For this fall sports season, a new coach has been hired to establish a strong foundation for the Women’s Golf Team. Coach Nick Pappas has set numerous goals for the team this year, from improving the swing of the player’s golf clubs, to leading the team to great success at possibly winning a match this season. Last year the golf team went through a downfall and was unable to be victorious throughout their fall league. However, Pappas is ready to push and guide his team to accomplishing their goals this season. Senior Delia Reif, a second-year golf player, expressed her thoughts about the new golf coach, as well as a comparison to last season’s coach.

   “This year’s coach has a lot of experience. He used to coach Maria Carrillo’s boy’s [golf] team and he runs clinics. Our old coach last year was a golfer, he played golf in high school but he didn’t have much experience coaching people, so this year we are doing a lot more drills in practice and getting a lot more attention and guidance from our coach,” said Reif.

   Coach Nick Pappas is committed to the Women’s Golf Team even with his current job as a P.E. teacher at an elementary school in Santa Rosa. His mission is simple, he desires to motivate the girls into having a wonderful and pleasant experience in the sport, but also to change the perspectives and stigmas surrounding the sport of golf. There is an uneducated misconception around the complexity of the sport, that Pappas wishes to clear up for beginners.

   “It’s the most difficult thing you will do in your life. It’s physical chess, basically, there is a connection between your mind, your body, and your competitive spirit that goes into competitive golf,” said Pappas.

   The ideology that golf is solely based on individuality with no influence of a team dynamic is acknowledged by Reif but quickly dismissed as she discusses the importance of having players and the chemistry built by her teammates. Reif shares personal experiences with her fellow teammates and the joyous feeling she gets from being a part of a team.

   “Our team definitely likes to have fun. I think that is my favorite part, just hanging out with them. We all enjoy the fact that it is not so serious that it’s for fun,” said Reif.

    Pappas, Reif and the Women’s Golf Team hopes to spread the news that golf does exist at the school and that it is a welcoming sport. The team is in search of more women wanting to venture out and expand their sports expertise.

   “Do it for fun. A lot of us don’t have very high expectations, we want to be there to learn how to play the sport and have a good time. And it’s pretty relaxing if you are used to other sports where you just go go go, it’s a way to try something different,” said Reif.  

   Pappas is in a similar mindset going into the new season. As a new coach at the school, he is getting adjusted to the players and the league, but he is still seeking daily improvements.

   “I’m not going to have any expectations because the only expectation that I have is that I can build improvement and make our micro-successes each day, each practice, each match,” said Pappas.