Booker Middle introduces its girls golf team

After golf and tennis were taken out of middle schools in 2010, both are back in 2019.

The reintroduction of the sports has already had an impact on local students, and at Booker Middle, the impact may be felt the greatest.

After putting out sign-up sheets for both boys and girls golf, Booker athletics director James Ward was surprised to see the results. No boys had jotted their names down, but four girls had. Girls who had never played the sport before. They became the first girls in Booker Middle history to represent the Tornadoes in golf.

The club’s four initial participants are seventh graders Randilyn Wilson, Antonia Watson and Jocelyn Parker, plus eighth grader Tahana Parker, Jocelyn’s sister. Tahana Parker was absent from the club’s April 2 practice because of a prior engagement, but the other three arrived at Bobby Jones Golf Club at 3 p.m. sharp, ready for their third-ever lesson.

The program, which is taught by longtime Riverview High football and golf coach John Sprague, began its season a week ago, and will meet every Tuesday and Thursday through May 7. It will have four matches in between, facing off against other area middle schools. The season will culminate in a county championship at 3:30 p.m. May 7 at a to be determined golf course. The girls’ equipment was donated to the program, and they will also receive golf shoes and a team shirt.

The Tornadoes’ first match is 4:30 p.m. April 11, at Venice's Calusa Lakes Golf Club, against Venice and Laurel middle schools. Before that happens, the Booker team has a lot of work to do. At the April 2 practice, volunteer assistant coach Aaron Whitley, a freshman Riverview girls golfer, chatted with the girls about what they knew about golf. They did not know what a bunker was, or how to properly tee up a ball, or how to fill out a scorecard. The week before, they learned a proper grip. Sometimes, on the driving range, they cracked a great shot. Often, they did not. But with every swing, the smiles increased.

“Every time I would watch golf on TV, I thought it was really slow and boring,” Jocelyn Parker said. “But I heard about this club at school and I figured I might as well go try it out. It is actually pretty fun.”

Wilson said she was roped into being on the team by her friends, but was hesitant about it, fearing she would not do well at the sport. Watson had even less choice — she is James Ward’s granddaughter, and Ward said he did some “recruiting” to get her to sign up. All three golfers said the game was harder than they thought it would be, especially driving and getting out of the sand. Despite their hesitations, their coaches are impressed with how far the group has come in such a short time.

“They are doing it,” Sprague said. “They are better than they were the first day. Better than they were the second day. The more you hit, the better off you are. And here’s what I appreciate: their attitude. They are great kids. If they get comfortable on the golf course, they can do this forever. I’m 70 and still play golf.”

Whitley said she was surprised at the group’s success. When Whitley started playing, she said, it took her a long time to grasp how to hit the ball. Much longer than the week the Booker team has had.

The program allows the team to use Bobby Jones’ putting green and practice range. The team also played the first two holes of the course to get a sense of the challenges they will face in their their matches. Counting strokes is less the point than learning the game.

And, of course, having fun. Asked if golf is something they will continue playing in the future, all three golfers said yes.