Beyond Birdies: Vince Campagna is training resilient women golfers

Neumann University’s Women’s Golf Team is more than just a group of athletes. It’s a tight-knit family, and at the person holding this group together is Head Coach Vince Campagna. 

With over 15 years of coaching experience, Campagna has found his calling in teaching and shaping aspiring golfers into not just skilled players but resilient individuals.

For Campagna, the journey into coaching was a seamless transition fueled by a love for teaching and sports.

“I really like teaching, so it was a natural fit for me coaching other sports, and since I’m a golf professional, golf just seemed like a natural fit for me. I really enjoy the challenge of teaching golf,” he said.

Campagna works professionally as the Head Professional Director of Golf at RiverWinds Golf Club in West Deptford, New Jersey. 

His coaching at Neumann is not just about improving swings and refining techniques. For Campagna, it is about cultivating a sense of family and commitment within the team.

He describes the athletic department at Neumann as more like family than any other place he has been.

“The cooperation between all the different levels of the athletic department is much better than any other place I’ve been. Just that sense of family and commitment,” Campagna noted highlighting the unique camaraderie that sets Neumann apart from any other athletic organization.

The center of his coaching philosophy at Neumann is the value of dedication. 

“The biggest thing I’d look for is dedication, someone who is willing to put in the time to improve. That’s the biggest thing, if you’re willing to work and put in the time that’s the best way to get better,” He emphasizes.

Campagna does not just preach dedication, he lives it, matching the commitment of his players hour for hour. 

Nowhere is this more evident than in his instruction of players with no prior golf experience on the current team.

“It’s been a challenge, but they work really hard to get better. It’s such a hard game and it can be frustrating at times, but they have done a great job in working hard and sticking with it and not getting too frustrated. It can be intimidating,” he said. 

Junior Giovanna Scuderi can attest to Campagna’s compassionate personality. 

“He’s always there to help correct our swing if we need it,” she said. “Before our matches he always calms our nerves down and even helps us along the way.”

Scuderi also commented on Campagna’s effort in providing as best as he can for the team, “He would go out of his way to help us with whatever we might need.”

The best part of coaching at Neumann, according to Campagna, revolves around the players themselves. Their unwavering hard work, positive attitude, and shared passion for improvement create an environment devoid of negativity and infighting. The team is not just there to play. They are there to get better and, most importantly, to enjoy the process.

As Coach Campagna advises his players to take one shot at a time, the Neumann Women’s Golf Team embodies this both on and off the green.

The crowning moment for Campagna came in the form of a runner-up finish in the Atlantic East Conference Championship last year. The enthusiasm and pride exhibited by the team on that occasion reflected not just the culmination of hard work, but the strong bond shared between coach and players. 

Assistant Coach Erik Enters praises the coach’s approach.

“Coach Campagna is one of the most positive coaches I’ve ever been around. He is patient, kind, and very upbeat! He also possesses a great sense of humor,” he said.