Plymouth State University

JOAN FORGE ('77): A three-sport athlete (gymnastics, nordic skiing and lacrosse) at Plymouth State, Forge has gone onto a highly-successful career as a high school teacher and coach. She had the most success as a Panther athlete in lacrosse, where she played four years and served as team captain her senior year in 1977.
Forge began her distinguished coaching career as head girls basketball and softball coach at Ashland High School from 1978-84, and has been the volleyball and softball coach at Gilford H.S. since 1985. She has compiled a 303-159 record in 25 years of softball coaching, winning a state championship in 1983 and finishing runner-up in 1984. She has led the Gilford volleyball team to a 225-51 record in 17 years, winning six state championships in the last seven years and advancing to the state finals nine times in the past 11 seasons.

An active member for many years in several New Hampshire Coaches Associations, Forge has received numerous honors and awards during her coaching career. She is a three-time volleyball Coach of the Year, and has earned softball Coach of the Year honors three times as well. She received the prestigious Walter Smith Coaches Award from the Manchester Union Leader in 1999, and she was inducted into the New Hampshire Interscholastic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001. She was also the co-founder of the Granite State Softball Classic and the Twin State (NH/VT) Softball Classic.