Focus on rules and juniors
26.03.2019
Swiss PGA Training - Four clear priorities
"The Swiss PGA sets four clear priorities in Further Education this year," says Russell Warner, responsible for Furhter Education on the board of the Swiss PGA. Within the framework of these four focal points, the Training Commission has defined five concrete topics which will be discussed in depth during the further education days in spring and autumn.
New golf rules
It starts onThursday, March 28th. "At the Open Forum in the Golf Limpachtal, we will be informing about the modernization of the golf rules in cooperation with a rule expert from Swiss Golf," says Warner. Accurate knowledge of the current golf rules is of great importance not only for playing but also for teaching professionals. The Club Pro is often the first point of contact when amateurs have regular questions.
"Best Practice" in Junior Golf
On May 9, the second day of further education of the year takes place at Golfpark Moosseedorf and will focus on young golfers. "Children are not mini-adults," says Dr. Sergio Lara-Bercial. He is the Founder and Director of iCoachKids, a global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of online coaching for junior trainers. In Switzerland, Lara-Bercial will speak to Swiss PGA professionals and interested junior captains (Swiss Golf Clubs). "Finding the right access to children and adolescents and creating an environment in the club where the young generation feels comfortable is paramount," says Russell Warner. On the training day in May, "best practice" will be taught in junior golf. "In recent years, the number of children and adolescents in Swiss golf clubs has dropped. When we realize why the youngest generation likes one sport in particular, what these girls and boys expect from 'their' sport, and why they stick to it or not, we can create an environment in which the youth choose to golf play. More than that - we can make sure that today's children and adolescents develop a lifelong love for physical activity in general and for golf, "says Warner.
Coaching - Philosophies and Competencies
After the summer break, two further education days on "Coaching Philosophy" will be held in October. US star coach Kevin Kirk - whose protégés include Patrick Reed, Lexi Thompson and Jhonattan Vegas - is coming to Switzerland on October 7 and 8 to introduce the Swiss-PGA colleagues to the Kirk coaching philosophy. "These two days are an excellent - and extremely rare in Europe - opportunity to learn from one of the best," says Warner.
Also on November 4, it will once again be about improving your own coaching skills and becoming a coaching expert. Valuable tips are provided by University Professor Dr. med. Paul Schempp, who brings a wealth of experience in coaching both in (golf) sports and in the global economy. Among other things, he will tell the participants how coaching experts work with their customers and design training programs. Schempp knows what constitutes a coaching expert and what skills and characteristics he should have. "This training day is designed to help teaching professionals become even better coaches," says Warner.
Teaching Pros as Entrepreneurs
The last training day of the year (November 5) deals with the field of teaching professionals. "Steve Astle will show how golf professionals can grow their business. Among other things, it is about customer acquisition and the care of existing customers, but also about PR and social media presence. Every pro needs to understand that he is the CEO of his own business - and act accordingly, "explains Russell Warner.
Further information and registrations via Swiss PGA website www.swisspga.ch