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 Junior Golf DevelopmentBy Brent Morrison As juniors begin to make the transition from playing a few rounds at their local course to playing competitively, it is well worth the time of the junior and his/her parents to ensure the young golfer is receiving the professional support to assist in obtaining reasonable, attainable goals. How do you find the best golf development program for your child? Think "PEG": Professionals, Environment, and Growth.
Professionals: What are the credentials of the golf instructors? Keep in mind the number of years a Professional has been teaching may not be as important as the kind of teaching he or she does (i.e. adult lessons, junior programs or a combination). Will there be one Professional teaching your child or is there an instructional team? If there is a set junior program in place, enquire as to the objectives of the program and consider how these intended outcomes will support the goals of your child. If playing collegiate golf is your child's objective, what experience does the instruction team have in training collegiate-bound athletes? It is appropriate for parents to observe initial training sessions (although juniors do not always look upon parental observations favourably). Also, ask how student progress is evaluated. In introductory junior programs, the evaluation process will be quite casual and based as much on student enjoyment of the game as on technique. However, for specialized programs, the assessment and evaluation process should be more comprehensive (i.e. video analysis and written evaluations).
Environment: Is your son or daughter training at a junior-friendly facility? How many junior members are there? Young golfers need the opportunity to play without heavy restrictions; generally the courses and clubs with a higher junior membership are the facilities that are most welcoming to young people. Ask if juniors participate in a weekly program or if there are more frequent opportunities for training during the week. Some parents prefer their children take private lessons in order to receive the full attention of the instructor. However, being a part of a junior group helps develop a common golf culture, which creates an emotionally safe environment for young golfers to accelerate their skills as well as make new friends. For girls beginning in golf, meeting other girls in an instruction program can make all the difference between playing occasionally and becoming a lifelong golfer. At the Brent Morrison Golf Academy, we maintain that junior golf is a team sport- this is equally if not more true at the collegiate golf level.
Growth: As juniors begin to play in competitive events, the concept of periodization can be introduced - optimizing students' abilities to peak at just the right time and avoid the burnout that comes from over-training. Students need to be encouraged to leave the comfort zone, exploring new ideas and practicing new techniques, but also need recovery time in order to maximize performance. An experienced golf coach will not only structure a program to optimize student learning, but will also recognize when individual students – even in a group program - have reached their limits, seeking to balance students' stress and recovery cycles. In addition to periodization, advanced golf programs for collegiate golf candidates should also address strength, cardio, flexibility, nutrition, mental game and post-secondary planning. Taking the golf coach or instructional team, junior-friendly environment and opportunities for future personal development into consideration will help parents and junior golfers best decide how to take the next step in preparing the junior for competitive play at the local zone level and beyond.
The Brent Morrison Golf Academy is located at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, 1025 Qualicum Road, Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 1M5. (250) 752-8786. For more information on instruction programs for adults and juniors, contact the Academy office. |
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