What, exactly? Recently I saw what was presumably a young kid’s father breathing down his own son’s neck on a practice green; the poor little bloke with tears in his eyes as this uneducated technical jargon was being snarled his way. Multiple times this boy, who would have been 13 at the absolute oldest, had said he wanted to go home. It was dark, cold and not to mention a school night. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen similar behaviour and I’m sure I’m not alone; chances are you have too.
It likely won’t be the last time I see it, but it meant it was time for this scribe to put pen to paper and send out a friendly reminder of what we need to be teaching when it comes to kids’ golf. Well, kids’ sport in general.
This column isn’t here to preach or tell anybody to not teach their sons or daughters how to play, offer them swing advice, or how to go out and practice. That is all great stuff. The constant drilling and negativity in how adults pass on this knowledge is the issue. You aren’t teaching them discipline. You are teaching disdain.
I am not a parent, but I am guessing the agenda behind forcing kids to be good at golf is due to a fantasy of parents “making it” in sport through their offspring.
“How about we stop focusing on trying to artificially construct the next Scottie Scheffler or Nelly Korda. Let’s offer an environment where kids can create bonds and love what they are doing. They will thank you for it in the long run.”
I have seen this time and time again; boys like those who I played junior sport with are drilled like mules to be the best (and yes, growing up, they usually were) getting to the age of 19 and throwing the towel in. They end up hating the sport they started playing out of love. Just because it worked when Earl Woods was doing it to Tiger, doesn’t mean it will work for you.
The general reminder I would like to offer is to remember who we are dealing with at the end of the day. Children.
Golf is a game for life, a game to enjoy with your kids and grandkids. If we teach them to love what they are doing, chances are they will never stop playing and will pass that love on to the next generation, and as a bonus, they might also be pretty good at it. If they aren’t, who cares?
Whether going down for 18 holes, nine holes, three holes or even a putting contest and an ice cream in the clubhouse, when getting kids down to the golf course, create a sanctum where they enjoy spending time with you, their mates or even time on their own. It can be such a special place to form a unique bond with the people you love most.
If you are someone who wants their son or daughter to have a career playing golf, chances are the golf course is a special place for them to go to because of the experiences they have shared with their mother, father, grandparents, caretaker, whoever it may be. Trust me, they are more of a sniff at sticking with it than the kid getting swatted with alignment sticks.
How about we stop focusing on trying to artificially construct the next Scottie Scheffler or Nelly Korda. Let’s offer an environment where kids can create bonds and love what they are doing. They will thank you for it in the long run.
