Ought You To Encourage A Child To Pursue An Interest In Playing Golf?
Author: Donald Saunders
Category: Sports
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With the worldwide popularity of golf today it is hardly surprising that an increasing number of kids are expressing an interest in taking up the game. But, this is not a cheap sport and parents are often worried that this could well be nothing more than a passing fad. How do you decide therefore whether you should encourage your child to follow an initial interest in the game?
This is a difficult question to answer and must to a large degree of course depend on your experience with your child. For example, if this is just another in an extensive line of interests which have quickly fizzled out then you could rightly feel unwilling to jump in with both feet. However, if the interest seems genuine then you ought to give your child encouragement and assist him at least far enough to see whether or not this is going to be something he is going stick with.
You ought to start by arranging for your child to have a short course of lessons to show him what the game is all about. It will also provide you with the opportunity to get an indication of your child's potential from a golf professional. This does not of course mean that you want to know whether your child is going to be the next Tiger Woods, but simply if he possesses the aptitude, temperament and outlook and hence the potential to master the game enough to get a true and lasting enjoyment from it.
If after this short course of lessons the golf professional is satisfied with what he has seen and your child is still as enthusiastic as he was when he started then it is time to get behind him and provide him with the support and encouragement needed to go forward. For instance, this is the time to buy him his first set of junior golf clubs and to make arrangements for further lessons so that he can get up and running under his own steam. This is also the time to help him to make friends with other children in the area who are also learning to play the game.
This is also the point at which you need to prepare yourself for what might prove to be a bumpy road and to understand that you will need to keep an eye on your child's progress and provide both assistance and encouragement where needed.
Golf is not an easy game to play and, unlike a lot of other sports, it requires less physical strength and more patience, mental agility, coordination and practice. However these are qualities that it can be difficult for a child to master and it is not, for instance, uncommon to see a youngster struggling because he is gaining the physical strength to hit the ball considerable distances but cannot seem to summon up the coordination necessary to get the ball to go in the direction he wants it to. It is at times such as these, and there will be a lot of them, that you have to be available to lend a helping hand.
One of the advantages of golf is that it is not only dependent upon fitness and physical strength and, for this reason, it is often seen as an ideal sport for kids who would not by nature turn to sports such as football or baseball.
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Keywords: children and golf, junior golf, learning golf, golf lessons, golf coaching
View Count: 152
Date Submitted: 11/18/2009
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