Golf To Schools
MALTA, EUROPE.
Following an initial discussion and planning with William Beck (President, Malta Golf Association), Chris Smith visited Malta in 2015 to introduce the idea of ‘ShortGolf’.
This was followed by five subsequent visits to the island where the former touring PGA Professional delivered coaching programmes and implemented a robust framework for coaches in school to follow up until the present day.
71
Physical education teachers trained to Level 1 from 2015-19
9
Average age of mixed gender groups that were coached.
2000
Number of students engaged within a golf programme over 4 years.
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS 2015-2019
- 71 physical education teachers trained to Level 1
- 38 physical education teachers progressed to Level 2
- 40 teachers attended ‘refresher’ coaching sessions
- Working with teachers delivering sessions to children for the first time
- Mixed gender groups of children and an average age of 9 years
- Launch Event attended by Government Officials
Children who had been introduced to golf only 24 hours after their first session enjoyed a series of fun games and competitions.
Some 6 months later, in October 2015 a meeting was held with the original teachers to evaluate their experiences in delivering the program. In a nutshell everyone loved it! The teachers loved it; the children loved it. For the first time in their careers the teachers were being asked “when do we play golf again sir?” The teachers commented that they like the programme because everyone can play it and that the success rate is high.
Without doubt the response to Golf in the schools of Malta has been as expected, and as reported in this report, ‘everybody loves it’. It works for the teachers, it works for all the students.
Sadly, due to the Coronavirus pandemic our plans for May 2020 had to be put on hold. These plans would have seen all teachers currently certified to Level 1 upgraded to Level 2 followed by a Golf for Schools Festival, bringing approximately 240 students from 12 public schools in friendly competition.
The Golf to Schools project has seen the culmination of 5 years work, but its longevity will be at least 10 times that. The long-term success of the project will be accelerated when students experience the fun, enjoyment and competition that such an event brings. Many of the teachers we have worked with have experienced this and are hungry for more.