf and go out and help them.”

Genson added that golf is an addictive sport and if anyone gets the “itch” it’s an activity they can do throughout their lives, which isn’t the same for other sports.

His grandfather started taking Genson out on the course when he was 8, and he was hooked. He had junior memberships at Lincoln Hills in Ludington when he was growing up.

But, golf was not a team sport when he went to Mason County Central High School. He didn’t play in college.

After his first year teaching, he went back out the summer of 1991 and has been golfing ever since.

Genson began coaching golf in 2002 and did it for several years, and then came the season switch back to the spring. Genson was reluctant to go right from basketball into golf.

He got out of it for a few years, but picked it up again in 2011 when he wasn’t coaching basketball, and eventually got to coach his son, Noah.

“Noah started wanting to come out on the course when he was in the seventh or eighth grade,” Genson said. “He picked up on it pretty quick. It was nice to coach him in high school”

 

Noah made all-conference as a sophomore, he was a conference champion as a junior and he was all-conference again as a senior. After high school, he played at Muskegon Community College.

Fortunately, Genson has had a lot of people helping him coach golf, which makes hitting the links right after leaving the basketball court a smoother transition.

Seven of the 13 golfers on the squad this year don’t participate in any other athletic activity.

“You have a lot of time to engage with kids from other schools,” Genson added. “When you’re playing basketball, you’re trying to knock their head off, so to speak.

“So, you don’t have that kind of camaraderie. In golf you’re paired with kids from the other schools. Some of those guys have become fast, long friends and they still get together and play golf. Those walls break down a little bit.”

Genson isn’t certain he’ll still be in the area when next year rolls around

But if he is, the golf position is his.