Mack’s interest in golf began at the age of 6, when he received a golf video game (Mario Golf) in the Fall of 08 for his Gameboy. His love of video golf transitioned to a passion for the actual sport. He started hitting a little ball with sticks around the yard, and then his parents got him a plastic toy club set from a drug store. That wore out after a couple of weeks and they then bought him 3 clubs from Wal-mart – a driver, an iron and a putter. Mack was out in the yard constantly that fall hitting practice balls around the yard. Mack’s grandmother then bought him a nice set of Walter Hagen clubs for Christmas.

“We were actually a little worried that Mack would lose interest and the clubs were a waste,” said Mack’s mother, Chris Hanisco.

As soon as a patch of ground showed through the snow, however, Mack was out there in his boots hitting the ball around the yard again with frozen hands.

Mack’s parents started taking him to driving ranges for some more structured play.

“People would always comment about Mack’s swing and his ability to hit the ball, and that’s when we started thinking that maybe Mack had a gift for the game,” said Chris. “We are not golfers, so we practically have to be hit over the head to understand what’s going on.”

Soon after, Mack was enrolled in a golf clinic and seemed to do very well. It was very expensive however, and his parents were struggling with finances like so many people today.

“We were really worried about how we’d afford to keep Mack involved. Thankfully I found The First Tee of New Hampshire,” said Chris. “I called one day and they were so helpful. The staff offered to test Mack that day to see where he fit in. I was a little nervous because Mack has trouble with communication, but program coordinator Zach (Trotsky) immediately put me at ease.”

Mack was born with a disability that doctors diagnosed as a "significant language disorder" and possibly Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). Although very bright, Mack has difficulty understanding complex directions and forming correct sentences. The best way to describe it is hearing underwater. He gets special services at school, but school is hard for him. He is also on a gluten free diet. Mack used to get down about his problems.

“He often would comment about how his ‘brain is broken’ and that kids pick on him, but being involved with The First tee of NH has really turned things around,” said Mack’s father, Ron Hansico. “When he plays golf with other kids, they seem to respect him for what he CAN do instead of his speech. It was amazing to see Mack so happy and surrounded by friends. We attribute all of this to The First Tee, its Core Values and its amazing staff.”

“Mack is the ultimate validation for the First Tee’s coaching philosophy of ‘showing vs. telling’ for he has an uncanny ability to integrate images instantly into his golf swing. I gave Mack the image of railroad tracks while helping him on aim and alignment. Mack bursted with enthusiasm because not only did it improve his golf shots, but also more importantly he is self-discovering how well he learns. And that “his brain is not broken,” but in fact is functioning in an optimal way. I showed Mack how to execute a sand trap shot, an activity that I usually wait for more mature players because of its difficulty and demand for a radically different swing. Mack picked it up in three tries. I believe Mack learns so quickly because he is wide open to try new things, which stems from his beautiful love for this very special game that he radiates with every swing of the club,” says The First Tee of New Hampshire Lead Coach Jim Blalock.

The First Tee teaches the Core Values, which creates an environment of mutual kindness, respect and courtesy. Mack’s self-confidence has skyrocketed.
 
Now just 6 months after those first days at the driving range, Mack placed 5th in a U.S. Kids Golf tournament in the Boston area out of 9 kids in his age division. Mack hopes to compete more in the future.

“He idolizes Tiger Woods, so in Mack’s mind - if Tiger competes in tournaments, then he has to as well,” said Chris.

 There’s no telling him otherwise.

“Mack is a very driven kid when it comes to golf and sometimes we have to make him take a break because we're worried he’ll over do it,” said Chris. “During this down time he’ll usually play video golf or watch golf DVDs - he has a one-track mind.”