Hello parents...Coach Mullen here just touching base early in the new year in an attempt to basically share some thoughts and ask for your input as I begin the process of setting up practices and competitions. Look at this email as my invitation for you to respond and share with me whatever concerns you have about your child's participation in the golf program, especially as it relates to scheduling.

 

OVERVIEW

The competitive team has generally had 6-8 members, and the matches are set up typically with 6 children from each school. Right now, your children make up a 5 person team, most of whom have little or no competitive experience. Since I will be adding a sixth player from the younger "Junior Varsity" group (new concept this year - fourth and fifth graders), that will tend to make us both younger and less experienced than most of the other teams we might compete against. For this reason, I can assure you that in setting up the matches, I will be paying close attention to this. The other thing I will definitely do is solicit the agreement from the other coaches that we utilize the "Texas Scramble" format in competition. For those of you unaware of what this format is...the players will be paired in twosomes, and when they hit their tee shots, they will be able to pick the best one of the two, and then play their second shots from that location, after which they continue playing their own ball until it is holed out (or they reach three over par which will be the maximal score on any hole). This helps take the pressure off the tee shots significantly, and also speeds up the pace of play. We will be using this format in practices a lot as well, ...I would say most of the time. As we move along through the season, we may have a match where we use the Texas Scramble idea for the bottom four players, and allow the top 2 to play their own ball exclusively, without scrambling the tee shots. This will be match-by-match, coach-by-coach decision in the week prior to the match. I am also thinking, again with the level of experience, that we will have a slightly lighter overall schedule, like 4 matches (two home, two away)...maybe 6, we'll see.

 

SCHEDULE

Historically, we have had our practices on Monday and Wednesday after school at Paschal Golf Course starting the first week of March, with our home matches scheduled there as well on those days, and our away matches sometimes being held on Tuesday or Thursday depending on the course availability for the other schools. Toward the end of the year (usually end with a practice/ice cream event in mid May), I have tried to set up one match at Wildwood Green and will do that again this year (that has generally been on Tuesday - first or second in May). I know that other sports and activities create scheduling conflicts, and that is ok since my feeling has always been that they should participate in and do as much as possible, without affecting the academics. With this in mind, I want you to respond to this email with any potential conflicts you are currently aware of (for example, I know Axel Eaves will have some with hockey), and really take a look at whether there would be a big difference for you if we practiced on Tuesday and Thursday at Paschal, versus the Monday and Wednesday schedule as suggested above. And while I love to see them at practice, I have no problem with them missing whatever they need to in the interest of accommodating other activities (the only thing I would ask, is that once we get matches scheduled, that you give them a top priority since the number of players is very specific, and if you have a conflict, you let me know well in advance so I can make the adjustment). I am on the Board of Directors at Paschal now, and think I would be able to make that change to Tue/Thu pretty easily (not a guarantee...they have other schools...will ask about this possibility tomorrow...I am playing in the men's group there). So, basically let me know if you have a strong feeling one way or the other on which days of the week we practice (just sitting here thinking, we could look at Monday, Thursday as well). In past years, I have tried to make Thursday after school a time when I am in the gym working with the younger children in the developmental program, and plan to do that this year as well, but think that could also be moved easily.

Hope your 2026 is getting off to a good start, and I look forward to working with you and your children over the coming semester. My focus is not really on winning these matches (although I of course love to see that), but more on creating something that allows them to get some exercise, socialize and learn good sportsmanship, push themselves, grow physically, mentally, and spiritually, and have a balance to the academic demands. Please respond to this email, including your preference for the practice schedule (Mon/Wed, Tue/Thu or Mon/Thu). I will try to make these final arrangements with Paschal in the next 10 days.

 

Sincerely in Christ,

Coach Matt