LYNN — Brett Molea, head coach of Lynn English’s varsity golf team for the past four seasons, who has been named Greater Boston League Coach of the Year the last two, has established a competitive golf program in the City.
With season No. 5 right around the corner, he looks to continue what’s already been started.
“Everything that we achieve, it’s because the kids earned it for us. When I started, we had four kids — and in high school golf, it’s an eight-person match — so we were literally forfeiting half of our points before we even stepped off the bus,” Molea said. “To go from that to winning Coach of the Year in back-to-back years, it’s crazy to see the evolution of the golf program at Lynn English, and I think that’s what means the most to me. We got it off the ground and now, the wheels are turning.”
Molea has built a strong culture with the Bulldogs — one rooted in “acceptance” and opportunity for all students, regardless of experience.
“We’ll take kids who have never picked up a golf club before, and by the end of the year, they might grab a match in the eighth hole or they’re playing practice matches against our No. 8 or No. 9. Anyone can play and they all love it by the end of it,” Molea said. “The culture is that anyone can come and we’re going to teach you. It has nothing to do with if you have knowledge of the game prior. I think that’s the beauty of Lynn Public Schools, too. A lot of these kids come from different backgrounds and don’t have the experience of golf, and just bringing them to a golf course is wonderful.”
When asked about the sport’s growth in Lynn, Molea pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since COVID-19, the sport of golf has been growing. Even some of my dad’s (Gary) friends, who are in their 60s, started to pick it up. During COVID, that’s all you were able to do,” Molea said. “I have kids who have come from different sports — a bunch of hockey and baseball guys. Having them be athletes in the first place, they have that drive. Anything they set their mind to, they want to be good at because that’s the athlete in them. They pick up golf, they’re not great at it, we go to the range and the course, and they grind and get better. It’s been beneficial to have these athletes pick up the sport who have that drive to want to get better.”
Over the years, as a relatively new head coach, Molea said it took time to understand his own style – and how to implement it.
“I’ve realized over the years that every kid is different. I’m taking a different approach with every single kid. Golf is a crazy game. Not one certain thing works for every kid, so it’s about taking that one-on-one time at practice and matches, sitting with each kid, and understanding them on a one-to-one basis,” he said. “It’s not a one-swing-fits-all. I think that’s why I’ve thrived — because I love dissecting what kids are good at and what they’re not and helping them. Learning what kids struggle with and finding ways to help has been a big thing for me.”
Molea’s own golf journey didn’t begin until his junior year of high school, when then-coach Jim Tidmarsh gave him a push.
“[He] actually pulled me out of history class when I was a junior and told me that I was going to play golf ‘whether you like it or not,’ and I said, ‘all right, sounds good,’” Molea said. “I played my junior and senior years, and I liked it, but didn’t love it. I played college baseball and never touched a golf club again until my senior year in college. That was the COVID year and we had already booked our trip to Arizona. That’s when the whole world shut down, and we were already in Arizona at the time. The only thing we could do was golf. I rented clubs and golfed pretty much every day for seven days straight.
“I just fell in love with it.”
The Bulldogs begin their season Sept. 2 in Somerville.
