WANT to play GIRLS TEAM GOLF at North Hunterdon or Voorhees high schools in Hunterdon County, New Jersey? READ ME, SIGN ME & SHARE ME.

CLICK HERE to read and sign the petition requesting North Hunterdon and Voorhees high schools to sanction varsity girls golf teams at both schools. 

(By attending the 8/14/18 BOE meeting or writing a snail mail or electronic letter--info below) 

Help us spread the word by voicing your support regarding expanding opportunities for girls to learn, practice, play & compete with & against their peers when they select our sport (TEAM GOLF) at the high school level. 

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The Womens Sports Foundation (WSF, Billie Jean King's organization ) are unable to assist because there are too many females being discriminated against worldwide and they do not have the staff to assist at the local level. 

They wished me good luck and wish to be kept informed.  I will & we can!

I believe that the golf issue is not a limited local or New Jersey but a country-wide issue. 

I am starting small and affect change one county at a time, starting in my beloved Hunterdon County, New Jersey!

The school district of interest is North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional School District. http://www.nhvweb.net

Then expanding country-wide with all of your help, of course.

It is about the sport I love and getting more access for ALL females regardless of skill-level or club-affiliation. 

GOOD NEWS

The NJSIAA reconvened the Girls Golf Subcommittee at their Golf Committee meeting on June 11, 2018 at the request of NJSIAA Golf Committee member Lydia Siipola. 

Okay yes, that IS me. 

It will focus the meeting agenda on issues specific to the sport of girls TEAM golf and expedite decisions regarding the same. 

NEWS THAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

 *  There are 311 boys golf teams in NJ. 


 *  There are 81 girls golf teams in NJ.
 

*  Let's look at Hunterdon County 

 5 high schools = 5 varsity boys golf teams + ONE ( 15 years young) varsity girls golf team program 

(Hunterdon Central Regional High School's SANCTIONED Varsity Girls Golf program)

(Inaugural 2004 season under Coach Lydia Siipola)

(checkout sidebar) ) 


Our immediate actions need to show (and rally) support behind Girls TEAM golf and ADVANCING COMPETITIVE EQUITY.

High school female athletes who choose golf as their team sport deserve to experience playing, practicing and competing on a sports TEAM enjoying its many positive outcomes. 


If these athletes chose basketball, soccer, tennis, softball, swimming, lacrosse, or volleyball (to name a few sports) the female athletes are able to practice, play and compete with and against their peers. 

In New Jersey high school golf, this has historically NOT been the case. 

According to the NJSIAA aka New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association aka The Ruling Body of ALL high school sports in New Jersey) attorney, the following is the reality if a high school only offers a boys golf team: 

• Girls are allowed on boys teams and must play by boys team rules. 

• Coed teams do not exist. (I repeat COED golf teams do not exist in the language used by NJSIAA).

• NJSIAA cannot compel member schools to carry equal gender numbers on rosters and/or play equal numbers of each gender during matches. 


I need your help and others like you in the high school sports world and outside. IF you played on a GOLF TEAM in high school (girls or boys) , won't you consider putting a REAL pen to PAPER?

Here is the skinny on the Board of Education meeting where BUDGETARY decisions are made concerning sports teams: 

WEAR A PINK shirt in support of a sanctioned varsity girls golf team program at both high schools in the budget at North Hunterdon-Voorhees School District.

We need adult, tax-paying bodies at the meeting. 

WHAT:BOE meeting Time:7 p.m. 

WHEN:8/14/2018 

WHERE:at North Hunterdon High school campus District Office (near tennis courts) 

WHY:Show and/or voice your SUPPORT for North Hunterdon-Voorhies Board of Education (BOE) to budget for a varsity girls golf team NOW.

The BOE have recently budgeted for 2 assistant  golf coaches to expand their golf program yet no varsity girls golf team exists at either high school within the district.

Phone Number:

District Office: (908) 735-2846

Board Of Education member directory for North Hunterdon and Voorhees school district

NH-Voorhees District Job application for Golf Assistant+Athletic+Coach

NH-Voorhees Superintendents-biography

Girls Golf TEAM & Individual Tournament of Champions history + Scoring Histories from TOC, North Sectional at Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club & South Sectional Championship at Bey Lea

I received the following (links below) from the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) re:Competitive Equity which might be helpful:

 "Play Fair: A Title IX Playbook for Victory" This is an excellent resource that is aimed at helping athletes, coaches, parents and others ensure that women receive equal opportunities in high school and college sports. It concentrates on explaining Title IX rules and regulations to allow you to better analyze your school’s athletic program. To review the guide, visit our web site,

"Girls and Boys Competing With and Against Each Other in Sports and Physical Activity Settings"

"Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters" WSF's most recent research report explores impact of sports participation on teen health, well-being and academic achievement. Golf is among the sports included in the study, so I hope you'll find this helpful.

GOT FREE GOLF CLINICS? WMGA's Girls to the TEE junior girls golf FREE CLINICs for ALL girls ages 6-18

Click here to read about FREE JUNIOR GIRL GOLFER Clinic at Ridgewood CC and other places

Click here STILL TIME TO REGISTER for LPGA-USGA Girls Golf

https://greaternewarkgirlsgolf.com/events--tournaments/tournaments/gngg-invitational-registration.html

PROUD of our Girls 9th NORTH sectional champions (at Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club on May15): individual Kelly Sim & Team Pingry Winning their respective titles at the GIRLS TOURNAMENT of CHAMPIONS yesterday at Royce Brook West course! Congratulations to Holy Angels Coach Patrick Dunne and Pingry Coach Robert Mauer.

READ BERGEN RECORD Story here

GOT HELMETS? Wear your helmets, please but not when golfing

Dr. B. telling me the story

Who is the GEORGIA fan standing next to me? 

We never met yet on December 2,2017 when this photo was taken, it is almost our two-year anniversary, what???!!!! 

Johnny & I never knew his name. 

He never knew ours. 

None of us knew what happened to each other after we met on December 27,2015. 

Still confused? 

"Dr. B." recognized Johnny today (on DECEMBER, 2017) & minutes later Dr. B. & I were reintroduced! 

He related his memory of driving with his son as an SUV went  speeding by them. His son Craig was driving and they both thought that the car was driving way too fast in the neighborhood.

They continued driving until they came upon my sister-in-law standing in the middle of the road with a cell phone in her hand. 

Dr. B. had his son pull over, got out and then saw me lying on the ground, trying to get up.

He came running over whipped his shirt off to use it to stop my head from gushing.

 (Rogue SUV literally ran me, yep, my head and torso over I'd find out weeks later when I woke-up) 

Dr. B. tried holding me down by putting his knees on my chest.

He apologized but I have NO MEMORY of any of it.

Thank you Dr. B.

 As he was trying to keep me still, stop my head from gushing, and once they arrived, encourage the EMTs to get me ASAP to the Trauma I Center at Memorial Hospital. 

The rogue SUV driver returned to the scene he had fled 15 minutes earlier and thankfully avoided injuring anyone else as he jumped the curb at a very high speed again and hit a tree breaking his sternum.

T-H-A-N-K-Y-O-U, Dr. B! 

I really have no words, my knees were weak and I cried. 

Eight operations later.

(6) performed on my FACE by ANOTHER wonderful human with an incredible heart and so much skill, Dr. Carl Pearl, Plastic Surgeon who was on-call that night!

Dr. Carl Pearl & Lydia 2.0. THANK YOU, Dr. Pearl!

We REMAIN UNDAUNTED.

Sticking with the mantra:Refuse to allow circumstances beyond my control to define me or my abilities. 

Hard to smile as we are both emotional 

NOW:Let's get baking a treat for Dr. B & his family!! 

WEAR YOUR BIKE HELMETS, HUMANS! 

Wearing mine gave me the chance to survive. Just saying!!!


Your MIRA-girl,

Lydia 2.0

Three Good Men

or 

the Nephew, the Husband & the Brother-in-Law 

at  5:31-ish a.m. pre-tournament breakfast 

(From left Michael Leasure, Johnny Siipola and Jay Bellwoar) 

It's ALL GOOD! 
Both took a day off from work (Accenture & Colonial Electric) to assist Johnny & I at the NJSIAA 9th Girls North Sectional.
A record 16 teams, 80 player-field!
My Family Supporting Girls TEAM golf in New Jersey, right here, right now! 
(even though we ALL live in PA, huh?)

Imagine 80 girls and 29 adults surrounding
Johnny on the putting green to sing him (the 
world's most NOT-about-me-human-alive)
surprise HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  
P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S!

Smiling HCRHS Red Devils HCRHS are 2017  TOC Champions  

NJSIAA Girls Golf North Sectional Co-Director Lydia Siipola started your program in 2004 wow, this is the 15th season!!! 

So happy to see the Red  Devils!!!

There are FIVE high schools in Hunterdon County and HC remains the ONLY county Girls Golf TEAM.
C'mon North Hunterdon, Voorhees, South and DVRHS!

(from Left Emily Phu, Dana Mejer, Cassidy Conklin, Hartley Zook and GGG 4-year participant KAITLIN FLYNN)

IHA Coach Lauren Rhein listening in the background .

Getting ready to sing Happy Birthday during RULES meeting.

Bergen Tech Coach Sue Polonsky is all smiles with her player

Northern Highlands coach Rich Smith
gives some last words of encouragement.

Pingry coach Rob Mauer is all smiles as he
takes his group to their starting hole.

HAPPY REUNION as Girls GO Golfing Director Lydia Siipola and Joe Turci (Former GGG parent of twin GGGers Lauren & Stephanie from 2008!) answers the VOLUNTEER calland traveling from Morris County to help! SO GREAT to SEE YOU!!! 

Thank you.

Virginia Mannon & Ridgewood Coach Brian Quirk 

are all smiles after talking strategy

Kelly Sim, Holy Angels shoots record 65 as low individual

RIDGEWOOD

Northern Highlands with Coach Rich Smith
4th Place TOC Qualifier

Holy Angels with Coach Pat Dunne 3rd Place TOC Qualifier

Ridge With Coach Siobahn Devlin 2nd place TOC qualifier

9th North Sectional Champions Pingry with Coach Rob Mauer

Lydia Siipola and runner-up Yoona Kim
realize that they are both
GERRI SCARPA fans

NORTH sectional program details
NJ Girls TEAM Golf History 

HAPPY REUNION 
Des McNulty drops by to see her niece Ridgewood 'sVirginia Mannon compete. Des is mother of (Siipola's) HC team (2007 -2010) & Gettysburg star player Kara McNulty.

Kelly Sim, the two-time Tournament of Champions winner, put together an amazing round in the North Jersey Girls’ Golf Sectional, to claim individual honors with a 6-under par 65 at the Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.

Sim’s round included eight birdies to help her team advance to the May 29 TOC at the Royce Brook Golf Club.

Pingry (320) came through with an expected to claim the team title, followed by Ridge (348), Holy Angels (358) and Northern Highlands (367) to move onto the TOC.

Sim, who won the TOC in 2015 and 2016, started her round at the difficult par-4 10th hole with a bogey, failing to get up and down from the sand. But it was all good news from there. Sim followed with birdies on the 11th (5 feet), 13th (9 feet) and 14th (4 feet), then 3-putted the 16th to post a one-under 34.

“The key to my round was hitting fairways and having a good number of short birdie opportunities,” said Sim, who will attend Northwestern on a golf scholarship in the fall. “My iron play was spot on and it was reflected in my score.”

The front nine was even better as the Edgewater resident posted five birdies for a 31 total. The included the 2nd (12 feet), third (21feet), sixth (3 feet), 8th (2 putt par 5) and 9th (6 feet).

Defending TOC champion Ami Gianchandani of Pingry finished at 2-over par 73, placing third behind sophomore Yoona Kim (72) of Immaculate Heart.

TEAM RESULTS: 1. Pingry 320 (Amy Gianchandani 73, Christine Shao 76, Ashley Lu 82, Zara Jacob 89), Ridge 348, Holy Angels (358), North Highlands (367), Immaculate Heart (380), Hunterdon Central (395), Westfield (395), Bergen Tech (399), Ridgewood (406), Oak Knoll (429), Montville (433), Old Tappan (441), Ramsey (444), Madison (481), Villa Walsh (505), Pope John (516).

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 1.Kelly Sim (HA) 31-34-65, Yoona Kim (IH) 36-36-72, Ami Gianchandani (P) 38-35-73, Anina Ku (R) 37-38-75, Christine Shao (P) 38-38-76, Regina Garvey (IH) 38-41-79, Hartley Zook (HC) 41-41-82, Anna Bowman (W) 40-42-82, Ashley Lu (P) 41-41-82, Gio Kim (NH) 37-48-85.

GOT GOLF RESULTS???? NJSIAA GIRLS North Sectional results PINGRY PREVAILS as SIMS SIZZLES 6-Under at Stanton Ridge

TIME FLIES When Girls Are GOLFING!

(from left) NJSIAA North GIRLS sectional Co-Directors John & Lydia Siipola are 

ALL SMILES as they reunite with Des McNulty. Her daughter Kara McNulty played on

Coach Lydia Siipola's Hunterdon Central Regional Varity Girls Golf team 2008-2010.

Kelly Sim, the two-time Tournament of Champions winner, put together an amazing round in the North Jersey Girls’ Golf Sectional, to claim individual honors with a 6-under par 65 at the Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.

Sim’s round included eight birdies to help her team advance to the May 29 TOC at the Royce Brook Golf Club.

Pingry (320) came through with an expected to claim the team title, followed by Ridge (348), Holy Angels (358) and Northern Highlands (367) to move onto the TOC.

Sim, who won the TOC in 2015 and 2016, started her round at the difficult par-4 10th hole with a bogey, failing to get up and down from the sand. But it was all good news from there. Sim followed with birdies on the 11th (5 feet), 13th (9 feet) and 14th (4 feet), then 3-putted the 16th to post a one-under 34.

“The key to my round was hitting fairways and having a good number of short birdie opportunities,” said Sim, who will attend Northwestern on a golf scholarship in the fall. “My iron play was spot on and it was reflected in my score.”

The front nine was even better as the Edgewater resident posted five birdies for a 31 total. The included the 2nd (12 feet), third (21feet), sixth (3 feet), 8th (2 putt par 5) and 9th (6 feet).

Defending TOC champion Ami Gianchandani of Pingry finished at 2-over par 73, placing third behind sophomore Yoona Kim (72) of Immaculate Heart.

TEAM RESULTS: 1. Pingry 320 (Amy Gianchandani 73, Christine Shao 76, Ashley Lu 82, Zara Jacob 89), Ridge 348, Holy Angels (358), North Highlands (367), Immaculate Heart (380), Hunterdon Central (395), Westfield (395), Bergen Tech (399), Ridgewood (406), Oak Knoll (429), Montville (433), Old Tappan (441), Ramsey (444), Madison (481), Villa Walsh (505), Pope John (516).

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 1.Kelly Sim (HA) 31-34-65, Yoona Kim (IH) 36-36-72, Ami Gianchandani (P) 38-35-73, Anina Ku (R) 37-38-75, Christine Shao (P) 38-38-76, Regina Garvey (IH) 38-41-79, Hartley Zook (HC) 41-41-82, Anna Bowman (W) 40-42-82, Ashley Lu (P) 41-41-82, Gio Kim (NH) 37-48-85.

Kelly Sim takes a moment to Smile 

MORE PHOTOS TO COME TOMORROW