This was previously published in our September 2025 issue.
A soft swing hits against the lush green grass, whoosh, as the ball flies through the air. A swift patter brings the ball to a stop, just inches from the hole, a shout rings out, and a tally is marked on the scorecard.
At Emmaus High School, golf is one of the only two coeducational (co-ed) sports offered alongside rifle, with only two of the 12 players being female golfers: senior Alexis Teichman and sophomore Ella Bloszinsky.
Starting in her junior year, Teichman decided to pursue the sport of golf. Although a previous all-girls field hockey player. Through this, she had firsthand experience with the environment of a co-ed team as a golfer. Despite facing the arising difficulties of having both female and male players playing together.
“Some of the guys were upset that I was out driving them because my tee was closer, and my ball would be closer to the hole,” Teichman said, concerning the different guidelines of female and male golfers. “I know that they [the boys] were getting mad, but you just have to ignore all the negativity and block it out, and just keep persevering, keep playing your own game.”
According to Teichman, female golfers are given a shorter course with a closer set of tees than male golfers, due to biological differences. However, both players are scored the same under each team.
Similarly, Bloszinsky, who has been playing since she was seven years old, faced various challenges as another female player on the golf team.
“Since you’re one of the only girls playing, it’s definitely harder to score,” Bloszinsky said. “Because the boys can hit a lot farther and [have] more swing speed, but it’s not super difficult, just slightly inconvenient.”
Despite facing certain obstacles in their journey playing golf, both Teichman and Bloszinsky reflect on their experiences as being a part of a co-ed team, through their joys of having a close-knit community regardless of being female or male players.
“I like field hockey. We were all like sisters. We spend every single day together, and golf, to be honest, I think it’s like the same thing,” Teichman said. “They’re all my brothers. They don’t treat me any differently; they still treat me like one of the guys.”
Although banded together — due to a lack of female interest leading to a joint golf team — they’ve learned to connect and grow as players of the same team.
“Just do it, because you can likely compete with the boys more than you think you can. Sports are all mental and practice; if you practice, you can catch them,” Blosznisky said.
