By JOE RYAN

jryan@thestamfordtimes.com

STAMFORD — The first thing that strikes you about Allie Oakes is her poise.

The junior co-captain of the Westhill High School boys golf team answers questions with an air of confidence that tells you a long putt in a big tournament is not going to make her weak in the knees.

She said the example given set by last year's captains, Andy Granowitz and Travis Denicola, gave her insight into the kind of leader she wants to be. She wants to help the younger players like the former captains had helped her.

"Last year was a great year and I learned a lot from our captains, Andy and Travis, " said Oakes. "It's not only playing golf, but being a good role model for the guys out on the course."

She still has some aspects of her game she wants to improve, but the Vikings are facing a rebuilding year and she wants to help her team and keep her personal goals in perspective.

Oakes got an early start in her pursuit of the sport that's been called "a good walk spoiled."

Her passion for the game started when she was about seven years old. Her father introduced her to the game. It allowed her to share a common activity with him and gave her an outlet away from the team sports she had been playing.

She found the peace of the course alluring and the singular challenge of self-improvement fulfilling. While sometimes kids get frustrated by the nature of the game and it inspired Oakes to work harder.

"My dad, I started playing with him at Sterling Farms, the back nine in the morning," said Oakes. "It was spending time with my dad and it was, also, it was something different. I was a soccer player at the time and it was a different dynamic, more of an individual sport"

She did not start playing in tournaments until she was in eighth grade which allowed her to cultivate her talents away from the pressure of the spotlight. But, she said the initial competition enhanced her love of the game because it allowed her to raise her game.

It also allowed her to establish relationships with other players, something else that made the events more enjoyable.

"I was always a competitive person when I played sports, I played basketball and soccer," said Oakes. "So, it brought out a level of the game which I really enjoyed. I made a bunch of friends and still see the same girls and we all keep tabs on each other."

Westhill golf coach Tom Cook had encouraged her since he was her gym teacher at Cloonan Middle School so by the time she came to the Vikings campus, she had her mind made up to devote her efforts to making the golf team.

She admitted to some butterflies as she came to her first practice with the Vikings boys, but she said her first drive put her nerves at ease and the rest of the team realized she would be an asset to the team.

"The guys have always been great," said Oakes. "Their mentality has been as long as you keep beating us, it's just fine that you're here."

She said that by high school she realized golf was her main sport.

Oakes still plays field hockey and enjoys it, but her main focus would be out on the links.

She played in the third slot her freshman year and she said her teammates were very supportive as she adjusted to playing against the FCIAC traditional powers like Greenwich and New Canaan.

Her initial results were not up to her standards, but Cook helped her get through the growing pains. He kept reinforcing the confidence that in the end her talent would pull her through any tough match and she has improved every year.

"At first, I was a little frustrated," said Oakes. "But Coach Cook is always telling me in order to take one step forward, you have to take two steps back. So, it was laying the foundation and I would never blow up, which helps."

"She is doing great and she keeps getting better," said Cook. "As our No. 1 player and a two-time all-state selection, she has made the top of our line-up solid."

Oakes said she enjoys her team and playing in the FCIAC but also appreciates being recognized as one of the best female golfers in Connecticut.

"It was a big deal for me especially being recognized as a female golfer, which was nice instead of being one of the guys out on the course, which I am now," said Oakes. "It's important for me to play with the girls on kind of a level playing field."

She does miss the other Vikings when she is on her own. Her relationship with her teammates is important because they make her have fun and she helps them focus on their games.

"Sometimes, I actually need the guys to lighten me up a little bit," said Oakes. "But, as a captain, I think its important to show the guys its important to practice on the weekends, not just during the week."

She has started to look at colleges and hopes to play at the next level. Oakes said she is open to either going west or staying in the northeast as long as the university fits her needs, academically and athletically.

But for right now, her concentration is on helping the Vikings compete against some very tough FCIAC competition.