Many students on Malvern Prep’s campus play sports in the autumn months. These sports include football, soccer, water polo, cross country, and golf. Many Malvern students enjoy representing Malvern Prep on the field, in the pool, and on the course. These students have a lot of passion for the sports they play, so they take them very seriously.
Mr. Woo commented on his love for the sport he coaches, the success of his season, and the obstacles his team has overcome. When asked why he likes coaching and what his favorite part is, Mr. Woo explained that he likes watching students apply themselves to activities outside of the classroom and he enjoys teaching life lessons that come with the sport. Next, Mr. Woo shared his thoughts on how he and his players prepare for the games. Mr. Woo stated, “I try to prepare my players mentally” and he added, “We also have to come into practice with a growth mindset.” Mr. Woo takes lots of pride in the growth of his players and also wants them to have fun.
When asked about how he is structuring the season without being able to have matches, middle school golf coach Mr. Wasson commented, “We started this season with two big roadblocks for the MS team. The first one is that no other schools in the area except for the Haverford School have middle school golf teams.” He also added that Roadblock # 2 was the fact that Malvern doesn’t have any courses that could grant them access to afternoon time slots. All of the local courses are booked in the afternoons with high school varsity and JV matches, so structuring a season has been a challenge. Thankfully we have had our new golf simulator room available for virtual practice, and I have used a connection with Pickering Valley Golf Club to get some afternoon tee time practice. I have been having groups of four come into the room and play virtual courses three days a week.” Mr. Wasson reflected on the parts of the season he is looking forward to, explaining, “I know the boys on the team have been looking forward to experiencing the new sim room this season.” He also said he’s looking forward to getting to know the team better. When asked about the greatest obstacle of the season, Mr. Wasson responded, “I think the hardest part of not having matches is the disappointment the boys have about not being able to compete against other schools.” There were some hardships at the start of the golf season, but Mr. Wasson and the team have enjoyed it since.
The fall sports athletes also had comments to share about this season. When quarterback of the football team, Luke Jacobs ,was asked how he prepares for football games, he replied, “[I like to] listen to music and read motivational quotes.” Zach Christou, a runner for the cross country team, commented that, “Malvern is a really good school for sports, [and a plus is] the kids who you get to play with on your team.”
While Malvern is finishing up fall sports, the students are also gearing up for winter sports and looking forward to the successes the school will have during this next season. Go Friars!
