At the beginning of the fall sports season, Swampscott High School golf Head Coach Ron Young asked his team what the happiest animal on the planet is.

The athletes were confused at first, until Young told them the answer: a goldfish.

“Because it only has a 10 second memory,” said Young. “That’s what you guys need to have on the course.”

In golf, it’s important to move on quickly from mistakes rather than let them pile up and lead to more errors, Young explained.

“I want them to go out there and have a good time,” said Young.

Before the season began, Young set a goal for the Big Blue: qualify for the sectional competition.

Swampscott got off to a fast start, winning its first four matches and nine of its first 11. The team qualified for the sectionals with ease, clinching a berth with several matches still remaining.

With a sectional berth secured, Young hopes his relatively young team will gain valuable experience competing against strong opponents. The roster features just two seniors.

“We’re a well balanced team,” said Young. “Usually the fifth through eighth players in a lineup are the weak links, but on this particular team it’s been our strong suit.”

Young said the top four players have needed to keep pace with their opponents, while the back half of the lineup takes advantage of other teams’ lack of depth.

In between matches, Young has emphasized course management alongside the mental side of the game, teaching golfers how to recover after making mistakes.

“My thing is to try and teach them the game,” said Young. “There’s a lot involved with golf. Basically golf management, like what they want to do if they are in trouble – not to try and go for it all at once but to take your medicine, come out and make up for it.”

Because golfers are spread out around the course during matches, Young relies on them to make smart decisions for themselves.

“I can’t watch everyone,” he said. “They are on their own, so I expect them to be leaders as far as being able to make decisions.”

Next week, two Big Blue juniors, Luke McGonagle and James Saunders, will compete at Tedesco Country Club in the Northeast Conference Championship.

“They are two golfers that have been really standing out for us,” said Young.

The team closed out its regular-season schedule Thursday against Masconomet, turning its attention to the sectionals and beyond.