Dan Chasse grew up in Fort Kent and has been playing golf since he was six.

So, when the local school board decided bring the varsity golf team back this fall after Chasse had talked with athletic administrator Paul Michaud about it “for about two years”, he jumped at the chance to become the head coach.

Chasse, a 1980 graduate of Fort Kent, will skipper the Warriors in their return to the varsity golfing ranks.

Fort Kent hasn’t had a varsity golf team “in at least 15 seasons,” according to Michaud.

Chasse, who has six boys signed up to play with preseason practices set to begin today, knows the addition of the program could bode well for prospective student-athletes whose fall sport isn’t soccer.

“Not everyone’s a soccer player, Fort Kent’s got a good soccer tradition which is great,” he said. “[But] there’s a bunch of other kids who may not be soccer players who might want to try their hand at golf.”

Cross country is the only other fall sport Fort Kent offers.

“[Golf’s] a lifetime sport, it’s something they can try now and play when they’re 80 years old,” Chasse said.

The Warriors will play their home matches at the Fort Kent Golf Club and their schedule includes matches against the likes of Aroostook County foes Presque Isle, Caribou and Houlton.

The farthest Fort Kent will travel is to Old Town.

Chasse said that travel limitations will allow the Warriors to bring only six players to road matches, but he’s welcoming more players to join the team.

“They’re allowing us a van, we can’t put 20 kids in a van,” Chasse said. “We’re limited to the van, therefore we can only bring six kids with us.”

Chasse, who plays a couple times a week at the local course, occasionally with son Alex, a freshman who will participate on the team, said the members at the course are welcoming the program with open arms.

“Everybody’s been encouraging about the whole team … everybody realizes this is the future of our course, we’ve got to get kids involved,” said Chasse, who played basketball and baseball at Fort Kent and is a chiropractor in town.

The Warriors will field a team comprised mainly of underclassmen, and Chasse’s expectations are for the golfers to learn more about the game, exhibit proper etiquette and have fun.

“We’re going to be the best behaved team, hopefully,” Chasse said. “One thing about golf that’s maybe unique compared to other sports is you call penalties on yourself. It’s a good life lesson for kids.”

Chasse has encountered a number of his prospective golfers at Fort Kent GC over the summer, including Garrett Albert and Cale O’Leary, while Chasse and his son try to play “at least once a week together.”

He added that his son rides his bike up to the course – the Chasses live about 3 miles from it – and works on his short game and picks up games “with some of the older guys there,” including his grandfather Marc, Dan’s father.

Chasse’s hope is that the Warriors’ players won’t put down their clubs after they pass through the high school ranks.

“Hopefully this will keep some kids interested in golf and turn them into adult golfers,” he said.

Chasse added that the town has featured youth programs for about 10 to 15 years, and that the revitalization of the high school program will keep younger kids interested in playing the game once they reach the high school level.

New home for Witches

The Brewer High boys and girls soccer teams will be splitting their home games between Doyle Field and the Maple Street Field this fall.

Construction of a new elementary school where the Witches’ longtime home field at Pendleton Street is located is set to begin this fall, with the six-lane track expected to be taken apart in early September.

Demolition of the elementary school on the site has already started.

The boys will play four home games at Doyle, including an Oct. 14 matchup with rival Bangor, with the girls also playing four home games at the facility, highlighted with the September 13 rivalry game with Bangor.

The Maple Street Field is located near the East-West Industrial Park in the city.

The Witches, along with the area’s other fall sports teams, kicked off preseason practices Monday.

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

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