Captains leading Vernon golf team

VERNON — The sport of golf can be amongst the most pleasurable, thought provoking, intense and rewarding of all athletic activities. It can also cause a great deal of frustration no matter if a golfer competes at the professional, amateur, college or high school level. Heck, even someone who plays just for leisure can attest that they get rattled when their drive goes into the woods, they can't get out of a sand trap or their putting is way off the mark.
When a professional is having difficulties while out on the course, at the driving range or on the putting green, they can turn to their trusted caddie for advice. For those who play while in college or high school, coaches and team captains are the one's a golfer can turn to when they are having trouble in one or more facets of the game.
This season, the Vernon High School golf program (boys and girls teams) has a pair of captains-Haley Sparta and Devon Uva-who are both leaders who takes their responsibilities seriously.
"Both golfers have been in the program for four years," Vernon coach Bill Foley said. "Haley lettered since her freshmen year and Devon for the last two years. It was very easy to name them both captains this year due to their dedication, hard work and commitment to the golf program."
Foley has taken notice in the variety of ways in which both student-athletes have worked to improve in order to become more complete golfers.
"Haley is constantly working to get better by working with her teaching professional and her father who is a golf superintendent and avid golfer," Foley said. "Whenever you talk with Haley about her play, she is always analyzing her swing and her way around the course. She is a true golfer. She is always thinking of how to get better and improve her game. Haley had a low score of 49 in a key win over Kinnelon back on May 2nd at Cascades.
"Devon has been a member since his freshmen year but broke through as a sophomore," Foley said. "We were deep in experience at the time but he was able to add his scoring to some of the team matches. He has been a fixture of the program and the starting line-up the last two seasons. We have used Devon's score in 20 out of 25 matches this season and he was the key score (46) in a win over Wallkill Valley at the Wallkill Country Club on April 28th."
A characteristic that both Sparta and Uva possess, which impresses Foley, is their ability to work well with the younger, less experienced golfers on the roster.
"This is first year in many in which we were able to schedule many girls matches,'' Foley said. "We have total girls on the team with Haley being the only senior. She has always been willing to assist the younger student-athletes in the program to get better and acclimate them to the new courses they might be playing. She has been a mentor for the younger girls and has displayed the appropriate qualities you would want from your senior four-year varsity golfer. She is a true role-model who has set the tone for the girls program for the future seasons.
"Devon is always willing to help someone else on the team, whether lining up a putt, choosing the right club for distance or giving some tips about playing a new course unfamiliar to our younger players. In a year in which we graduated many of our better golfers, Devon has been the glue to this season in which we surprisingly have been able to win 10 matches. He, just like Haley have been fixtures within the golf program the last four years. They will both be missed but have certainly left their mark on the program and their fellow teammates."