The varsity girls golf team has doubled in size compared to last year, increasing from seven to 14 players, head coach Don Gibbs said. This increase has boosted team morale and sense of community, Gibbs added. 

“You’ve got all this energy, all this spirit and all these people who are participating,” Gibbs said. “They are learning, helping each other, building community and building a team, so it’s absolutely incredible.”

Despite the larger team size, only six players can start during matches, so Gibbs said he has made arrangements for the other eight players to participate as non-match players.

“They all get to play, and that builds unity and community and spirit, and builds the team,” Gibbs said. “It’d be awful for eight people to go home from school and six people to a golf course.”

Additionally, the increase in size allows the team to engage more with each other, as new members bring fresh opportunities to build camaraderie and connections, sophomore Jolene Luong said.

To help new teammates learn the ropes, returning players have stepped up as valuable mentors, Gibbs said. More inexperienced players have been working on foundational skills, such as learning how to grip the club, and quickly move on to more advanced skills, Gibbs added.

“The more veteran players are helping some of the brand new players, so we kind of run the spectrum of high skill to low skill,” Gibbs said. “The higher-skilled players help the lower-skilled players, and that builds spirit.”

Senior Vibha Bengani said she enjoys bonding with her team and getting to know a diverse community of teammates, made possible by Gibbs’ commitment to creating a supportive environment for players.

“Our team last year felt antisocial and really quiet. It was hard to connect with teammates,” Bengani said. “It’s cool now that everyone is out of their shells. We’re a way more connected group this year.”

Throughout the season, Gibbs said the team’s overarching focus will be on building a supportive community of players.

“Athletics is about life lessons more than it is about the skill to hit a baseball or hit a golf ball or throw a football or anything,” Gibbs said. “At the end of the season, it’s all about how well they take care of each other, did they grow as human beings and did they grow as a group of people.”