Image from author. Top: Senior Night Banquet: From left to right – Coach Shannon, Asees Aulakh, Rewa Bathula, Yasmin Shamilyeva, Manvi Singh, Nora Seipert, and Coach Darren.
Washington High School’s Girls Varsity team may only have ten players, but this tight-knit group is a mighty team. Behind every game there is a lot of dedication, teamwork, and resilience.
Senior co-captain Rewa Bathula has been on the team since her freshman year and says, “The weather made things tough these past few weeks, [but] we still found ways to stay focused.” With several games postponed due to extreme heat, the team had to find ways to adapt and still stay prepared for the rest of the season. Co-captain Asees Aulakh says, “Some of our games were canceled due to high temperatures, but when we couldn’t play, our coach emphasized practicing short game skills like chipping and putting, which we could do in our backyards.”
Compared to the boy’s golf team, which has both a Junior Varsity and a Varsity team, the girl’s team only has the latter due to a relatively low number of sign ups. Still, Aulakh believes that a smaller team has its advantages, expressing how “smaller teams do make [for] better relationships because it allows us to interact with each other more, which leads to stronger connections between us. It also allows players to have more playing time.”
Although girls’ golf isn’t a widely recognized sport at Washington, the players hope for more exposure. Kaia Dumagon, a sophomore on the team shares, “I definitely do think people would join the team if they knew more about it. It would give them more confidence as well as make it more fun because they are familiar with the sport.” Bathula pointed out how the boys’ golf team has grown in popularity in recent years, and hopes that means there is potential for the girls team as well. “The boys’ golf team has become so popular that they had to make cuts last season,” she recalls, hoping that “if boys’ golf can grow that much, the same could happen for us.” In an attempt to boost membership the captains and coaches have taken steps to promote the team, such as visiting local middle schools and encouraging freshmen to sign up.
Regardless, the lack of popularity doesn’t affect the team’s spirit. “Even though we haven’t won a lot this season, most of our players are new to golf or just playing for fun. As long as we’re learning and having fun that’s what matters the most,” Rewa explains.
The team faces a unique challenge since they lack a golf course to practice on campus. Their practices are held at the Fremont Golf Range, and games take place at courses across the area, including Castro Valley and Milpitas.
An additional challenge the team faces is the limited number of players that can be taken to compete in each game. When asked if this increases competition and potential animosity within the team, as players struggle for a spot to compete, Senior Manvi Singh reflects, “Honestly, it could seem like it would cause tension, but we’ve built a really supportive environment. Yes, you want to be in the top six, but at the same time, we cheer each other on. It’s more about improving as a team than just competing against each other.”
This perspective is shared by other players. “While we want to be competitive, we also want to lift each other up,” Aulukh says. “It’s not just about being the best; it’s about growing together and having a good time while doing it.” The sense of camaraderie is important to the team. The team has placed fifth in the Mission Valley Athletic League, and is proud of their achievements.
With the end of the season approaching at the end of October so is senior night. As there is no audience for golf games and it doesn’t take place at school, golf senior nights are a bit different. “We make it special with a party after our last practice,” Asees shares. “It’s a chance to exchange gifts and say our goodbyes.” The team is excited to finish their season and celebrate their seniors, and they hope that next year more players will join and they can share their love for the game.
Kothai Pillai is a senior at Washington High School. She was born in Mountain View and has lived in the Bay Area all her life. This is her first year being a part of The Hatchet, and is excited to cover news in the local community. She enjoys trying different foods, traveling, exploring new cities with her friends,reading, going on nature walks with her labradoodle, as well as going to concerts. In the future she hopes to attend a college in California or on the East Coast majoring in politcal science and philosphy