Jupiter High’s boys and girls golf teams persevere in an unconventional year.

Because of COVID-19, both teams had to adjust to new safety protocols, including wearing masks during practices and matches, playing fewer matches than usual and delaying the start of the 2020 season by six weeks. 

Despite these new protocols, both the boys and the girls maintained a positive attitude that contributed to their victorious season. They also concentrated on teambuilding.

“Being on the golf team is like another way of social hour. Throughout the season, you get closer with your teammates, and I love to watch the improvements in my game as well as my teammates,” Emma Sawtell, a junior on the girls golf team, said. 

Dylan Mastro, a sophomore on the boys golf team, agreed, saying one reason for the team’s success is because the “team atmosphere is awesome.”

An experienced team, Jupiter’s golfers have been playing the sport for years, and some plan to continue golfing in college.

“It’s been 11 years almost, and I’ve pretty much been doing [golf] nearly every day,” Mastro said. “It’s one of the most fun things I can do at any given time. I plan on going to college for golf, so it’s really shaped my life.”

The girls also planned to continue golfing in college. A young team, with no graduating seniors, the girls hoped to play more matches next year to not only appeal to college coaches but also to strengthen their team bonding skills.

“I have been playing golf for four years. I decided to join the team originally just for college, but as I was on the team freshman year, I learned that it is not just about playing golf…The team has become my second family,” Sawtell said. “Everyone was so kind in welcoming to me my freshman year, and I had to keep the same feeling going because it meant so much to me.”

Along with the team bonds, the coaches play a big role in the players’ success. Girls coach Doug Mauch and boys coach Bruce Wasserman guide the golfers to strengthen their golf skills both physically and mentally.

“Working with kids and trying to get them to feel better about their game gives them a lot of positive self esteem, and I like seeing that,” Wasserman said.

Coach Wasserman is a guidance counselor at Jupiter High, and this gives him an advantage, as he has the tools to help the athletes with the strategy and psychological side of the game.

“Although he might not be a PGA Tour player, he’s [Coach Wasserman] a pretty good golfer, and his main thing is since he’s a guidance counselor, he really knows the mental part of the game,” Mastro said. “He knows whether or not to be aggressive or whether or not something’s gotten into your head. He just really helps keep your emotions in check.”