[Note: In this video, we’re looking at the first pairings tee off: NCHS seniors Bridget Falcone and Ember Parker; FLHS sophomore Sarah Vimini; and FLHS junior Bailey Cooke.]
I've never swung a golf club in my life, so I wasn't sure what to expect in heading out to Wednesday's girls' varsity match at the Country Club of New Canaan.
What I found during this matchup -- the New Canaan High School Rams vs. Fairfield Ludlowe High School Falcons -- surprised me.
Not that I wasn't allowed as a reporter to follow the players in their 9-hole rounds (which is why the only multimedia I have are the attached videos of the first pairing teeing off), but that the coaches also stayed at the first tee.
Under state rules, they told me, high school golf coaches aren't allowed to coach during matches.
Am I the only person who didn't know this?
"The challenge of coaching golf in this format can be difficult," said Brian Crocker, head coach at Ludlowe and a golf pro at Wilton's Rolling Hills.
"You're not just going out there with the kids," he continued. "To get the most out of them, you really need to tailor your coaching to each one."
Asked why they didn't follow the girls along the course during the match as spectators -- which they're allowed to do -- the coaches said that'd make the players nervous.
I'm sure what Crocker says about no coaching during matches is true -- I couldn't find anything about it on the CIAC website though.
New Canaan coach Priscilla Schulz -- who is a PE teacher and has coached softball, volleyball, soccer and JV tennis -- said she feels individual sports such as golf lend themselves less to "in game" coaching.
"I feel that in team sports, I can effect change more often because you can strategize and make adjustments," she said.
Crocker said practices for the golf team focus mainly on exercises such as chipping and putting, and that he can tell a lot about performance from the scorecards alone. As a coach, he also focuses in playing toward the score/strokes themselves, such as what distances and conditions merit this club or type of shot versus another.
As for the game itself, Fairfield edged New Canaan 220-214. Standout performances were turned in by Falcone (43), Vimini (45) and Cooke (46).
Both teams are rebuilding this year, with relatively new players learning the game. The Rams entered Wednesday’s match at 2-5 with the Falcons at 1-6-1.
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