Jan. 15, 2010

DeKALB - Northern Illinois women's golf coach Pam Tyska was named the Illinois Site Coordinator of the Year by the Kids Golf Foundation, honoring her continued commitment to helping young people learn the game.

"I am pleased and honored to be a recipient of this award," Tyska said.

Tyska has been coordinating with Hook-a-Kid on Golf for more than five years, and the program has become an important part of her Northern Illinois golf team.

"Our Hook-a-Kid on Golf programs have become a part of our team culture," Tyska said.

Tyska was also instrumental in coordinating the NIU women's golf team's participation in the LPGA/Solheim Ronald McDonald House Junior Golf Clinic. As the clinic coordinator, Tyska oversaw a program that invited 250 children to receive instruction from 15 of the top LPGA teachers in the country.

Northern Illinois' 24th-year head coach, Tyska is one of three Site Coordinator of the Year winners. She joins Gene Petty and Roger McChristian of the Peoria Park District. Kids Golf Foundation Director Holly Alcala said the difficulty in picking just one winner is a positive for the game of golf.

"It is more difficult each year to select just one winner because the bar is being raised in quality of the people and the programs," Alcala said.

Tyska and the Northern Illinois women's golf team saw a successful fall season that included a first place finish at the NIU Huskie Classic. The NIU spring season tees off Mar. 10 at the NIU Snowbird Invitational in Tampla, Fla.