After going 5-5 last year, the girls golf team is preparing for an even better season. With their 297-354 victory in their first game of the season against Sammamish High School on March 17, they are looking forward to a great season.
Under the guidance of head coach Matt Coglon (he/him), who has mentored the team since 2018, and co-coach Teresa McCausland, the team is working hard and having fun along the way through team dinners and other team bonding activities. Coglon said that the team’s goal is always the same: to coach their best players to play better and to teach their new players how to play.
“We’re trying to get our best players playing their best,” Coglon said. “I think both McCausland and I would say one huge goal is to make sure everybody enjoys themselves, because this is the kind of sport you can do your whole life.”
Junior Sophia Prater (she/her), who has played golf for three years, said she looked forward to this season and to meeting all her new teammates. Similarly, sophomore Lily Svee (they/them) said they want to meet new people, including those from other teams, and qualify for the KingCo championship.
“I look forward to just getting to know our team better and building more collaborative skills for all my teammates,” Prater said. “Also improving my skills and learning how to be better.”
Coglon said that one of the most remarkable aspects of the team is its inclusivity. He said that the team has players with a range of experience — from brand new to seasoned golfers. He encourages anybody to give it a try.
“We’ve had new girls that were juniors that didn’t know how to play golf. By new, I mean barely picked up a club before. We’re taking kids that never touched a club,” Coglon said. “And we’ve got girls that compete in state Tournaments.”
Coglon said they try to create an environment where experienced players can hone their skills while also giving new players a chance to pick up some skills.
Coglon said that he looks beyond wins and losses and instead focuses on each player’s personal accomplishments. He said that even though golf is structured as a team sport, qualifying for KingCo only looks at your individual Statistics.
Prater and Svee both said that the team is extremely supportive of each other. Prater said their team always gets along very well, and it is a really tight-knit community. Additionally, she said their team has a tradition called “Champion of the Universe.” In it, they compete in a variety of skills like putting, long range and short range. The top three individuals receive prizes.
“It’s a good place,” Svee said. “I feel like it’s very supportive; it doesn’t affect anything negatively.”
Coglon said that the girls golf team encourages each member’s growth and helps them to develop perseverance and other skills that can be applied to daily life. With only seven matches in the normal season, Coglon said that he just wants athletes to have fun. He said players not only learn how to play golf, but they also learn how to keep a positive attitude and a cool head despite hardships.
“Golf is perseverance. It’s the ability to overcome a bad shot, to overcome a bad hole, to overcome a bad day, and to come back and keep trying always,” Coglon said. “And I think that is one of the most valuable things you can learn in sports in general.”
