The England Golf Partnership (EGP) has been short-listed for a top award for a coaching programme which involves around 2,000 talented young golfers across the country.
The EGP’s County Academy Programme (CAP) will be in the spotlight at the finals of the UK Coaching Awards 2013 next Tuesday (3rd December) when it is one of three contenders for the ‘coaching intervention of the year’ award.
The programme is run through the national network of County Golf Partnerships, which grow the game at grass roots level, and it offers coaching to youngsters with the potential to move into county age group squads – and beyond.
It embodies the ‘Right Coach Right Place Right Time’ strategy of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) and, over the past five years, this approach has helped to increase the number of youngsters involved from 700 to 2000.
The coaching workforce – currently 360 PGA professionals and 140 qualified volunteers – has been supported and developed to meet the needs of the players and to both widen the base of the England talent pathway and to create lifelong golfers.
Jonathan Wright, the PGA’s Coach Education and Development Manager (England), said: “This approach has allowed CAPs to increase the opportunity for young players to be involved with an England golf talent programme for the first time.”
He added: “CAP has provided a legacy that encourages professional, assistant and volunteer coaches to communicate and work with each other to develop their skills to meet the wants and needs of the players.”
The strategy has created a well-supported workforce of more appropriately qualified and skilled coaches, involved more women volunteers and is continually monitored for improvements. Achievements include more players:
- reducing their handicaps
- becoming new club members
- aspiring to continue up the talent pathway
- see themselves as lifelong golfers
The EGP’s County Academy Programme will be challenged for the coaching intervention award by StreetGames UK and by the Welsh Football Trust.
The EGP brings together the amateur governing body, England Golf, and the PGA to grow the game with the support of the Golf Foundation and Sport England National Lottery funding.
England Golf Partnership www.englandgolfpartnership.com