“Fun” is the word Mark Chicone, coach of JV Girls Golf, would use to describe the entire 2025 team. The team, made up of 14 players, agrees.

Chicone understands the importance of having fun while playing a sport. He said, “Fun has to matter to them. They have to enjoy it and want to improve. When you are in that atmosphere, you are getting better. You want to be there and want to get better.” He said this team has been one of the best he has ever coached because everyone is focused on improving, which made the scores this year markedly better.

The fun began with a team bonding experience at the beginning of the season. Junior Lily Mitchell hosted the event. Everyone colored golf balls, and then the next week they went out and played with their decorated supplies. Events like these create a sense of belonging where no one is ever left out. 

Chicone also stressed the importance of community because even though golf is a sport geared toward individuals, there is still a team score. Chicone said, “You have to work hard for those counting on you. Everyone on the team understands you can’t get your head down. You have to keep going because it’s not just you who will lose. That’s when we pick each other up. Some people are going to have a bad shot, a bad round, and a bad season. You just have to make sure that they know there is a community behind them ready to pick them up.” 

Thanks to Chicone and to team leaders fostering such a community, the other members saw the value in it. Junior Mitchell said, “The community around the team is huge. For three and a half months, we spent every weekday together either at match play or practice. Everyone lifts each other up, no matter what shot they just hit or how good they did yesterday. Everyone is happy to be playing.”

Chicone said he has been golfing since he was 12 years old and loves the sport. He originally started coaching golf by accident when they asked him to take over for the other golf coach at his old school. Then he came to Mentor, and now he works with James Hrusovsky, coach of the varsity squad.

There were 14 girls on the golf team, which was split into 3 levels.  Varsity has six players. Senior Nina Mahony won the Greater Cleveland Conference (GCC) player of the month for September. Juniors include Lily Mitchel, Clara Kaim, and Lily Walker, who won player of the week for shooting her best, a 95, in a GCC tournament. Rounding out the varsity team are sophomores Michelle Dems and Ashley Bitner. 

The junior varsity team is made up of juniors Yaprak Yilmaz, Niyati Patel, Hannah Marino, and  Mihita Patel; sophomore Michelle Daniels; and freshman Kacey Mayer.

Lillian Nichols and Maddie Reed make up the practice team.

The team finished 14th in the sectional tournament this year, which is the biggest improvement of all.