{"id":41,"date":"2010-09-26T22:59:01","date_gmt":"2010-09-26T22:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/janinajacobs.com\/?p=41"},"modified":"2010-09-26T22:59:01","modified_gmt":"2010-09-26T22:59:01","slug":"not-your-1964-junior-golf-program-any-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/golf\/instruction\/41\/not-your-1964-junior-golf-program-any-more","title":{"rendered":"Not Your 1964 Junior Golf Program Any More"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a foggy May morning in 1964, a group of 8 and 9 year olds trudged toward a makeshift practice area near the first tee at Palmer Park GC in Detroit.\u00a0 Armed with a couple of hand-me-down clubs, the kids stood on white-limed spots and listened as golf professional Chris Williams introduced the first, yet most important, lesson of the game:\u00a0 Etiquette.\u00a0 Five sessions later, with rudimentary playing skills, two more months of summer, and a pink golf card allowing weekday 9-hole rounds for 25 cents, they let us loose into the world.\u00a0\u00a0 No one anticipated golf stardom but we did expect to meet friends and have fun playing the game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Indoor mentoring session and rules discussion 'on the mat' with the kids from Total Golf Adventures<\/p><\/div>\n

Today the focus of junior golf has evolved.\u00a0 Scores of youngsters are swarming to programs that\u00a0graduates of the Detroit Free Press Junior Golf Schools of the 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s and other junior programs around the U.S. wouldn\u2019t recognize.\u00a0 Swing gurus, psychological coaches, strength-training, fitness regimens, and high tech equipment are creating junior players capable of competing far beyond their years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But is it better?\u00a0 Prior to teeing off at a Golf Association of Michigan\u00a0Women\u2019s Championship, some college girls discussed how relieved they\u2019d be when the event was finished so they could stash their clubs forever.\u00a0 With golf participation numbers flat-lining, is it an indication that perhaps the overpowering emphasis on tournament competition is burning kids out too early?\u00a0\u00a0 Intensive training has revolutionized a generation of junior golf schools, but somewhere along this path, the joy disappeared.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fortunately, it\u2019s beginning to resurface.\u00a0 Programs are sprouting up which focus on golf as a means toward absorbing life lessons and actually having fun.\u00a0\u00a0 One of the newest offerings is California-based Total Golf Adventures (TGA) whose mission is to provide access to golf while building life values, instilling confidence, and making the game both enjoyable and educational.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

While some compare this effort to the PGA\u2019s First Tee, TGA brings the completely portable series to schools and community centers, solving the transportation problem most kids face getting to the distant sites of other programs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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"I can't believe I missed!"<\/p><\/div>\n

Developed by education specialists, TGA provides Pre-K \u2013 8th<\/sup> graders a chance to learn golf in a safe and fun environment.\u00a0 Five teaching objectives are to Engage, Educate, Enhance, Embrace, and Empower.\u00a0 Each one-hour weekly session begins by \u2018Engaging\u2019 students to shake hands thus initiating the social aspect of golf, then moves on to stretching exercises illustrating the importance of physical fitness.\u00a0 The other \u2018E\u2019s supply everything from learning skills to character development enabling success both on and off the course.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Former Detroit Free Press Deputy Managing Editor Dave Robinson operates TGA franchises in metropolitan Detroit.\u00a0 An avid golfer with great passion for the game, Robinson always enjoyed coaching his kids\u2019 sports teams and working with budding journalists.\u00a0 \u201cGolf is not just a sport but a valuable lifelong experience.\u00a0 The TGA curriculum is perfect for exposing youngsters to a sport they can play the rest of their lives \u2013 with their children.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Program costs are parent funded, though scholarships are available.\u00a0 Costs range from $99 \u2013 119 for 6 weeks and include all equipment, program materials and class awards of caps, T-shirts, golf balls, bag tags, USGA Rules of Golf books, etc. celebrating each of 5 color levels of achievement.\u00a0 Five-day summer camps are $349 with sibling or 2nd<\/sup> week rates of $299.\u00a0 More information is available at their website, www.golftga.com\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2008, the Michigan Women\u2019s Golf Association (MWGA) partnered with the USGA, LPGA, the Rhonda Walker Foundation and the U.S. Navy Regional Recruiting District Michigan\/Indiana (NRD-MI) to create an inexpensive junior Girls\u2019 Golf Program offering mentoring and nutritional information as well as golf instruction.\u00a0 Over 45 girls attended this inaugural 6-week program at the\u00a0Learning Center at Belle Isle, a unique island which lies in the Detroit River\u00a0between Detroit and Canada just before the River empties into Lake St. Clair.\u00a0 The program concluded with a picnic hosted by NRD Michigan featuring only foods that were healthy \u2013 not the usual hot dog, chips and a pop.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under the guidance of LPGA professional Julia Baldwin and volunteers from MWGA, the girls learned etiquette, fundamentals of golf and course management.\u00a0 Golf readiness requires both physical fitness and nutritional health but few programs emphasize proper eating habits.\u00a0 Obesity, diabetes, and other ills are at epidemic proportions everywhere in the\u00a0U.S. but\u00a0especially so\u00a0in urban and minority areas.\u00a0 A Navy sponsored nutritional initiative added a welcome twist by including brief dietary presentations, informational handouts for parents, and specially selected snacks for energy and performance.\u00a0 The girls quickly began policing themselves, chastising anyone who showed up for class munching on Doritos or soft drinks.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This summer, NRD MI supported the Girls Golf Program by once again sponsoring nutritious snacks and sending both male and female personnel to mentor the girls.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Rear Admiral Craig Faller (back row, center) and NRD MI mentors with the MWGA\/USGA\/LPGA Girls Golf Program at Dearborn Hills GC, Dearborn Michigan<\/p><\/div>\n

On July 20, 2010, the final outing of this year’s program was held at Dearborn Hills Golf Club in Dearborn, Michigan, home of the Ford Motor Company.\u00a0 Over forty girls, their parents and MWGA mentors played in a 9-hole scramble so the girls could experience an on-course ‘official’ round in which the Rules of Golf and proper etiquette would be put into perspective.\u00a0 After completion of play, the group received a special surprise:\u00a0 Commanding Officer of the U.S. Navy’s Recruiting Command and Rear Admiral Craig S. Faller was in Detroit for a brief visit and stopped in to speak\u00a0with the girls and to present awards for the tournament.\u00a0 Admiral Faller got his own surprise when, upon his introduction, everyone in the room stood up straight and tall and shouted ‘Good afternoon, Sir!!’\u00a0 The Admiral was also\u00a0 impressed with questions from the girls, which ranged from ‘Why don’t you have all those medals on – like the other Navy people (the Petty Officers)?’ to ‘Can girls do anything in the Navy?’\u00a0 He expressed the major role education plays in following any career path, with health and fitness vitally important as well.\u00a0\u00a0 Ultimately, the lesson of the day was that a segment of the population normally ignored – urban African American\u00a0 pre-teen and teen underprivileged girls – learned that they mattered…….<\/em>enough for the Admiral to amend his schedule to make that detour.\u00a0\u00a0 Plans are in the works to continue these Navy-sponsored initiatives.\u00a0 Contact www.mwgolf.org<\/a> for more information.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Traverse City (Michigan)\u00a0Junior Golf Association (www.tcjga.com<\/a>) has a knack for getting kids interested in the game at an early age and keeping them.\u00a0 Founded 27 years ago, Executive Director Bob Lober remains energized.\u00a0 \u201cOur emphasis is to introduce these kids to golf in a non-threatening way.\u00a0 \u2018Life Skills through Golf\u2019 teaches honesty, integrity, respect, confidence and good sportsmanship.\u201d\u00a0 Since 1984, thousands of kids ages 5 to 21 have experienced innovative methods of being nudged into the game\u2026\u2026gently.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t hard and fast with the USGA Rulebook at the Beginner level.\u00a0 The 7\/4 Rule (pick up after 7 strokes\/4 putts) helps kids save face.\u00a0 Because of this and other program management techniques, 90% of our kids move on to the next phase.\u201d\u00a0 Lober\u2019s assistants are educators, coaches and golf professionals who understand how to motivate.\u00a0\u00a0 Parents are encouraged to help but will be moved out if they become \u2018too active\u2019 or interfere.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Given the support of this community, Lober turns no one away.\u00a0\u00a0 With annual numbers topping 400, kids from everywhere are welcome.\u00a0 Over 2500 have participated in the \u2018In-School\u2019 golf program.\u00a0 In 2009, 14 states were represented, thanks to the area\u2019s status as a revered summer golf destination.\u00a0 Through the years, the number of girls joining the TCJGA has increased to 20%.\u00a0 Added Lober, \u201cI get as much satisfaction, if not more, coaching girls than boys.\u00a0 I thoroughly enjoy watching how far they move with the game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also quite familiar with the northern junior golf climate, Lois \u2018The Sarge\u2019 McManus has coached golf teams at Traverse City Central H.S. for 15 years and her teams are like family \u2013 with all the prerequisite experiences. \u00a0While traveling with her girls\u2019 team, it is not uncommon for golf practice and competition to transition into shopping excursions, moviegoing, playing games, and teammates assisting each other with homework in math, language, and sciences.\u00a0 She says, \u201cGolf helps the girls understand that while they compete and live as individuals, they are still a team, both dependent and independent simultaneously.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Coaching both the girls\u2019 and boys\u2019 teams has given McManus insight into differences between how each gender prepares for golf.\u00a0 \u201cThe girls are definitely more social and are happy to end practice early so we can discuss strategy, rules, and other issues.\u00a0 The boys are more physical and want to lambast drives into oblivion; they initiate competitions among themselves and will practice until dark, given the opportunity.\u00a0 However, the girls multi-task better and perform finesse shots with each club. Their sessions are shorter but more complex\u2026they\u2019ll practice without being told.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the LPGA circuit, it is no secret that the professional women golfers from Asia are strengthening the Tour.\u00a0 The fact is, junior golfers are trained differently in eastern cultures.\u00a0 \u201cNearly everyone is freely given at birth a wonderful vehicle, the human body, \u201c says Peter Daetwiler, author of \u2018The Secret of the Inner Swing\u2019. \u201cOnce you learn the skill of spherical rotation and how to use it properly, you will have unlimited energy and you won\u2019t get tired. The martial art of Qi-Gong teaches complex mental and motor skills required to focus your Qi, moving from your center.\u00a0 In the East, people learn Qi-Gong as a basic facet of the culture\u2026\u2026to meditate and go within from a young age.\u00a0 In the West, we aren\u2019t usually taught this so we never learn to run the body that should get better with age.\u00a0 Because we never shift all our elements and forces toward proper balance and moving effortlessly, we never get the boosts of energy and learn what we are really capable of.\u00a0 To know our capabilities gives us the strength to move into higher levels.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

One concept under the radar of those looking for junior golf alternatives:\u00a0 caddying.\u00a0 Not necessarily a bona fide junior program, it is nonetheless a vehicle for youngsters to learn about life through golf.\u00a0 With the added benefits of earning money and being in business for yourself, caddying provides everything golf teaches:\u00a0 character study and appreciation, fairness, discipline, hard work, reward for good performance, fresh air and exercise, networking, interaction with people of various ages and backgrounds.\u00a0 And, you get to play golf on some of the finest courses for free, which doesn\u2019t necessarily beat having a 25-cent pink golf card.\u00a0<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Teaching juniors how to play golf is a good thing for many reasons; but is learning by total immersion burning kids out too early?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,9],"tags":[3459,3460],"class_list":["post-41","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-instruction","category-golf","tag-junior-golf-should-be-fun","tag-not-work"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2010\/04\/A-Position-Pic-TGA-Kirby.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":389,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41\/revisions\/389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/janinajacobs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}