Junior development in the game of golf......................A much written about subject with a lot of various opinions out there as to how is best to nurture the future of the game whether it be to develop the new Rory McIlroy or simply enjoy the game of golf to the best of their ability, helping them socially and physically in the long term.
I have heard and seen many parents almost desperately wanting their children to be the next 'big thing' for many a reason, but especially to enhance their pension pot! This can lead to only negative effects, including 'pushy parents', children rebelling, falling out of love with the game, pressure....... the list goes on in the quest of leading their little ones to the summit of the game when, realistically, the chance of that happening, no matter how much talent the child has, is less than winning the lottery twice in a lifetime (in other words, the odds are stacked against).
Kids have to learn to love the game, that's the bottom line, and they enjoy the game by not being pressured but by having fun, very little technical input and having very few rules, far fewer than the R and A 'bible' prints out. All that will come with their experience and development but they will never experience that if they don't love the game and give up before they turn into teenagers.
The children of the future need not one sport to play, not two sports, they need a wide range of sports to be able to play. Research has shown that development stems from not just playing and dedicating themselves to one sport, development and improvement and enjoyment come from participation in a range of sports, not just spending 6 hours a day bashing balls on the driving range.
There is plenty of reading on this subject, especially from PGA Professional Adrian Cafaro, who has written a great thesis on talent development and this link from the Titleist Performance Institute:
http://www.mytpi.com/articles/juniors/more_sports_better_development
I run Junior classes every weekend involving children, developing their skills and, most importantly, we have fun. Please contact me to sign your child up, whether they are a complete beginner or an already experienced player.