LOSSIE LADS GIVEN COACHING ROLE AT MORAY GOLF CLUB

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY CLUBGOLF

There will be a distinctly youthful feel to Moray Golf Club’s coaching team this season.

The Lossiemouth club, on board and delivering the national junior programme, ClubGolf, since 2007, has recruited two of its top juniors to help deliver weekly coaching sessions to 30 plus local primary school children.

Junior Captain, Aaron Stewart (pictured on right by Willie MacKay) and his Vice Captain Scott Crawford, both 16 year olds, took little persuading that they could play an important part in their own youth set up.

“They are both good golfers, Scott is playing off nine, and Aaron off 11,” said the club’s junior convenor and Level 1 coach, Kevin Hands.  “Aaron last year was our most improved player and dropped his handicap from 23 down to 10 in one year.

“But I also felt that they also have the attributes to become coaches and they are keen to coach,  which entails them dedicating Monday afternoons to coming down and helping the kids. 

“So, when I found out from ClubGolf’s Audra Booth that 16 was the minimum age to become a coach, we booked them on the coaching course.”

The pair attended last weekend’s ClubGolf’s Level 1 training course with the PGA, a two-day event which they found enjoyable and which had the useful spin off of getting them to think of their own technique.

The club now has the perfect role models who can bridge any communication gaps with children as young as nine years old.

The intention is for the pair to begin coaching at the club this month, initially shadowed by more experienced coaches.

“Teenagers like these two have that ability to communicate with young children a lot more easily than some of the adults,” said Mr Hands, whose 15 year old son Gregor has a helping role in the coaching and hopes to attend a Level1 training course next year. 

“They are on a similar wavelength in terms of communication which will help get the points across. 

“We are going to pair them up with more experienced coaches for the first five weeks to see how they get on, letting the older coach stand in the background and guide them if necessary.”

There are over 1500 ClubGolf coaches at work in Scottish clubs, and juniors are appearing increasingly amongst them.  They either want to put something back into the game, gain useful life experience which will help gain university places and future employment or they simply see coaching as a rewarding and fun activity.

Moray Golf Club has a refreshing, forward looking attitude to juniors;  it has 100 in its membership, with junior fees on a highly affordable sliding scale - £10 for under 12 year olds, rising to £70 at age 17.     

This season’s ClubGolf started a fortnight ago with 28 children, mostly from the town’s two local primary schools, signed up.  Bolstering its coaching team to seven means that there are a few more spaces left for youngsters – in Primary 5 and 6 - wishing to learn the game.

To find out more about ClubGolf coaching at Moray Golf Club please contact Pro, John Murray on: Tel:  01343 813330

  

Rob Eyton-Jones

For ClubGolf  

t:  07775 746981

e:  rob@eyton-jones.co.uk

Official clubgolf website:  www.clubgolfscotland.com