JFK golf team proves to be a work in progress BY MIKE McDONALD Staff Writer Tony Palombo is already looking forward to next spring. With his JFK golf team posting a 7-19 record this year, the head coach is expecting better results next season. “We definitely have room for improvement. We are a young team and we need to improve our skills,” Palombo said. “We lost a lot of close matches. However, it was good that I was able to rotate a lot of my younger kids in and get them the experience they needed to become better golfers.” Along with practicing swing mechanics every morning during the season for a half-hour, Palombo also believes in self-evaluation. “I expect a written analysis of every shot of every hole by the kids who play in matches,” he said “They write down what they think they could improve on and what needs to be worked on. This helps a lot because as a coach, you cannot watch every shot of every player.” Next year, there will be an open competition to make the John F. Kennedy golf team. “I always look to see who is trying to improve themselves during the offseason,” the coach said. “That means a great deal to me. The kids need to take the initiative to become better golfers. I give them pamphlets at the end of the year of programs they can attend to help them become better golfers. I hope that they participate. “I like to see improvement each year out of my golfers,” he continued. “If the kids this year don’t do the work they should, I will fill their void with freshmen. I never cut freshmen who try out. I believe they deserve a chance to prove themselves to me.” That being said, Palombo is not overly concerned about his guys slacking off during the offseason. “There is much room for improvement on this team, and I expect that my older kids, especially my seniors, will do what they have to make themselves better golfers this offseason,” he said.