Junior Golf: More Help For Parents

In this Wednesday Waggle we will learn about an exciting new website that offers more help for parents. All of us want to do a better job of raising our kids and this website has excellent information.
I’m referring to Linda’s relaunched site http://www.livepowerfullynow.org. It went live yesterday and the response has been wonderful! (Dufner image golfdigest.com)
What does it offer the parents of junior golfers and all parents for that matter? In just the Parenting section of the site there are: Your Parenting Toolbox, Parent Coaching, Parenting Awesome Kids and Parenting Junior Golfers, a wealth of helpful information for every Mom and Dad.
Sign up for Linda’s newsletter and receive 2 valuable freebies: Stress-Free Holidays, A Matter of Choice! And A Quick-Tip Guide into Your Child’s Personality. Great stuff, tips and insights you can use immediately!
In addition to the Parenting Section, you’ll find Personal Growth, Spiritual Growth, Healthy Relationships, T-Wow Conference, Media and much much more. Check it out right now and be sure to sign up for Linda’s newsletter. Being a good parent is tough and http://www.livepowerfullynow.org and http://www.parentingjuniorgolfers.com work together to provide top quality input that parents can put into action right now!
See you on #1 tee with great support from your parents… Sam

Junior Golf: Recognition For Achievement

In today’s Wednesday Waggle we will take a look at how Dad and Mom should respond when your daughter has a good result from some of her efforts. Depending on her personality type the perfect parental response can vary, but all 4 personalities can be addressed in a similar manner. (photo golfdigest.com)

Please remember that Linda and I are not sports psychologists, we are parents relating our experiences with our son. Linda is certified as an Advanced Personalities Trainer and is a Board Certified Christian Life Coach. Basically our kids do not want to disappoint us so conversely when they accomplish a good goal, say a high placement in a tournament, we should dutifully give them positive recognition. If your daughter is of the peaceful personality she would prefer to be told in front of close family only, not really in front of a bunch of people. Now the popular girl would like these words announced to the world, she wants everybody to know she did well. A directive child may already have told you how well she performed, but you still need to tell her yourself. And the perfect personality, who may be wondering if you are capable of understanding what a great job she did, still needs to hear from you, but just a few words, as below. More specifics on the personalities in future posts.

Being recognized by someone meaningful, as in a parent, just really makes your child feel good. A great phrase would be: “Great job Ashley, all your hard work really paid off!” There are a lot of meaningful words in this short sentence. Think about it, your kiddo wants to know that you know they did a good job and you approve, that’s it.

So our most recent and biggest achievement by S3 is of course, his timely 4-year college graduation May 20, 2016. This was the major goal of all those wonderful years of junior golf and he did it! So after he walked the stage, we said all these words and more, it was an amazing moment! For an effort of this magnitude, Linda and I wanted to offer a nice trip as a recognition and reward. We asked if he preferred going with a friend or being with the 2 of us. When he said, “Mom and Dad I want to spend some time with you.” Our hearts melted. We’ll have a look at this trip of trips in the next post.

See you on #1 tee looking to accomplish something… Sam

Junior Golf: Intro To Personalities

In this Wednesday Waggle Linda will give us a glimpse into the world of the 4 types of personalities. It is critical for Dad and Mom to identify their own type as well as those of the kids. (photo golfdigest.com)

 

 

OK, here’s Linda:

Personality Profiling empowers parents to understand the nature of their child’s behavior-style, and their own, giving them bite-sized tools to grow a healthy, productive, and unified family.

I’ve been coaching parents for years and especially love teaching them about behavioral styles. With an advanced certification as a Personalities Trainer through CLASSeminars Inc. I study people’s temperments to aid them in understanding themselves and their families better.

Do you know your child’s personality type?

Enjoy this free download “Do You Know Me?”

You may have a Popular Talker who LOVES fun!
Is your child the Powerful Leader who LOVES control?
Did you know, Peaceful Followers LOVE quiet? Shhh.
Your everything-in-it’s-place Perfect Thinker LOVES order.

Profiling the personalities that make up your family is a great step to discovering how you can raise your children in the way God designed them to be.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he gets old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

For the past four years I’ve been honored to speak into the lives of hundreds of families during our Sunday morning PAK classes. We are in essence a family. Our “home” is a safe place to gather and share the challenges of parenting in order to find practical answers to secure a healthy living environment – mí casa es su casa!

Parenting Awesome Kids, is located in San Antonio, Texas but we’re also found on Facebook. If you desire to know a little more about personalities, Join our PAK Family online! Join our PAK Family online

Do you have a personality story? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

See you at the front door, where you’re always welcome… Linda

Folks, understanding the personalities in your family can lead to dramatically improved communication and harmony in your family. This stuff works! Linda and I encourage you to check this out.

See you on #1 tee looking harmonious… Sam

 

 

 

 

7 Tips for Junior Golf Parents to Finding Your Best Golf Coach

As the parent of a Junior golfer it’s important to release them to the professionals as soon as you can!

Our son, S3, has only had 2 coaches over the last 13 years.  Junior Golf coaches are called, Coaches, Swing Coaches or Instructors, for the most part –as differentiated from Coaches of a particular golf team –a high school or college team, for instance.

S3’s first swing coach was PGA Professional John Clay –a fine instructor, a fine man and a good family friend to this day.  When John moved to a different location, we had to find a new swing coach.  At a summer junior golf skills clinic at Olympia Hills Golf Course, we first met Tim – PGA Professional Tim Harford.  Tim was great with these youngsters, S3 was 7 years-old, I knew we had found our new swing coach.  Tim has been S3’s coach for the last 11 years and the 2 of them have produced great results!

Here are 7 tips to get you started:

1.  Select a PGA Professional Instructor.  In most cases, family and friends are not suited to be your Junior Golfer’s golf coach.  It is better to get proper instruction from the start, than to have your Junior Golfer exposed to some bad habits and having to fix them later.  A PGA Pro is your best choice.

2.  Consider the distance. Your coach probably has a driving range he or she likes to use; the closer they are the easier it will be to fit your practice schedule.  Proximity doesn’t kill the deal in the selection process but it should be a consideration simply for time sake.  I realize that in some cases you have no choice.

3.  Consider his or her track record.

• Ask for referrals.
• Ask about the success of their students.
• How many have placed in or won tournaments?
• How many are on junior high or high school golf teams?
• What is their rank on the team?
• Have any made All-District or been Regional or State qualifiers?
• Are any attending college on a golf scholarship?

This is a big deal.  You want your Junior Golfer with a successful coach.

4.  Consider the cost.  Here in San Antonio, the price ranges from $25.00 per hour to $100.00+ per hour.   More expensive is not explicitly better; many times you are paying for more than the Pro, it could include range use, overhead costs, and secondary fees.  Usually we get 5-lesson packages from Tim and worked out a discount for range balls to go along with the lessons.  This made for a very reasonably-priced package. Don’t be afraid to ask!

5.  Consider the coach’s temperament. Go watch your candidates give a lesson to a kiddo about your child’s age.  How is the instructor with this age group?  You will see differences, so go watch several lessons by different PGA Pro’s.  Be sure to select a coach who tells the students what to do, rather than one who tells them what not to do.  This is very important.

6.  Consider the coach’s teaching style.

a. How much does the coach talk during the lesson?  We have found that less is better.  You will see some coaches that talk incessantly and give their students a zillion things to remember.  Run the other way!  Your child’s brain is a sponge and if they soak up all that chatter they will be overwhelmed and never get any better.

b. S3’s Coach, Tim, keeps instruction simple and to a minimum.  For the past 11 years we have never seen Tim raise his voice or get angry.  He is soft-spoken and has an amazing knack for giving his students only 2 or 3 things to work on when their lesson is over.  And his students improve their golf game!

7.  Consider the coach’s interaction with your Junior Golfer.  You won’t really know this until you have had a few lessons.

• Ask your kiddo if they like working with Coach X.  You may be very surprised at the answer if your JG tells you they don’t like this coach, but didn’t want to say anything because it might upset you.  You must ask this question because if your JG doesn’t like the instructor, they won’t learn much, if anything.
• Does the coach return your calls, texts, or emails promptly?
• Are they willing to work your child in for a lesson on little or no notice?  If this one won’t, there are plenty that will.

When you find the right coach, you and your Junior Golfer will know it.  You will have made a good and trusted friend.  And you may have two different coaches, one for initial instruction and one for more advanced techniques.

Now, start looking!  Have some fun!! – Sam

Getting Into the Swing of Junior Golf

Parenting your Junior golfer starts young for some!

Our son, Sam III began his love of golf at the age of five following in the footsteps of his father Sam Jr, who began at 4 in San Antonio, TX. We are the first to say that having golfers already in the family is a bonus but not a requirement to raising successful Juniors.

You can tell by this photo, that getting into the swing of golf begins simply with the desire to hit a little white ball around the yard (as long as you have a clear line-of-sight in front of you that is). This shot of Sam Jr in his front yard is not unlike many taken everyday by parents who see the ‘desire’ in their child and want to nurture it.

Here are a few tips to make your transition into the Junior golf lifestyle as pleasant and profitable as possible:

• Get them started young… Age five is a good. But know, there are great Junior golfers who started out in their teens.
• Get equipment that fits… Yes even for beginners this is important! Clubs that are too long, too short, or too heavy, will severely impede any progress. Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, and Edwin Watts are three national chains that are very helpful in fitting clubs to your Junior Golfer.
•  Make the sessions short… Begin your Junior Golfer with short golf sessions, 10-15 minutes for ages five to six , due to the short attention span common at this age. Increase the time spent focusing on golf to match their desire and eagerness to learn.
• Make it a habit… Three times a week on the driving range or in your front yard (with whiffle balls) helps your Junior Golfer to look forward to the next time.
•  Make it FUN!!  Be very positive and encouraging.  As much as you want your Junior Golfer to succeed you can’t bully them into loving the game, it will only break their spirit… correction comes later.
• Get involved in The First Tee…  This organization is nationwide and a great kick-start for Junior golfers.

We would love to get your feedback and other tips you’d like to pass along as well. Our goal is to provide an information packed site worthy of your return… you will make that happen by being active in the journey.

Keep your eyes on the ball… the fairway to empowering your Junior Golfer is clear ahead!