By: Lindy Zeng
Last week, MSJ History Teacher Jason Cain was named East Bay Girl’s Golf Coach of the Year. The Smoke Signal sat down with Jason Cain to discuss the performance of the team this year and his role in guiding the Lady Warriors to third place in the California State Championships.
SS: When did you start coaching the team?
Jason Cain: I started coaching the team this year; last spring I coached the Boy’s Golf team and that was the first time I’d ever coached golf. I had a really great experience with them. They really responded to coaching well and worked hard on a daily basis to fix the small problem areas in their game. I think we had a lot of success because they all invested their time and efforts into getting better just by being out there and participating.
SS: What experience did you have with golf prior to coaching?
JC: I’ve played golf since high school and I really picked it up in the past two years. I’ve really been trying to work on my game and understand golf better. Just through watching and analyzing I really feel like I’ve learned a lot more about the game and gained appreciation for it, which has allowed me to help out the players.
SS: What were your expectations at the beginning of the season and how did you train the team accordingly?
JC: I know they were very successful last year going to State but I know they lost three of the six players from last year, so we had to find three new ones. My expectations were just to compete and for everyone to improve and have a good time. They didn’t just improve in golf but also became young, mature women. Throughout the season, I had three players that developed into those three spots we were missing and they understood what it took to get their game to where it needed to be. And the whole team clicked at the very end of the season, when you need it most, carrying on through the State tournament.
SS: Could you describe the performance of the team this year?
JC: I thought it was amazing as a whole. We had a great turnout of golfers and I was so proud of all of them because we had girls from all kinds of abilities and they really developed a greater understanding of the game.
SS: How do you feel about being named Coach of the Year?
JC: I think it’s a huge privilege. The greatest thing about this award is that it represents MSJ and it puts another name on the map and lets other people know that Mission’s not always so academic, that we’re well-rounded in athletics other activities.
SS: What do you expect and wish the team to achieve in the next season?
JC: We will only lose one senior and everyone else is coming back. I have high expectations for these girls because I think they saw the success of their hard work so I want them to continue off-season and pick up right where we left off. I just think that if everyone’s game should continue to improve and stay consistent because every day is different in golf, then we’ll be fine.
