This season on the green, girls’ golf team program director and head coach, Jay Meyerhoff, will not be accompanying Benilde-St. Margaret’s into matches. After 19 seasons on the links with the Red Knights, Meyerhoff has decided it is time to move on.

While some golfers received an email explaining the transition in the coaching department, sophomore athlete, Lucia Halstrom, heard the news by word of mouth. “I found out at the boys’ [hockey] varsity game with a couple of the other girls that are on the [girls’ golf] team. We all kind of found out together. It was tough because we were not expecting it to be this soon,” said Halstrom.

Halstrom explains that it is a huge relief to still have her teammates, and feel their support system that they have built as a team during trying times. This is further emphasized because of the uncertainty of whether Bill Gorrill, a coach for the girls’ golf team, may also leave.

Jay Meyerhoff knew coaching golf was for him after experiencing first hand the family aspect around the sport in high school and college. He thinks it is incredibly rewarding and reveals the depth and meaning that his job enabled him to grow in connection with his athletes. Proving this, Meyerhoff is still in contact with some of the kids he worked with in his first years of coaching, who now have kids of their own. “That’s how close I get, how much of a family we become,” said Meyerhoff.

Although Meyerhoff has taken a new position at a different club, he expressed that he did everything in his power to make both commitments work. However, due to a conflict of timing going into the season, and the demands of all his responsibilities, he reluctantly will be leaving. Despite his departure, Meyerhoff says he has much confidence in the team going into this year. “From a talent standpoint, coming back this year is fantastic. There’s a lot of talent on that roster,” said Meyerhoff.

While everyone is sad to see Meyerhoff leave, no one is more heartbroken than Meyerhoff himself. “[I want my athletes to remember] how much they meant to me, how much I cared. They were my family, they always will be… It still hurts not being there, and talking to them, and not seeing them,” said Meyerhoff.