Junior golf is an excellent way to teach youth from various socioeconomic backgrounds, races and gender, how to develop into fair, honest, and confident individuals. The nine core values of junior golf: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment, can help a kid or teen new to the sport, learn how to be better at the game and better in life. This is because the core values help youth transition from on the field to off, becoming well-rounded individuals. The case sought to discover if the nine core values of junior golf had a positive impact on the lives of youth participating in the junior golf program. This was done through asking questions and seeing if their answers matched up the core beliefs instilled in the program.
The reason this case was selected for analysis is because it enabled exploration of various aspects of sport and learning as well as the kind of impact sports had on youth. So many children do not have access to golf as a sport because it is an expensive sport to play. However, the PJGA Junior Golf Clinic and the South Carolina Junior Golf Association aimed to allow more kids from different backgrounds play and participate in the junior golf program. Many schools offer sports as an after-school activity. Kids and teens practice and develop their skills as they learn to work towards a collective goal and socialize with each other.
Golf is a little different than other sports. It involves keeping score, open communication, and playing an honest, fair game. Unlike other sports that involve being in a team, golf is more individual, where players compete with each other. By doing so, they learn what it takes to compete and win. Winning instill confidence. However, losing also teaches a valuable lesson. It teaches drive, determination, and good sportsmanship. Youth from varied or disadvantaged backgrounds are not often taught these values in their home or on the street. They learn negative behaviors and then carry those behaviors into adulthood. Junior golf gives them a chance to learn differently and perhaps grow into better individuals.
The clientele of the South Carolina Junior Golf Association vary. They include youth of different age groups. There is a grant funded 'Cubs 4 Kids' program that enables children to learn golf. They even have an option for individuals to request a golf club to play with. The association has another program, 'Golf in Schools' where program participants are given one to several days of golf practice at no cost for the program participant or the school.
'Golf in Schools' allows introductions to golf to take place while students have PE. The students are given a brief history of golf, and knowledge on all of the equipment, as well as what safety precautions to take when playing the sport. Some basic guidelines like alignment, posture, full swing, and grip are taught. At the end of students are permitted to use the equipment and practice what they learned during the lesson.
Equipment is left behind after each visit so kids interested in the sport may use the equipment and continue learning. The Carolinas Golf Association and the Dustin Johnson Foundation provided grants for the program to exist and continue today. The equipment used during the sessions is SNAG equipment which refers to starter equipment that comes in colorful colors and is relatively inexpensive. The program can last up to five days.
The first day instructors teach students about putting. The second day is chipping. The third day is pitching. The fourth day is full swing practice utilizing the SNAG equipment. The final day allows students to practice full swing using real golf equipment.
During and after each lesson, every technique is demonstrated and explained followed by a brief discussion on etiquette and safety. When the lessons are over, the students are put into smaller groups and permitted to practice everything learned. The people working in the program go to schools where there are disadvantaged student populations. They work closely with young girls and boys of black and Hispanic backgrounds, giving them access to a sport they otherwise would never be exposed to.
Because this population experiences difficulties gaining exposure to worthwhile physical activities like golf, chances like these present a great opportunity for these underserved youth to gain new skills and involve themselves in a sport that promotes honesty, fairness, and good sportsmanship. This program has been around for quite some time and has reached several schools and students in the...
The fact that equipment is left behind at no cost to the school allows students exposed to the program to continue practicing. This program continually serves youths from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and provides access to both genders with many students coming from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
There is another group that meets regularly, participating in weekly junior clinics and tournaments. They are part of the Piedmont Junior Golf Association. Here is where the case study gained information on whether or not the junior players gained appropriate social, life, and leadership skills that comprise the main argument for having sports in school and exposing youth to sports. The PJGA teaches all 9 core values as well as social skills. The questions used in the case study test players on what knowledge they absorbed from the lessons.
Although there are more than one programs offered for children, the PGJA allows examination of students learning golf on a regular basis. The other programs offered a brief look into how golf can come to populations that are underserved or do not regularly have access to golf. They serve to show what golf is capable of achieving if made accessible to all youth.
The PGJA aims to give kids and teens access to golf. They aim to do this through the various aforementioned programs. The kids program teaches children how to play golf, even giving clubs free of charge to individuals that request one. The 'Golf in Schools' program offers quality instruction to underserved youth in various schools and continues to do so, teaching students for up to five days the basics of golf and leaving behind SNAG equipment for future use. The PGJA program where junior golfers practice and compete weekly provide the most exposure to golf and instills in those that participate the core values of golf.
The weekly tournament style program is called the Hootie & the Blowfish Junior Golf Series. Each summer kids ages 7-18 have a chance to join the weekly tournament schedule that enables youth to learn about the Rules of Golf, develop tournament skills, and build strong lasting friendships with the other junior members. The program welcomes all skills and has lasted for over fifteen years. It gives children both boys and girls from as young as 7 to as old as 18 a chance to compete and win.
However, that is not all, they also learn what it takes to play golf and how to socialize with each other. The program is engaging and relays all the core values that golf is all about. The act of winning and moving on to the next round instill in the winner confidence. Those that lose learn determination. Everything moves towards the goal of developing positive life skills that can then be taken off the field.
Although the program is only for the summer, it provides real world golf exposure. Programs like these enable growth of youth and inspire them to continue their goals with support from the program directors and their peers. Although program participants are competitive they communicate well and cheer for each other, demonstrating a cooperative aspect of golf. The Rules of Golf are especially emphasized. They provide the core structure of the game.
How might the agency/organization strengthen its ability to respond to such cases?
The organization already had a program in place that goes out to different schools to teach underserved youth for five days. However, this can be expanded more. If they gain more funding, they can open up a summer program for two weeks where the children from schools in lower socioeconomic areas can come and participate. Five days does not seem enough for students to truly learn golf. If the program gives them the option of using the equipment for longer periods of time, and for more than one hour, it will greatly help the program participants not just learn the basics of golf, but also the social and moralistic aspects of golf.
Golf participants playing in the already established summer long program demonstrated remarkable growth while participating. If this can be translated to a lesser extent on the 'Golf in Schools' program or create an extension of it, this may be able to better serve those youths in areas where golf is not prominent and do not have as many outdoor activities. Another aspect that could strengthen the organization's ability to respond to such cases is creating studies that show the results of the programs and researching best sports practices.
By comparing and analyzing data of other similar sports programs, the organization can develop…
