Yes, Staten Island academy has a golf team. Not only has this team been around for decades, but this year was the debut for new golf coach Shawn Novak. Mr. Novak is a very experienced golfer who has been enjoying the game for years. This year, the team amassed many new members. Sophomores Eddie L. and Ryan A. joined, along with junior Phillip B., and Senior Danny C.. Returning members include Sophomores Paul N., Vincent S., Yvonne B., and me, and Seniors Alex V. and Captain Paul B. Also returning is eighth-grader Zack Z. The tigers finished the season 6 and 6 overall, but 5 and 3 in league play.
Apart from just playing, the golf team enjoyed many fun traditions. Every player on the golf team has nicknames. The team’s favorite belongs to eighth-grader Zack Z. As soon as he sat down on the bus for the first time, Captain Paul Blanchard called him a “young buck.” Since then, “Young Buck” has become Zack’s name, and even the schools that we play know him by his nickname. Another great nickname that popped up this year belongs to sophomore Paul N. After every match, Coach Novak calls the Staten Island Advance to report the game details. The players with the best scores also have their names in the paper. Unfortunately, the paper never gets our names right. Usually, the flaws are negligible: some extra consonants, or occasionally a similarly sounding name. Therefore, we were quite surprised when our team got a “new” member. Supposedly, a “Carl Morgan” scored very well for the tigers, even though no “Carl Morgans” enroll at Staten Island Academy. We then discovered that it was not Carl Morgan, but Paul! Now, even teachers tease poor Paul because of the newspaper’s mishap. The laughs, the competition, and the bonding all make the golf team a great fit at Staten Island Academy.