How a viral video changed life for Jared Stancil, golfer with Down syndrome

Jared Stancil placed a golf ball on the tee at Seneca Golf Course in Ohio after hearing his name called. He took a practice swing before thumping the ground with his driver. Then, the Bradenton local hit an opening drive that changed the Stancils’ lives. 

The drive traveled 200 yards down the middle of the fairway to begin his round at the 2024 Ohio Adaptive Open, a competition for golfers with physical, visual or neurological impairments. His dad, Chad, filmed the shot, later pairing it with Jared's final putt, punctuated by a fist pump after he finished 14th.

Chad posted it on Jared’s Instagram account, where he calls himself the “Down Syndrome Golfer.” Zire Golf, which has over 2 million followers, reposted it. Then, Christopher McDonald — who played Shooter McGavin in “Happy Gilmore” — shared the post as well. The video was viewed over 100,000 times. Thousands of people began following Jared. 

Almost two years later, the 19-year-old Braden River High student has over 164,000 followers on Instagram. He’s met PGA Tour players Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka at The Byron Nelson, a PGA Tour event in Texas. He has partnered with Sunday Swagger and Ace Golf Company to create custom polo shirts and head covers with his signature phrase "Let's Go." While Chad and his wife, Michele, navigate TikTok algorithms and their extra jobs as social media managers, Jared has a simpler focus.

“To teach the world that people have Down syndrome or autism and they can challenge themselves,” Jared said. “They can be brave and have fun.”

Growing up on the green 

While Jared lives a big life on social media, traveling all over the country to different tournaments or talking to Mizuno about becoming a brand ambassador, his life behind the scenes is much simpler. He’s the No. 1 player on Braden River’s golf team, and he’ll possibly be named a captain in August. He’s competitive and doesn’t like it when he hits a bad shot. In between rounds at River Run Golf Links in Bradenton, Jared likes to hang out in the pro shop, talking to workers David and Lee about his round in an outfit that often includes a hot pink polo and shoes to match a decorated bag that celebrates his exceptionality. 

Besides the saying “Always DOWN For Golf,” Jared’s bag includes his personal logo drawn by a family friend accompanied by blue text that reads “321 golf,” both representing trisomy 21. It’s the medical term associated with Down syndrome, describing the extra chromosome copy that Michele didn’t find out Jared had until later in her pregnancy.

Following several fertility treatments, Michele became pregnant with Jared. A few months in, she started dreaming that her baby had Down syndrome. She also had an unshakable feeling that something else was wrong, too. 

After visiting the doctor’s office, Michele’s suspicions were correct. Not only did Jared have Down syndrome, but his intestines had also ruptured in utero. He had surgery the day he was born. He had to get ear tubes and struggled with upper respiratory issues. 

And as Michele and Chad worked through their son’s health issues that dominated his early life, they found themselves wanting to see successful Down syndrome stories. Sure, there was some media surrounding children, but what about teenagers? Or adults? What did their lives look like? How did the world interact with them?

“The saying that we teach our children with exceptionalities how to act around people without,” Michele said. “But we don't always teach people without exceptionalities how to act around people with exceptionalities.” 

She continued to ask these questions while taking Jared to her older son’s golfing lessons. Chad played in high school and college. He worked at a golf course, and his interest in the sport carried on to his sons. 

To give Jared something to do, Michele would bring his Little Tikes golf set and he would sit on the green. They started to incorporate golf into more things around the house. 

Michele had big letters that Jared used to learn the alphabet. Using a golf club and ball, Jared would knock over a letter, voicing the sound as it fell.

“From the time he was little, he loved it,” Michele said. “He would cry when I would take him off the putting green.” 

“He still cries,” Chad added. 

Jared loves everything about golf. It’s hard for him to think of something he doesn’t like about the game. 

“It’s just a gift to be out there,” Jared said. 

As Jared became older, he turned competitive. It started with PGA Junior League, where he eventually made the All-Star team at age 10. He also played in smaller tournaments and Special Olympics before eventually making Braden River’s varsity squad. 

Head coach Paul Krueger remembers seeing Jared for the first time. He had a sticky note on his golf bag that read, "Slow hands, tempo fire." Jared continued to mutter the instructions to himself before ripping it up the middle. Krueger remembers thinking, "We're going to have a good year."

Jared has continued to become more competitive over the last four years. Chad, who still serves as his son’s caddy, thinks Jared can treat every round like the U.S. Open. 

“Sometimes he worries about other players, how they’re playing,” Chad said. “And I try to get him out of his head, just be like, ‘You got to be positive.’ ”

Krueger has noticed that Jared can sometimes think too much on the course. Jared struggles with social anxiety and questions whether he belongs. The head coach has seen people disregard Jared until they see his swing.

But with those social pressures, sometimes Jared won’t “snap back” from a bad shot. So, Chad — a self-described “psychologist” more than a caddy — brings out the positivity golf ball. It’s a golf-ball-shaped knitted stuffed toy with a smile. 

“I’ve told him, ‘I’m not moving the cart until you talk to that ball,’” Chad said. 

Jared will smirk, talk to his ball and forget about the imperfect shot. 

“His dad's basically his No. 1 supporter and caddy,” Krueger said, later adding. “That's actually one of the reasons he's so consistent. He's always in the right mindset, because his dad's always right there, so when things go bad, his dad's always there to pep him up, or get him through whatever troubles he has.”

Showing what’s possible

Over the last few months, Jared has continued to work on his short game as his world has become bigger. 

People have come up to him in the airport. His fans have asked for autographs. In June, Jared received a message asking him to come play a round in Puerto Rico. 

The Stancils appreciate the publicity, but they enjoy the smaller messages.

“The stuff is great,” Chad said. “But the thing that I get the most out of it is when a parent with a kid with Down syndrome or something reaches out to us ... he is showing them hope. Twenty years ago, there was no Instagram and all that stuff, so he couldn't see it … I enjoy seeing those stories when they reach out and say, ‘Oh, I got a son with Down syndrome, how did Jared start playing golf?’ ”

When a child is born with an exceptionality, Chad said the parents are given a roadmap, one that might be limited. He hopes that, by watching Jared, families who have children with Down syndrome can see the possibilities. Whether it’s to be a golfer or to play the piano. Whatever it might be, that goal is achievable. After high school, Jared wants to eventually go to college to play golf and then turn professional. 

“I love my family and I love myself,” Jared said. “And for me, I want to show people, and what you need to understand. Sometimes when you have bad days, you turn it into good days. And let the positive stay positive. Ignore the negative.” 

So, as Jared sits at River Run Golf Links hoping that the rain doesn’t cancel his round, he only has one reply when Michele asks him a question. 

“Jared, are you living your best life right now?” 

“Absolutely.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: How a viral video changed life for Jared Stancil, golfer with Down syndrome