GP Junior (Apr-May 18) Digital (Apr-May 18).indd | Page 33

Instruction
In order to be a
champion a team is
extremely necessary
where everyone
understands their
roles. The triangle is
formed by the player,
parents and the
coach and everyone
has to understand
his or her role very
clearly. Let’s discuss
each person’s role.
The Junior:
The junior has to be committed
and motivated if he is to be a
champion. I always tell parents
that if you have to wake your
child up for practice then it’s a
non starter. The motivation has
to come from within a child.
Making excuses and trying to
avoid practice sessions is the ¿ rst
sign where a parent can see that
the child is losing interest or is not
motivated enough.
The Parent:
Parents play a very important
role in the development of
a child. The parent is there
for emotional, metal and
¿ nancial support. Often we
come across parents who after
their child ¿ nishes a round asks
them what went wrong. That is
an approach that is extremely
negative and should be avoided.
I also know of parents who tell
their children how much money
they are spending on taking the
child for a tournament and the
time taken from of¿ ce etc. That
puts additional pressure on a
child and chances are less of the
child doing well. Parents should
always encourage and motivate
their child positively and trust
the coach they choose for their
children. Finally there are cases
where a parent wants to live his
dream through the child and
tries to push the children hard
into competing when the child
probably wants to do well in
something else even though he
may be a talented golfer.
the coach. Sometimes coaches
get too involved and try to
dictate terms and how the child
should lead his life which causes
the student to rebel. It is very
important for the coach to keep
parents posted and also along with
the student set short, medium and
long term goals.
Indrajit Bhalotia has been a
leading professional golfer and
is also an NGAI staff teacher.
He holds a diploma in sports
psychology and lectures on
mental toughness in various
colleges in Kolkata.
The Coach:
One of the biggest roles is that
of a coach and all good coaches
not only coach their students but
also mentor them. Being there to
guide the student in and off the
course is extremely important for
GolfPlus Junior April-May 2018
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