Maddox Brown is a 13-year-old 8th grader at Eagle Harlem who joined our program over the summer. He lives in Harlem with his mother and fraternal twin brother, Milo, who is also a new addition to our program. He recently fielded some questions from Charlie Hanger, our digital content manager.
CH: How did you find out about The Bridge Golf Foundation?
MB: Some teachers and administrators at Eagle recommended that some of the top students in the seventh grade try out the summer program, so my brother and I signed up. It was good. We had a lot of fun. We did some coding, learned some golf, and we watched Black Lightning. I also liked our trips to Dunwoodie every Thursday.
CH: Before starting our program, had you ever played golf before?
MB: Sort of, in sixth grade, but that was miniature golf.
CH: What did you think about golf when you first started?
Maddox Brown working on a swing-path drill at a recent after school session.
MB: I thought it was OK. I actually didn’t know that people considered it a sport. I thought of it as more of a game. But during the third week of summer Bridge, I really started liking it. I like the fact that you have to control your emotions, your grip, and that you have to control the amount of force you put into each shot in order to reach the hole.
CH: Of the non-golf activities, which was your favorite?
MB: Coding. I like that I can make things happen on the screen just by typing words and characters. We made a game where you have to bounce a ball into blocks, and if it passes you, it goes into the void and you lose. Sort of like pong.
CH: What are your impressions of the after school program so far?
MB: I like the kids and the teachers and pros. All of the middle school kids here are my friends, and it’s just a nice and supportive place. The adults can be strict sometimes, but that’s OK.
CH: What were you doing last year after school?
MB: Playing games on my computer or phone.
CH: What’s it like having a twin brother? Do you and Milo get along most of the time?
MB: No, we argue about a lot of stuff. We share a room, but that isn’t working out so great.
CH: You have the most substantial afro in the program. Talk a little about your hair.
MB: I got a minor haircut about two weeks ago, where my mom trims it in a few places, which she does every once in a while, but I’ve been growing it out for about seven years. My hair doesn’t really grow fast, or it would be even longer.
CH: Can you wear a hat with it?
MB: Sort of. Hats just sit on top of my hair, and it never ends well because the wind will blow them off, and I don’t even notice.
CH: How about other interests — sports, TV shows?
MB: I don’t watch sports. As for shows, I want to keep that classified.