This year at Strath Haven, a varsity girls’ golf team was created due to the increased amount of interest.
The creation of the team demonstrates how schools are making more room and opportunities available for females in sports, especially ones that are dominated by males.
The team consists of four girls who compete against other girls’ teams, including Radnor and Conestoga.
“In the past, we did not have the numbers to form an all-girls team, but with the interest that we received this year, we thought it would be important to start one,” Athletic Director Mrs. Lynelle Mosley said.
Although this is Mosley’s first year, she assumes that there has always been a plan to start a girls’ golf team. After tryouts in the summer, she and Samantha Miller, the new golf coach for both the boys and girls golf teams, decided that there was enough interest to create a team just for girls.
“Within the Central League this year, there are a lot of girls expressing interest in playing golf, which gave us the ability to jump on the opportunity to start a girl’s team to compete within our league,” Miller said.
In 2000, girls made up 15% of junior golfers, but now that percentage has more than doubled with 36% of junior golfers being girls, according to The First Call Golf, a website that writes articles on women’s golf.
“I think it is really important to create a team since there is a demand,” Mosley said.
In past years when there wasn’t a girls’ golf team, the female golfers would meet for the first time at the Central League Tournament and Districts. Miller expressed how important it is for the girls to meet each other prior to important tournaments because it helps them form relationships, benefits their playing, and makes them more comfortable.
“I think it is important to give girls the opportunity to play; if it is all girls and we are playing against girls, it’s more inviting and open,” senior girls’ golf team player Catherine Caruso said.
In addition, Miller and Mosley discussed that because this is the first year of the official team, there should be a lot of excitement and curiosity toward the team, which could help bridge the way for future seasons.
“My hope for the team is to be successful,” Mosley said. “In the inaugural year, we are hoping to get a great buzz around the school about the team and hopefully grow the program for the future.”
Growing the program is not the only thing that they hope to accomplish for next year. Building strong relationships with other team members and with the game of golf itself is the main purpose of the team.
“My hope for the girls’ team is to grow their love for the game of golf,” Miller said.
The girls, coach, and ahtletic director have tried to set reasonable goals and expectations for this season with the hopes it will take some pressure off of the female golfers as they start the school year and new varsity sports team.
“The only expectation that I have is that they work hard and have fun while doing it,” Mosley said.
Even though the girl golfers will be having fun, Miller wanted to emphasize that one of her personal goals for the team is to help the girls adjust to being student-athletes and the associated pressures and obligations that come with that title.
“My goal as a coach is to serve as a mentor for my players, not only for golf but also as a fellow student-athlete,” Miller said.
Miller could not contain her enthusiasm and talked about how excited she was to coach a team full of passionate young golfers.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach a new generation of women golfers,” she said. “The game of golf has done so much for my life, and I cannot wait to share that experience with this new generation. This is such a great opportunity for our Haven girls and I am excited to be a part of it.”
