The boys varsity golf team is one of the many popular sports teams at Oakdale, with 16 boys contributing to the team. With Coach Michael Skena, the team has been able to grow throughout the season and perform exceptionally at their matches.
In golf, a typical 9 hole match is played by adding up the ‘starting 6’ roster’s points. The Oakdale team remains undefeated this season. Similarly, at tournaments, 5 players are taken to the match, and their scores are added up and compared to other teams, as well as individual scores to determine an individual winner within the teams.
Another big upcoming tournament for the team is states. Players can qualify by shooting under a certain number to advance to the championships. “Going into states, I hope our team can come together and compete to win. We have the ability to make a push for the win, we just need to do it,” Junior Zac Taylor, who has been competing in golf for 2 years, shared. The team needs to work hard together to be able to finish the season strong and come home with a victory!
Throughout the season, the team has trained hard during practices to help the boys improve their hitting skills, allowing them to show off at matches and beat the opposing schools. “Our practices are about refining golf skills and working on becoming better golfers,” coach Michael Skena explained. Team members describe how during the practices, they focus on what types of hits they are not best at. If they do not perform well at a match, they will assess their skills and work on improving their weaker hits during practices. This helps them to be prepared and improved for the upcoming matches.
The team likes to connect outside of matches and practices by hanging out outside of school. All the boys on the team are friends with each other, which makes hangouts much easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Team bonding outside of sports is very important for a team to grow, as it allows them to connect with each other and grow closer, so when it comes time for a match or tournament they are able to fully support their friends to help the team perform well.
This season has been a good run for the boys, as Skena claims, “Will, Zac, Ty, and JJ achieved our goal of qualifying for the State Championship Tournament.” Those 4 boys are members of the team, and they have worked hard throughout the season to be able to have the opportunity to play at the Championship Tournament. The boys have all shown hard work and dedication as they show up to practices and tournaments with a goal of getting better every day.
