Estancia High School girls’ golf team tees up for success
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Head Coach Brian Burgess and Assistant Coach Mandy Collister have high hopes for the young student-athletes on this year’s Estancia High School girls’ golf team. Six years ago, when he took over the program, Coach Burgess said, “it already had a great foundation.” The summer camps were in place, and he saw no reason to mess with a good thing.
Over the years, he has made incremental improvements to enhance pre-season practices, ensuring the girls are prepared for the season. League matches start early, typically in the first week of school, so the team needs to be prepared to hit the ground swinging as soon as summer ends.
This year’s team is led by seniors Danielle Breitwieser and Teegan Dunham, along with junior Landry Harder. These girls have been varsity golfers every year since they joined the program. Coach Burgess relies on their leadership to help make decisions about the program and share information among the other team members. They have also excelled at mentoring the young players early in the season, showing them the ropes of a golf match.
The team practices at the Costa Mesa Country Club. A favorite pre-game ritual is sharing orders of fries from the Country Club’s onsite diner, and dipping and dousing their fries in either ranch or barbecue sauce, a bonding experience that adds to their team spirit.
Coaches Burgess and Collister have challenged the girls to play up to their potential and earn a spot to compete in the League Championship. The girls take the City Championship very seriously every year and work diligently to compete there. The City Championship is against crosstown rivals, Costa Mesa High School. “They have a great team too, and all the girls are very friendly with each other. It’s a fun rivalry,” muses Coach Burgess.
The girls have been diligently honing their individual games every week this year. The team is motivated to improve because each girl knows that she is a vital part of the team and is relied upon to do her best in her match so that the team can rise to the top.
“As coaches, we really enjoy seeing the ladies progress as student-athletes during their four years of high school,” said Coach Burgess. The two coaches find it rewarding to see the girls becoming powerful and positive role models for the incoming group. The girls pass down the team traditions that were shown to them when they were the newcomers.
With their dedication, camaraderie, and passion for the sport, the Estancia Girls Golf Team is poised for a promising season ahead.
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