Girls golf coach John Haight was awarded this year’s Coach of the Year award by the Tam Administration. Haight, who has coached the team for ten  seasons, was given the award for his leadership, positive attitude, and sportsmanship.

Haight first learned he had received the award  in a letter from Tam athletic director Christina Amoroso. “I was very proud to receive this honor and it immediately brought back fond memories of all the girls that I had coached over the years including the 2017 squad that had the best season in the history of Tam Girls Golf,” he said. “This award is for all of my student-athletes over the years that have made my time as their coach such a wonderful and positive experience.”

Under Haight’s tenure, the team has had great success in the past few seasons. “When I started ten years ago, the Tam girls golf program was floundering,” Haight said. “With a lot of support from… Amoroso, our girls golf program has steadily grown over the years and we are proud that in the last five seasons we have been perennial challengers in the MCAL and our team has been invited to the Division 1 Tournament of Champions.”

Haight strives to create a positive environment on the team.

“I know I’ve come out of games feeling super disappointed,” said sophomore Chloe Jeanmonod. “He always pulls me aside and gives me a big pep talk. He’s always there by my side supporting me.”

These ideals are all a part of Haight’s mission.

“I place having fun as the paramount goal for our team,” he said. “I am a firm believer that if you can make the game of golf fun for the student-athletes then they will want to get better and they will want to spend the time that it takes to improve.” Senior and team captain Mikayla White echoed this sentiment. “[Coach Haight] emphasizes having fun over all else,” she said. “He wants all of us to improve, but he always said just enjoy what you’re doing.”

Haight views coaching as something bigger than just part of the sport. “Golf is a great sport to learn life’s lessons and if I can help the team have fun while learning those lessons then I have found that both the individuals and the entire team grow,” he said.

Haight will look to continue his success next fall and in future years. “It has been an honor to be the coach of such outstanding student-athletes at Tam High over the past ten years and to help all of them grow both on and off the course has been my greatest hope and honor,” Haight said. 

“He really was the best coach I could have wished for and I’m going to miss being on his team,” White said. ♦