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| L to R: Paula, Julian, Emma, Kevin |
By Jane Feehan
Most who seek a professional career in golf started out
using a coach. Some have been coached by parents who were pros. Athletes in
other sports have also been trained by family members with skills and
experience. Boca Raton resident Kevin Andrews has neither skills nor experience
in golf but has successfully coached his children Emma,14 and Julian, 11.
It all started four years ago. Emma already played hockey at
school; Julian played soccer. During the COVID pandemic, Kevin’s sports focus was
redirected inward. What game could involve the entire family?
“A friend suggested we visit Top Golf,” said Paula Andrews,
wife and mother. They went to the high-tech complex to familiarize the children
with the game; they left as golf enthusiasts.
Kevin moved ahead and bought a set of used clubs for Emma
and Julian. He looked into hiring a coach or buying lessons. It was expensive.
Multi-day golf schools can cost thousands. Individual hourly lessons top
$100 . Not deterred, he attended local golf events, including an LPGA tourney
with the family to get a better feel for the sport.
“I got close to coaches so I could hear their instructions to players,” said Kevin who had already dismissed paying for instruction. He knew he’d need more information. He looked at You Tube videos and got a better understanding of what coaching entailed. He bought books. Then the family visited a golf shop at a public course in Lake Worth where a golf pro encouraged them to get Emma and Julian signed up for tournaments to play with those their age and skill level.
“But no one wants to play with beginners,” said Kevin. They
had to start somewhere. He put the kids through drills at home and on a local
course. Pressure was building to up his coaching abilities. “I
can do this,” he thought. “But I wasn’t sure how to proceed.”
Proceed he did but in an unconventional way.
Kevin is an industrial engineer. Industrial engineers are
methodical. They analyze parts of processes, or systems to make things work or
to build products.
“When I understood how complex the swing is, I broke it down
into parts—feet, knees, hips, elbows hands and head,” Kevin recounted. He
started with the hands—the grip. Kevin took videos of Emma and Julian as they swung
their clubs. Post-practice analysis helped correct mistakes, build up their
strengths and strategize their wins by assessing course risks.
“It’s also a head game,” said Kevin. “So, I read Alter Ego: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life (by Todd Herman, HarperCollins 2019). “It really helped Emma get out of her head while playing in a tournament.”
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| Emma |
Tournament is now a household activity. Four years later,
Emma and Julian are solid competitors in their age group. At times they beat older
players. Paula drives them to a course to practice five or six days a week.
Kevin joins them after work.
“I’m good at driving the ball,” said Julian who ranks recess
as his favorite part of school.
Emma, who hopes to be awarded a golf scholarship for college,
visualizes herself as a golf pro one day. “Putting is my strength,” she acknowledged.
These young golfers put their golfing strengths to work as
members of Gold Coast Junior Golf Foundation (www.gcjgf.org).
The Boca Raton-based nonprofit provides opportunities and scholarships for
young golfers under age 19. Young golfers participate in monthly tournaments
throughout South Florida. Once a year the organization recognizes players with
an awards event at a golf club. Founder and former golf pro Wayne McKinney pays
for the food, golf carts and trophies while sharing stories of his golfing
days.
This year, Emma and Julian received trophies for playing in
every tourney, scoring wins and maintaining good grades at school.
Today, Emma plays on her high school golf team while eyeing the next tournament. Julian likes driving the ball and beating older kids at the game even more than school recess. Paula, head cheerleader, and Kevin walk each 18-hole course as the kids play in a monthly tournament. Kevin remains their winning coach.
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| Julian |
“I like to follow the advice given in a book I read that
helps me coach and the kids play,” said Kevin.
‘If you can get 1% better each day for one year, you’ll end
up 37 times better by the time you’re done.’ (From Atomic Habits: An Easy
& Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad, by James Clear,
Penguin Random House 2018.)
There’s probably something else that no book can offer: the
confidence, determination, and love only a parent can share with a child aspiring
to be a competitor in sports. It’s a huge win.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.
Tags: Faces of Florida, Golf