Golf Foundation Scotland are succeeding in tackling issues high on the Scottish Executive agenda – namely, encouraging more adults to train as community volunteers and more children to become more active.
Behind Jack McConnell’s pledge to introduce golf to every 9 year old in Scotland in 2009, Golf Foundation Scotland have assisted over 1000 volunteers, teachers and sports coaches to introduce golf to young people over the past two years. In that period of time, over 30,000 young people have attended a Golf Foundation supported scheme in Scotland.
Golf Foundation Scotland has worked with a diverse range of organisations to encourage more young people into golf through the Tri-Golf Activators and Junior Golf Leaders workshops. These include the Boys Brigade, Rotary International, the Girl Guiding Association and over 500 schools in Scotland.
The workshops help teachers and volunteers make a young person’s introduction to golf fun, active and enjoyable so that they will want to continue with the game. Linked to the popular Junior Golf Passport, junior golf leaders are given a structured programme to follow while the juniors themselves are given fun games and challenges to work towards.
Leaders who wish to offer more technical instruction can then attend a PGA level 1 coaching course. Significantly, level 1 coaches have found the Junior Golf Passport to be an important motivational tool for their juniors. David McKegny, a level 1 coach in Glasgow said, “”The Junior Golf Passport compliments the level 1 syllabus and is a great way of making the instruction fun and inspiring for the youngsters. With cards and certificates at each level, the children really enjoy their introduction to golf.”
Commenting on behalf of Golf Foundation Scotland, development manager Brendon Pyle, said, “Usually in cooperation with the local PGA professional, the Golf Foundation works towards helping adult volunteers make a young person’s introduction to golf fun and intrinsically rewarding. The programmes focus on games and activities, getting away from the traditional approach of children hitting a bucket of balls on a range for an hour, and provide variety and stimulation so that the children want to progress.”
For further information about the Golf Foundation Leadership Network or Junior Golf Passport, please contact Brendon Pyle on 07765 258330.
Golf Foundation www.golf-foundation.org
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