Pensacola Catholic’s Hudson Mitchell excels in unlikely duo of lacrosse, golf

• Hudson Mitchell, a two-sport athlete in golf and lacrosse, will play golf at the Naval Academy.
• Mitchell’s father encouraged him to bat left-handed in baseball to protect his right-handed golf swing.
• Mitchell maintains a competitive mindset in both sports, prioritizing winning while keeping a mellow attitude.

Hudson Mitchell has been playing golf for as long as he can remember.

Having grown up along the ninth hole of the Pensacola Country Club, even at an early age, he had a golf club in his hands – even if it was just a plastic one that was meant for toddlers to use.

Eventually he upgraded, working his way into his own TaylorMade set in middle school. And it was right around then, maybe a couple years before, however, that Mitchell also found the game of lacrosse.

Mitchell began playing the medicine game when he was in fifth grade with the Knights’ youth lacrosse program. When he first began playing lacrosse, Mitchell was sold – he wanted to play college lacrosse.

Golf, at the time, was just a fun game to play with his dad.

“I wanted to play lacrosse so bad, but then I realized that the kids up north were just so good, and I just didn’t really have a chance,” Mitchell said. “Then I realized the kids down here in Florida at golf are so insane. If I could compete with those kids, which I started realizing I could, that sparked that dream that I wanted to take golf to the next level. …

“I guess it kind of worked out.”

Mitchell turned into a standout golfer for Pensacola Catholic, earning the 2024 PNJ Boys Golfer of the Year award after winning the district tournament, finishing runner-up at the region tournament and taking 29th at the Class 1A state tournament.

In early April, Mitchell accomplished that goal of playing collegiate golf, officially signing with the Naval Academy to play for the Midshipmen next year.

But he couldn’t stick around for long after his signing ceremony, quickly thanking friends and family for showing up while taking plenty of pictures. Mitchell had a lacrosse practice to get to, where he’s leading the Crusaders on the offensive side of the ball.

“It was about eighth grade that I started playing (golf) for real,” Mitchell said. “Besides a family vacation, I don’t think I’ve ever not played golf for two days in a row. I’m always out there.”

‘The goal is to always win’

Whether it’s on a golf course or a lacrosse field, Mitchell knows how to attack the sport.

For lacrosse, it’s a bit more obvious: Mitchell has a knack for finding the goal, and also helping teammates find the back of the net. Mitchell, entering the region tournament, has a team-high 90 points with 54 goals and 36 assists.

And he can’t be aggressive physically in golf like he would be in lacrosse.

Attacking on the golf course, for Mitchell, just means being a pin-seeker. That was apparent when he broke the FCA Golf Classic’s tournament record in September, carding a 67 – which was five-under par – after starting the day with two bogeys in the first three holes.

That was just one example.

“I’m a little aggressive in lacrosse and golf, but my attitude is pretty mellow in general. I get excited, but I don’t get too angry or down on myself. I’ve trained myself in that way, not letting my emotions dictate my actions,” Mitchell said. “That’s something I’ve tried to practice.”

But his personality remains the same. He’s not one to “trash talk” on the lacrosse field. “I just kind of laugh when people say stuff to me,” he said with a grin.

It’s the same with his mentality.

“The goal is to always win. Don’t go to a tournament, or don’t play in a game, if you don’t want to win,” Mitchell said. “That’s why you go to the tournament or the game in the first place.”

Preparing for the game

How Mitchell prepares for a golf match – whether it’s a legitimate competition, if he’s playing with friends or “playing with some old dudes that want to play for money” – is a strict routine.

Mitchell and one of his friends created a playlist that they listen to all the time. “I know every single song on it,” he said. And it’s timed out to dictate where Mitchell should be in his warmup routine.

Mitchell shows up to the golf course an hour before he’s set to play, working through putting and other hitting drills before heading to the first tee.

For lacrosse, it’s a routine, but not as strenuous. “But it’s just stretch, pass, shoot and then go play the game,” Mitchell added.

“In golf, I’m mainly trying to calm my emotions. You don’t want to get nervous because it’s more of a ‘thinking’ sport In lacrosse, you kind of just react to whatever happens,” Mitchell said. “When I’m preparing for a lacrosse game, I’m getting my teammates and myself jumping around, getting the blood pumping and getting geared up.”

‘It was a smart move’

Before lacrosse entered the picture for Mitchell, it was golf and baseball. Little did he know, whatever his dad was teaching him as a youth in baseball would eventually help his lacrosse game – and save his golf game.

Mitchell is right-handed in just about everything. Writing, golfing, you name it. But when Mitchell was in baseball, his dad was his coach, and his dad made him learn how to start batting lefty while in second grade.

“That way, it wouldn’t hurt my golf swing down the road with any bad tendencies,” Mitchell said. “When I was younger and he told me to bat lefty, I was not very happy about it. I probably pitched a fit. I was young and listened to him, though, not from a, ‘Oh, he knows more,’ standpoint but just because I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

As baseball dwindled and lacrosse grew in Mitchell’s life, that’s when he had more of an appreciation for what his dad taught him. While learning how to bat lefty, those muscles grew. And swinging a bat is fairly similar to firing a laser of a shot in lacrosse.

“It was a smart move,” Mitchell said. “I was able to build up those muscles and hand-eye coordination. It’s helped me play with both hands (in lacrosse). Obviously that’s not helping with golf, but it saved my swing. (My dad) always knew he wanted me to play golf when I was older, and he wanted it to be my main sport.”

Become his main sport it did. Now, Mitchell knows his time in competitive lacrosse is wrapping up. Pretty soon, it’ll be all golf at the Naval Academy.

Mitchell was hoping to play club lacrosse at Navy, but can’t risk injury for golf, which also takes up the entire year between a fall season, a spring season and winter work in the offseason.

“It’s super special just to be on any golf team, but especially Navy with its rich history,” Mitchell said. “I’m super excited.”