In these times of visual and mental distraction, especially amongst the younger ones, caused primarily by mobile phones, tablets and other devices connected to the Internet; it is very important that children and adolescents take part in sports. If they choose golf, the benefits of mental and physical maturity are increased.

It is essential to counter the pressure that studies exert on young children, and to find an outlet to help them relax their minds and their bodies. Thanks to new technology, the days when children played and ran around the streets and town squares are long gone.

As children enter adolescence, and sometimes even before this time, they begin to ‘change’ from using their parents as a role model and will instead use their friends and ‘colleagues’ … the group, the gang as their new ‘family’. This is why sport is considered the best ally for parents and children. Children can learn to understand values based on effort, team spirit, and solidarity and winning, all of which help children to achieve success with their future personal and social interactions.

Golf for children is an ideal supplement for their development.

Golf is an ideal sport for the development of children and young people, in which case parents, especially if they are fans of this sport, should do everything possible to enable their children to begin to follow their sporting steps.
Among the many known advantages for children and young people who become hooked on golf, we can also highlight the following:

1. Family. . Enjoying a family activity on equal terms. Golf is a sport that can be played at any age and allows players of different levels to compete on equal terms. This is ideal to allow a family to spend more time together and to enjoy a sport that all family members can take part in.

2. Values. Unlike other sports where, unfortunately, bad manners exist, sometimes even with violence among participants; golf is steeped in fair play and sportsmanship. Respect for the opponent and the game is a maxim in golf. These are not just words, but facts.

3. Teamwork. Although the image of the golfer fighting alone against the rest of the field is what captures the eye of most people, the fact is that in golf, team competition develops companionship and contributes to the emotional growth of players. The Ryder Cup, the World Cup, the Presidents Cup and now the Olympics are some of the major events where battling together with the combination of efforts and objectives, provide a great learning foundation. The same is true on a small scale, in any local, interscholastic or club championship, where team spirit among the players is created.

4. Outdoor Activity. TV, video games and surfing the Internet are activities that isolate children and young people in their homes and make them lead a sedentary life during their leisure time. Golf allows them to enjoy the outdoors, to get in contact with nature, and to temporarily forget the social networking and internet world. For a few hours children will not think of their mobile phone or how to destroy violent virtual enemies on their TV or computer. On the contrary, they will be having physical & mental exercise while enjoying fresh air.

5. Personal Development. Golf enhances individual decision making, providing the ideal personality development, especially in modern times where children ‘mature’ later and later. At the same time this sport helps them to deal with and overcome frustrations when the game does not always go as planned.

6. Discipline and progress. Golf encourages the desire in children to improve as they improve their skills and to beat their previous results on the course. Improving their score is an incentive and is a great motivation to get children involved in this sport. Discipline, concentration and socializing are other advantages of golf, and above all this should be a game primarily where children do not lose motivation.

The best way for children to find their sporting appetite while learning golf, is with good teachers who are passionate about their work and who are knowledgeable about child psychology. And if you ever notice that your child’s motivation falters because they did not achieve the results they wanted, you can always quote the words of one of the greatest golfers of our era …[Tweet “Tiger Woods: “No matter how good you are, you can always improve and that’s the exciting part …””]