Celebrating Women in Tennis: Joan Birkland, a Colorado Legend

Joan Birkland (November 17, 1928 - June 15, 2019) is widely considered one of Colorado's greatest all-around athletes, earning multiple titles in women's amateur tennis and golf championships at the city and state level. 

Following her retirement from competition, she served on numerous sports boards and became involved in sports education for disabled youth. And she's received many awards.  She's one of the most awarded golf and tennis players in the state.

She was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 1977, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 (just the fourth woman inducted at the time), the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1996, and the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001.

Joan ("Joanie") was born in Denver, Colorado to Dr. George Packard. The second of three girls, she grew up playing baseball, football, basketball and tennis with other children in nearby City Park. After graduating from East High School in 1946, Joanie got her first experience playing organized sports at the University of Colorado, where she played for an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team called the Denver Viners. She met her husband Ormand Birkland while at CU, they married in 1948.

Joanie began competing in tennis championships at the city and state level in the 1960s. She won the Denver amateur singles title in 1960, 1961, and 1965, and the Colorado state tennis title in 1960, 1962, and 1966. She won a total of six singles and 15 doubles titles in Colorado and Intermountain tennis tournaments.

In 1962 she accepted her friends' challenge to compete in both the state tennis and state golf championships in the same summer, and won both titles. She repeated this feat in 1966. Between 1960 and 1966 she won seven state golf championships. She also participated in the skiing and bowling teams at the Denver Country Club.

In recognition of her golfing ability, the Denver Country Club hosted a "Beat Joanie Day" at the end of each season for a six-year period. The challenge was open to any other member, but Birkland always won the match. She finished first in the club's golf tournaments for 30 consecutive years. 

Joanie gave generously back to her community in numerous ways. She was a golf instructor in the amputee program at Children's Hospital, a basketball teacher for children with asthma, and a bowling instructor for children with cerebral palsy. Joanie served two terms as chairman of the USGA Women's Committee, which oversees seven annual women's USGA tournaments. She was president of the Denver Tennis Club from 1991 to 1992. She has served on many sports boards of directors, including Pioneer Sportswomen at the University of Denver, Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, Hospice of Metro Denver, Institute of Health Education, Colorado Xplosion women's basketball team, and Girls in Golf. She also served on the board of directors of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

Above all, Joanie was an advocate for the advancement of girls and women in sport. In collaboration with the YWCA, and alongside a few friends, including fellow Colorado Tennis Hall of Famer Dorothy Mauk, Joanie helped create the Sportswomen of Colorado in 1974. Sportswomen of Colorado is recognized as the first community-based organization in the nation to solely honor female athletes, celebrate their achievements and recognize those whose efforts have advanced girls’ and women’s individual and team sports endeavors. With Joanie's guidance especially as Executive Director for 40 years, Sportswomen flourished. To date, more than 2,000 girls, women and supporters of Colorado girls and women in sports have been recognized.  

The Joan Birkland Pavilion at the Gates Tennis Center in Denver, headquarters of USTA Colorado, was named in her honor.