If you’re nervous, Adriana Seravalli might be the perfect teammate.
Because whatever pressure you’re feeling, she has been through it before.
Seravalli is a junior on the Nazareth Academy High School golf team, and she’s well known for being one of the top golfers in Pennsylvania. Last year as a sophomore, she finished ninth in the state and she’s been one of the best golfers in the Catholic League since she enrolled as a freshman.
She’s also had some big matches outside of high school.
For the past three years, Seravalli has won the women’s club championship at the Union League. There, she plays against the best women golfers regardless of age.
Seravalli has played some massive holes and she knows how hard that can be. So incoming freshman or novice golfers at Nazareth have the perfect role model.
“I try to help, it’s just like, we have practices and all, but when I’m there, I try to give them a tip or whatever I can do to help them feel good,” said Seravalli, who lives in Winchester Park. “I just try to make them feel comfortable. It’s intimidating when you first start playing. We’re playing against boys, we played La Salle, Devon Prep, St. Joe’s Prep. It’s hard because it’s not competing against girls schools, it’s boys, too. I try to help them understand and feel comfortable whenever I can.
“It can be a lot of pressure, and you can get nervous, but I try to help them have fun. Golf is supposed to be fun, we’re out there to have fun. You want to win, but you want to have fun.”
Seravalli has had plenty of fun since enrolling at Nazareth, and golf has a lot to do with it.
To be one of the best golfers in the state, you have to spend a lot of time on the links, and that’s exactly what Seravalli has done.
It’s work, but fun work.
“It’s just experience and time and putting in a lot of practice time,” Seravalli said. “Practicing can be anything, going to the range and also getting experience in tournaments. Being battle tested. Going out and practicing and playing with friends and family, it’s way different than a tournament. Every shot matters. You can’t just pick up after a bad hole, you have to finish.
“When you’re having a bad day, playing terribly, you still have to get it in the hole. And on top of that, when you’re playing higher competition out there, everyone is on your level. And even still, I still get nervous on the first tee in any tournament.”
Seravalli is proud of what her teammates have learned.
Last year, the Pandas were loaded with experienced golfers. This year, they had to replace a lot of golfers in the lineup. Of course it helps to have Seravalli at the top of the card, but she can’t do it alone, and she is happy with the team’s improvement.
“The team is doing great, I’m really proud with how everyone is doing,” Seravalli said. “Because we lost a lot of seniors, some who were experienced. We have some new freshmen and they look really good.
“We’re going to be pretty good. We have a few good sophomores, too. We’re good and we’re building. So many of the new girls are young, so they’ll be good for a while. I want to do well this year, but it’s good that we’ll have these girls for a few years. It’s fun. It’s exciting.”
While Seravalli is best known for all of the great things she does on the golf course at Nazareth, she does a lot away from the greens, too. She plays on the Nazareth basketball team, and she’s heavily involved with Naz-a-thon, the dance marathon that raises money for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Seravalli serves as an executive of finance.
“We’re in charge of all the orders, shirts, merch orders, things like that,” Seravalli said. “We try to raise money, anything to do with money, we’re there to get it together. I love it because I was happy to get the chance to do it because of the cause. We have a lot of girls who want to do it because Nazathon is very popular. I’m happy I’m involved. I like it because of what it helps.”
Seravalli gets plenty of help.
Not only are her coaches always there for her, she gets a lot of help from her family.
“My parents are my biggest supporters, my dad doesn’t miss a match or tournament, and neither does my mom,” said Seravalli, who also credits her brother Angelo, who golfed at Holy Ghost and now plays at the University of Tampa, with helping her. “My dad is kind of the stay -in-the-game and try-your-best kind of guy. Kind of keep going, he’ll give me a tip or two about my swing. My mom, she will just give me a look. My mom is more sympathetic, dad is more strategy. But both do so much to help me.”
