Golf Well Positioned to Attract Junior Golfers As more and more parents become increasingly concerned by the risk of sports-related injuries and the lack of computer-free social engagement for their kids, they are looking for alternative activities that promote children’s physical and mental well-being. That could be good news for golf, which can satisfy the safety concerns and desire for increased recreational activity while at the same time improving kids’ social skills. According to a 2014 Physical Activities Council (PAC) study, more than a third of parents are concerned with the amount of time their children spend playing video games, and 30% are equally worried about their kids increased usage of social media. As one might expect, the prevalence of those two factors has 29% of parents frustrated with their kids lack of social interaction and time spent exercising outdoors. Moreover, nearly a quarter of all parents are troubled by the injury potential of the sports their kids are playing, likely due to the increase in sports-related concussions that can have serious long-term negative effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 175,000 children are treated for sports-related concussions in U.S. emergency rooms every year. Overall, 58% of parents have concerns with at least one of the above factors and 34% are worried about two or more. Considering the combined net effect of these concerns, and the answers golf provides to them, NGF asked parents how open they would be to their kids getting involved in the game. What we discovered is very encouraging for the sport. According to that same PAC study, 84% of parents with at least one of the above concerns are supportive of getting their kids involved in golf and nearly a third of those are very supportive of the idea. While there are already millions of juniors playing golf, several million have expressed an interest in playing, and millions more have parents that are open to their involvement in the game. That’s a large pool of prospective players that golf has the opportunity to activate by promoting its benefits to both the kids and their parents. So what is the industry doing to get more children involved in the game? There are numerous national, regional and local programs in place that receive significant support from organizations such as The First Tee, PGA of America, United States Golf Association and others that are committed to growing the game of golf through junior participation. One such endeavor is The First Tee National Schools Program, which began 10 years ago with a mission to introduce elementary-aged kids to the game. Since its inception, the initiative has activated 6,000 elementary schools across the country. Physical education teachers are given professional development training, junior golf lesson plans and the necessary equipment for effective implementation into their existing physical education programs. There’s certainly much work to be done, but if more young people pick up the game of golf it’s a win-win-win proposition for kids, parents and, of course, the golf industry. (Resource NGF-10/14)
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:08:43 +0000
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