MARBLEHEAD — It’s not every day a high school athlete makes history, but for Marblehead High’s Joy Meshulam, that moment came when she was voted co-captain of the varsity golf team.
Meshulam, now a senior, became the program’s first female captain, according to head coach Bob Green. Her golf journey began in middle school, though she admits she didn’t start taking it seriously until a few years ago.
“I didn’t really get into the sport and start playing with a purpose until the summer going into sophomore year,” Meshulam said. “That’s when I had the goal of making varsity and trying to bring my scores lower.”
As a freshman, she made the junior varsity team — an experience that sparked her passion for the sport.
“I expected to make JV because I wasn’t shooting well, but I just wanted to play and get to know more people who were into the sport,” Meshulam said. “That freshman year really brought me to love the sport because I connected with another female golfer on the team at the time. Her name was Caroline (Brennan) and she was a senior. It just brought this representation that I saw – that I could play this sport. There were other women playing it.”
She also credited JV coach Tracy Ackerman, who now coaches her in tennis, for making an early impact.
When it came time for this year’s selection of captains, Meshulam said she was on edge as Green tallied the votes.
“My heart was pounding,” she said. “When he announced it, I just wanted to do a celebratory dance, but I couldn’t do that. I had to act professional. I said thank you to the team, and the second I got to the car, I was so excited. I called my parents and my friends. This was a dream of mine, and I’m really happy that I accomplished it.”
Being named Marblehead High’s first female captain is something Meshulam said she’ll always carry with pride.
“It means a lot individually because this was a dream of mine and I wasn’t going to let my gender stop me,” Meshulam said. “I’m grateful that I can pursue this position and set a precedent for other women and girls to partake in the golf team. I hope this legacy inspires more women to go out and try out for the golf team. It’s an amazing sport with amazing coaches and awesome teammates.”
Setting the right example for her teammates is a goal of Meshulam’s.
“It’s always my goal to act professionally, but I think even more importantly, is to be happy. We have this ability to play golf, our school is offering us this opportunity to go out and play amazing courses, and we have such an amazing coach. I think just having a positive attitude makes such a difference. When I’m on the course, whether I’m having a good day or a bad day, I try to keep the vibes upbeat and I hope my team sees that and follows suit.”
Green said those qualities are exactly why her teammates entrusted her with the captaincy.
“Joy is an exceptional young woman. She’s confident, yet unassumingly so. She loves golf and is committed to working hard to get better in all aspects of the game,” Green said. “Her improvement, every year, is a testament to her work ethic. Joy is supportive and encouraging to all members of the team and has a positive attitude about everything, including golf.
“Joy is liked and respected by her teammates. Joy leads by example, and the fact she was voted co-captain means all those qualities are recognized by everyone on the team.”
