By Haleigh Rojas
Staff Writer
Sean Madden, a golf professional with nearly two decades of experience, has assumed the role of coach for the golf program at Saint Rose. Madden, who owns NextGen Indoor Golf Center, has long had a passion for golf.
“I have been a golf professional for almost 20 years, and have been involved with the golf business for that long,” he said. “Coaching and teaching golf have always been a part of that,” said Madden.
Madden discusses his passion for teaching golf and how coaching college students seemed like a fun and rewarding opportunity. “I thought that it sounded like just a fun job just to teach a different level of golf. You know, just teaching college students who already have an understanding of the game, helping them advance a little bit more,” said Madden.
As a seasoned coach, Madden brings a wealth of experience to the table. “I have coached kids and adults of all ages and abilities, so I bring that kind of experience to the table just coaching all those different levels. I’ve had a number of high school kids that I have worked with over the years that have gone on to play college golf and be very successful as they graduated and played amateur golf from there,” said Madden.
While this is his first college coaching job, Madden, alongside his colleague Phil Kaminski, said they are determined to elevate the program to new heights. “Phil and I are hoping to take the program to the next level,” said Madden.
Madden emphasized the need to recruit more players to strengthen the team further, citing a reduced roster making it challenging for team dynamics and morale. Even with these challenges, Madden expressed satisfaction with the camaraderie and teamwork among the athletes. “I would say everyone makes a pretty good team and they all get along great,” he said. “I don’t think anyone is necessarily down about the roster being down a bit. Certainly from a coach’s perspective we want to get some more guys and girls on each team as we move forward,” he said.
To bolster the team, Madden and Kaminski rely on their extensive connections within the local golf community. Through their reputation as respected teaching professionals, they have forged relationships with high school golfers in the Albany area. “Both Kaminski and I have been teaching professionals for a number of years now and have a lot of connections in this immediate area with recruiting high school golfers and trying to get them to come to Saint Rose to play college golf,” said Madden.
Madden said the many network connections they share nationwide have allowed them to tap into resources from other golf professionals. Madden believes these connections, along with online resources and the transfer portal, will be pivotal in recruiting new athletes.
“We also have worked in many places throughout the country as well, so we have those resources to reach out to some of those other golf professionals throughout the country and see if they have any junior golfers that they are teaching at the moment that they would recommend for our program,” Madden said.
Madden said he remains optimistic about golf at Saint Rose, despite the reduced number of players this year. He expressed pride in the team’s exceptional performance during the fall season, with both the men’s and women’s teams delivering impressive results.
Madden believes that, despite the absence of extra players, the team’s performance has not suffered. “I think we still put our best performance out there; I think both Phil and I are really proud of how both teams played this fall. On the girls end, they play both individually and as a team and then the same thing with the guys. I think our first tournament of the year for the guys was pretty close to the school record for 18 holes as a team, if not a record,” said Madden.
Madden said he feels that no major adjustments were necessary for the teams, even with the reduced number of players. The team continues to work diligently, displaying unwavering commitment regardless of their numbers. “I don’t think we necessarily have to adjust how we train or practice,” he said. “I think maybe to try and keep them a little more motivated because you know there’s not that in team competition–they are going to go to the tournament regardless, but they all work very hard regardless of how many are in the team,” Madden said.
Madden emphasizes that all athletes during training, games and practices receive equal undivided attention from both coaches Madden and Phil Kaminski. “I think between Phil and I they get plenty of individual attention when we are out in the range for practice and short games. You know as a group, they all have time one-on-one, and then they all know and have taken advantage and we have told them at any time if they need to work on something individually they are more than welcome to either see me or Phil to work on anything,” he said.
Madden shared how he collaborates with other golf organizations and receives tips on how to increase his recruitment. “Matt, who was there before us at Saint Rose, went over to Union to coach the girls team, so I talk to him a lot. Before we met the players, I would talk to him a lot about the players and kind of get a feel for the personalities before even meeting with them. But even now I talk to him about what he does as far as recruiting and things like that,” he said.
Madden hopes one of the best tips he said he has received will help him overcome his challenges with recruitment. “I think the best tips for the immediate future going into the spring of next season would be to take a look at the transfer portal and see who might be a match for the program that has interest into coming to this area to play golf,” said Madden.
The Saint Rose golf team continues to maintain a positive and supportive attitude with each other despite the small number of players on the team. Madden explained, “I think it’s important when we are practicing, training and during tournaments that we are serious and working hard, and I try to do a few things like team building to keep everyone in a positive mood. Last week at the men’s conference championship after our round, we had some dinner, went bowling, and we have some fun like that. Let them know that it doesn’t always have to be so serious all the time, and in the end we want to compete and do well, but in the end it should be a fun experience for all of them.” Regarding goals for the upcoming season, Madden said “my goal would be as a team to start finishing around fifth or higher.”
