Freshman Simon Daponta posing for a photo. Photo taken by Man Nguyen.
Freshman Simon Daponta is a new member of the golf team in Malden High School.
So far, his experience has been exhilarating as his team “is great” and all the members are “energetic and very funny.” As a fresh face in the team, Daponta did not have a lot of hand-on experience with golf before. His brother was the one that suggested that he should play. “[He] started playing in the summer with [his] brother,” explained Daponta.
“When [he knew] the school had a [golf] team, [he joined] immediately.” For him, golf is a “competitive, [yet] relaxing” sport.
“It requires a lot of patience,” he said. “If you are easy to get frustrated, golf might not be the sport for you.”
Daponta’s personal goal in golf this year is to improve on his skills in golf and strengthen his relationship with everyone on the team. He thought of his team as “fun and really interesting.”
Besides being a team, they are also close friends outside the golf course. “[The team] bonds a lot,” explained Daponta, ”so everyone gets along with everybody else.”
Besides his great teammates, Daponta has Richard Malatesta, a coach who is no less amazing than his team this year. “The coach is really helpful, both with homework and [golf], says Daponta. ” [Malatesta] always says academics first,” along with more advice for the team.
Daponta is ready for the rest of the season, and can’t wait for next season.
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Requiescat in pace, Simon. Condolences to his family.