Boys golf goes clubbing at the par
Golf is often viewed as an individual sport, overlooking the team aspect, however, the Newbury Park boys’ golf team has been embracing the group support, allowing them to be united, while still focusing on their own game.
Joshua Kim, sophomore, has been playing golf for five years and has been on the NPHS golf team for 2 years. Throughout Joshua Kim’s time in the golf program, he has been affected by the team’s comradery and has seen how it supports him. “It gives you a community, allowing you to feel more comfortable and play better,” Joshua Kim said.
Coach Ropes has been the head coach for both girls’ and boys’ golf at NPHS since 1989. During his time coaching he has enjoyed watching players grow and connecting with them both inside and outside the classroom. “It’s the players, you’re around kids in the classroom, what you enjoy and then coaching. It’s the relationships,” Ropes said.
While the team has many practices, the athletes continue to put in work outside of the scheduled team training. “Players have to do a lot on their own. They have to get to the range practice. Most of them have their own PGA pro that will help them with their swing,” Ropes said.
Julian Kim, senior, has been playing golf for around nine years and played on the NPHS team for four of those years. During matches he focuses on the personal game rather than his competitors, “I find it easier sometimes to play my own game sometimes, and it is important to know it is a battle between you and the course, not the other players,” Julian Kim said. However, there are struggles Kim has been able to cope with his teammates. “The struggles are mostly individual, which helps bring our team closer together because we all understand the same feeling better than others,” Julian Kim said.
Although there have been multiple roster changes throughout the team with seniors leaving, they were still able to create bonds with each other in a short amount of time. “A challenge we faced this year was the fact that we lost four members of our team because they graduated. It took a little time to warm up to the team, but once we warmed up we got much closer,” Joshua Kim said.
Building relationships is extremely important in the golf community to take in what the other athlete has to offer. Myles Young, sophomore, has recently started playing golf this past year with the NPHS Boy Golf team. “In tournaments you play with people from other schools as well as your own. So, when playing with a teammate, it’s good to be able to learn and help each other,” Young said.
As the season draws to a close, the connection between the team has grown.“It took a little time to warm up to the team, but once we warmed up we got much closer,” Joshua Kim said.
