The fight for equality in sports is an ongoing struggle for women around the world today. Even at our own high school, female athletes struggle to gain the same opportunities as male athletes. Sophomore Sarah Spires decided to change this. For many years now, Spires has enjoyed watching and participating in the competitive game of golf. She loved it so much she wanted to try out for the Scituate High School Golf Team.

Small problem–Scituate High School’s golf team is a boy’s team, meaning she would not only have to try out against boys but play against other town’s boy’s teams. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year more than ever, boys dominated the tryout roster, having an unfair advantage over the girls. Throughout Scituate’s history, only a small number of girls have played for the SHS golf team. Now, thanks to Sarah, with the creation of the Girl’s Golf club, girls can compete against other towns’ girl’s teams during the spring season.

Scituate High School Athletic Director, Peter Umbrianna, was a major asset to the team. He took quick action when Spires posed this idea to him in January 2020. This task was a significant undertaking. Umbrianna had to meet with other local athletic directors and the MIAA to make it happen. When I spoke to Umbrianna recently about the creation of the club, he said, “I was excited more than anything,” adding that “seeing the excitement and foundation [of the golf team] being built and watching it grow will be pretty awesome.” Umbrianna has been a great help with all the technicalities of the team and even arranged a few kick-off matches for the team this spring. 

Leading the girl’s team this spring is Coach Gayle Coughlin. As an avid golf player herself, Coughlin quickly accepted the position of head coach. She has donated much of her time and prepared the girls for the start of the season, which is right around the corner.

Despite the pushback Covid-19 had on Spires’ original plans, she still managed to pull the team together. They met several times over the summer to practice on the driving range or play nine holes at local courses. Now that the team is allowed to meet in person, the season will begin in late April and carry over into May. This is a welcoming club and is open to all levels of play. Spires has worked very hard to get this club off the ground and is excited to tee off the golf season with the new Scituate Girls Golf Team.

If you are interested in joining the Girls Golf Team or have any questions, reach out to Sarah Spires at [email protected] or join the Google Classroom (Classroom code 6xgix4a) to stay updated.