PARENT INFORMATION

From the parent's view, junior golf is an activity that offers many positive values that just are not available from other sports or activities. The basic premise must be accepted that parents want to direct, influence, support, and encourage their children to achieve the highest social, vocational, educational and financial goals possible in their adult life. These can be achieved, along with help from the child, by considering the options available, the interest of the child, and the personal and economic resources to be committed.

Golf is first a sport of integrity and honesty. There are no referees or judges to control the game. The rules and etiquette are consistent and expected to be known and honored. The game of golf does not include Dennis Rodmans, attacks on coaches, spitting at umpires and other players, drug testing, and physical fighting. It is a game of respect. It is an activity that parents naturally identify as one providing a set of standards and morals applicable for life-time achievement for their youngsters. In addition, parents see junior golf providing social relations and structures including positive, respected role-models, manners and temperament experience with their playing peers, emotional control in a variety of situations, acceptance of the personal responsibility of victory or defeat, and a strong sense of the importance of education (and possibly a college scholarship).

All this encourages parents to enthusiastically support golf as an activity for their children in many ways. Initially playing golf requires an investment of equipment, instruction on the utilization of this equipment, as well as, an understanding of the rules and etiquette of the game. Then, the playing of the game itself which requires many dollars, much time, continued involvement, and constant encouragement from the parents. In almost all instances we find that this support is readily provided by the parents to the youngsters willing to do their part - to learn, practice, play, and respect the game.

From the youngsters view, golf can provide many special experiences. They can play the game at the level they choose with the people they want. They learn to handle the lonely and frustrating feeling of losing with no one to blame except themselves. On the other hand, they get to experience and enjoy the great euphoria of winning, knowing they did it by themselves without teammates, coaches, or referees sharing in the victory.

 

The current emergence of junior golf and the many young people joining the game, however, can be traced to one important and undeniable factor - in today's young people's world golf is cool - it is accepted and respected by their peers. Maybe Tiger made it that way, maybe seeing so many young men and women winning on the PGA and LPGA Tours contributed, maybe the disgust with the actions of other professional sports 'role-models' made it happen. But it has happened everywhere you look. Young people are taking up the game of golf in record numbers and golf will be the real winner for this.