Every month, we are interviewing one of the young men in our After School program. This month we meet Michael Alameda.
Tell us about your family and other important people in your life.
My dad and I are very close, my mom too. We are always there for each other. I have a sister who is 9. She does well in school. We are really close, too. Everywhere we go, we are always together. She thinks that I’m good at playing golf.
What is your favorite subject in school, and why?
My favorite subject is English Language Arts (ELA). I have a good grade in it. Two books we’ve read are “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell and “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. In “The Outsiders,” I liked how Johnny’s friends were there for him even though his parents weren’t, and how they never let him down. Everywhere he went, his friends went with him. The movie was really good, but the book had more details; Ponyboy narrates the book. I thought that Ponyboy was a lot like me, except my parents aren’t dead.
What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?
I want to play golf and be on the PGA Tour when I get older. I think I’m really good at golf, and it would earn me a lot of money if I win.
What is your favorite part of what we do at The Bridge Golf Foundation? How do you think it will prepare you for the future?
Ethan Bendau’s laser made quite an impression on Michael Alameda, center, and Triniim Jones, left, during a recent trip to the City College physics department.
The golf! The program will open doors. I am exposed to many different things and get to meet different people, like (Founder) Bob Rubin; (Teaching Pros) Brian Hwang and Randy Taylor; and (STEM Program Co-Leader) Vee (Narinesingh), who helps me with math; and (Teaching Pro) Todd (Bordonaro), especially. Todd helps me in different ways. When I do something wrong in golf, he helps me fix it so I don’t go back to doing it the wrong way. He will work with me over and over again until I get it right. He never gives up. He’s really cool.
Besides golf, what other sports do you enjoy playing? Do you have a preference between playing individual or team sports?
I play basketball once in a while. I like individual sports because you can’t get mad at somebody if you do badly. You get mad at yourself, and you learn from your mistakes and keep on practicing.
Which section of the program has been your favorite so far? Do any particular lessons stand out in your memory?
Golf. When Brian makes us putt, we start from 5 feet away, and we have to make the same putt over and over again. Also, Todd makes me do drills over and over to improve my swing. I have put in a lot of time on the golf course and in The Learning Center.
What is your favorite trip since joining the program? We’ve traveled to a lot of great places – The Bridge in Bridgehampton, PGA Championship, USGA Museum and Test Center, City College, Camp Getaway, etc.
Our trips to The Bridge! It’s beautiful, a nice golf course. I like the whole experience. The food, and the view (whistles)! I haven’t played the whole course yet, only a couple of holes. It’s a tough course.
What’s the strongest part of your golf game right now?
Probably my irons and full swings. I’m able to hit 170+ yards with a 7 iron, consistently.
What is one fact that nobody in our program knows about you?
I have a black cat named Chloe. She has green eyes and she’s 3 years old.
Favorite sports teams/athletes/music/video games?
My favorite sports to watch are basketball (NBA) and football (NFL). I like to watch the Chicago Bulls and the New England Patriots. I like Tom Brady, Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo. I like to play NBA 2K17, Call of Duty III, and Modern Warfare II.
We have covered a lot of ground in STEM, character education/service learning, and golf this year. Can you give any examples of how it has impacted you as an individual in our program and in your daily life?
My grades have improved from STEM lessons and tutoring on Saturdays, and I have a way better golf swing. Hopefully I can take my golf game to the PGA-level, and have some success on the tour.