While many people in the region were missing school, work or meetings because of the recent snow and ice, teachers from middle and secondary schools in North Yorkshire braved these ‘Xtreme‘ weather conditions to learn about the Golf Foundation’s Golf Xtreme initiative.
Golf Xtreme helps 11-16 year-olds get into golf through exciting, informal golf games in the school setting. Golf Xtreme is easy, safe and fun to play and is a first stepping stone towards playing golf into adulthood.
The 20 teachers and volunteers from the Settle area appreciated playing both the educational and hectic relay-style games that Golf Xtreme offers, as they braved the Arctic conditions on the school field.
The four schools are part of the Craven and Airville School Sport Partnership, which is working with leading golf charity the Golf Foundation to introduce children from ages 5-16 to golf. This is achieved first in the school setting using Golf Xtreme and, for younger children, Tri-Golf. Both games are designed to give youngsters who have not considered golf before the chance to enjoy their first golf shots and learn some of the benefits that golf has to offer everyone, regardless of ability.
Following this recent workshop, Golf Xtreme is now set to become a regular feature of PE sessions and after-school clubs. The schools are now also linked to two local golf clubs, Settle and Bentham, creating a player pathway to the golf club environment, where children can develop their golf further using the Golf Foundation’s recognised learning programme the Junior Golf Passport. PGA professionals from both clubs have been organising five-week blocks of coaching for youngsters.
“It might have been the start of January, and the weather absolutely freezing, but I was delighted with how enthusiastic all the teachers were in learning how to deliver Golf Xtreme,” said John Wood, regional development officer for the Golf Foundation.
“The way the schools and the golf clubs are working together in this area is tremendous and reflects what the Golf Foundation is working to achieve all over the country.”
In support of the national golf partnerships of England, Scotland and Wales, the Golf Foundation is working with more than 300 local school sport partnerships to increase the number of youngsters enjoying the game, and forging ever stronger links between schools and golf clubs and driving ranges.
The Golf Foundation’s team of Regional Development Officers trained a total of 4,451 volunteers, sports leaders, coaches and teachers to deliver Tri-Golf and Golf Xtreme in schools in 2007; just under 3,000 of this total were teachers.
Following her freezing Golf Xtreme session, Craven and Airville Partnership Development Manager Rebecca Waters said, “This was the best PE workshop we‘ve been to of this type and we now look forward to taking Golf Xtreme into our schools in the Settle area and continuing to work closely with Settle and Bentham Golf Clubs.”
Golf Foundation www.golf-foundation.org