The 2019-20 golf season for the Atoms is underway and almost over. The Atoms are off to a rough start but have time to turn their season around still with three matches left in the season, and District Finals around the corner.
The AHS golf team consists of five players and two coaches. Yet, having a small team has a few upsides.
“The feedback the players are receiving from Coach Stevens and myself is wonderful because it is player specific all the time,” Head Coach John Jennison said. “Some teams have over 20 players and providing individual feedback in those cases can be difficult.”
The Atoms have faced off against multiple schools such as T.C. Williams, West Potomac and Hayfield. They have also competed in an Invitational Tournament.
“The standout moment for the team is when we almost won our first match and ended up only losing by a couple of strokes, which is really good for our team,” sophomore Kate Chrestman said.
The Atoms played one of their better matches against Mount Vernon HS when they only lost by 4 strokes, 191-187.
Practices for the Atoms golf team take place at Pinecrest Golf Course, where the team plays nine holes and usually compete against each other.
Repetition is very important with Jennison so each player will get about 90-120 reps in a single practice.
“My coaching style is a bit different than other coaches in the county. I truly try to focus on course management with all of my players,” Jennison said. “I try to provide as much specific feedback to my players as possible, but I always ask them questions to get them to dive deeper into the game.”
The number of players on the AHS golf team this season is small but Jennison hopes to see the team size increase next year.
“We need more players to come out. I think if we can add a few freshmen or sophomores this next season we will be able to grow even more,” Jennison said. “If we are able to recruit a few athletes from other sports too, then we will be able to stay successful.”
This season has had major improvements from last year. The team continues to work hard and continue to get better every day.