Fresno City College Men’s Golf Coach Janine Paniccia understands what it means to coach. Part of that understanding is knowing the characteristics of a team.
“They are like a band of brothers.” Paniccia said of her 2013 team.
If you want to really know what Paniccia is talking about all you have to do is talk to 2013 Men’s Golf Sophomores and teammates Brandon Frazier and Robert Greene. In high school Robert Greene played at Bullard High, and Brandon Frazier played at Madera High and although the pair were opponents in their high school careers, you could not tell by the way the teammates praise each other.
“Robert’s putting is awesome right now, he is putting really well,” said Frazier.
“Compared to last year’s team this year’s team gets along a lot better, we are more close-knit, it’s closer friendship wise because we all know each other ,” said Frazier.
Both agreed that this is a testament to the team’s chemistry and it shows on the golf course.
“Compared to last year’s team we’re a lot closer and less individualized, and we never feel like someone else on the team can’t come through, we’re strong from top to bottom,” said Frazier.
Coach Paniccia also agrees that the team has chemistry and a bond that is unique because of how much of an individual team sport golf is.
“I have really enjoyed coaching this group of guys, they are a fun group of guys who have a lot of camaraderie and are real close, they are like brothers and talk a lot of trash to each other which I think helps the competitiveness and they do it to motivate each other,” said Paniccia.
What makes this group special to Coach Paniccia is not only their accomplishment on the golf course, but off of it as well. She is proud to mention that three of her players will be attending the Torch of Excellence as well as five players who have a 3.6 G.P.A. “It is important for students to know that it is exactly how it sounds, student first, then athlete ,” said Paniccia.
A good coach has vision and recognizes that each team has its own characteristics. Coach Paniccia is no different and it is because of this vision that her team sees exactly what she sees.
