Jami Anderson is fully aware of the possibilities for girls who decide to play high school golf.

When she was still Jami Pawlowski, the 1995 St. John High School graduate was so committed to seeing what she could do in the sport that she joined the Heralds’ boys team and earned three varsity letters. She also played basketball and softball for the Herald girls.

Heading off to the University of Toledo to pursue a degree in finance, Pawlowski couldn’t believe the good fortune on her arrival there, because the Rocket athletic department began a women’s golf team her freshman year. She walked on that first season, but showed so much prowess that she was quickly put on scholarship, where she stayed for the remainder of her four years at Toledo before her graduation in 1999.

For the past several seasons, since her return to Ashtabula and marriage to 1994 St. John alumnus Will Anderson in 2000, she has worked as an assistant coach for Nick Iarocci’s SS. John and Paul girls basketball team. But, in the back of her mind, the idea of starting a girls golf team at the school existed.

“I wanted to see if the interest was there,” Anderson, the daughter of Jeff and Lori Pawlowski of Ashtabula and Jim Feralo, said. “I was really surprised and pleased when we put the idea out there.

“I had talked to a couple of girls at the end of the basketball season about it. I knew they had played with the boys team before this. I wanted to see if the school was interested and what the response would be.

“Nine girls at the high school said they were interested,” Anderson said. “I think we have a couple girls at the junior high who are interested, too. I went to (athletic director Dave) Rozzo about it and he said we would do it. We got it approved just in time to get it on the schedule for the OHSAA.”

It might have been considered a risky decision to start another girls program in the fall at SJP, where enrollment is diminishing and volleyball rules, but those factors appear to have been cleared.

“I know volleyball is the fall sport at St. John, but we’ve found there is no conflict,” Anderson said.

The two experienced players Anderson will have on her roster are juniors Nicole Gallo and Nicole Tolbert. Other members of the squad figure to be seniors Octavia Benedict and Liz Shouvlin, junior Amanda Reed, sophomores Jenna Wayman and Ciara Johnson and freshmen Jennifer and Nicole Giangola.

“We’re fortunate to have the two experienced players,” Anderson said. “The rest of the girls are brand new.”

They will be playing their home matches at Harbor Golf Club. Many of the girls have memberships there and have also engaged in clinics and time on the practice range.

“(Harbor Golf Club pro) Chuck Webb has been great to us,” Anderson, who is the mother of Morgan, 5, and William, 11⁄2, said. “The girls have benefited from free practice balls on the range and have taken private lessons. We’ve talked over things like knowing the rules and golf etiquette, too.”

Anderson believes her girls are already beginning to see the benefits of the sport.

“I’ve tried to sell them on the idea of golf as a lifetime sport,” the 31-year-old stay-at-home mother said. “There’s a lot of money out there to be had in college golf. If you’re really good, there’s always the possibility of professional golf.