Partnership Magazine - Issue No. 15 1 | Page 11

2014 Junior Academy Programme underway New coaches added to the line-up as the 2014 Junior Academy Coaching Programme gets underway with 230 youngsters enrolled in 14 academies across the three counties Around 230 boys and girls are enrolled in the 14 Junior Academies spread across the BB&O region in 2014. The BB&O Golf Partnership is using 13 different clubs this year, with two centres holding four groups of juniors. The Academy Coaching Programme aims to improve boys and girls proficiency of the game of golf and for them to practice and experience the sport in a relaxed and fun environment and one that recognises individual needs and ambitions. Venues stay the same this year, but with some minor changes in the coaching team. Two coaches from the 2013 team – Duncan Woolger and Deana Rushworth, who were both fantastic with their groups – have left. The Partnership would like to thank them both for all their hard work and commitment last year. This has meant two lead coach roles were available for 2014, and these have been filled by Rhys Ap Iolo and Pat Flynn, both of whom have been promoted after being assistants last year. Rhys will coach a group at the Downshire Golf Complex and Pat will take charge of the girls at Studley Wood. David Armor leads the groups at Abbey Hill Golf Centre, and the academies at Iver and The South Buckinghamshire will be lead by Mark Grieve and Gavin Cousins. Noel Rousseau once again will be coaching some of the Buckinghamshire girls at Wycombe Heights and John Kennedy will be coaching nine boys in his group at Wexham Park. Dusan Gavrilovic (Studley Wood), Tom Baker (Waterstock) and John Strode (Hadden Hill) lead the other academies in Oxfordshire, while Rob Watts (Castle Royle), Matt Woods (Donnington Grove), Wayne Owers (Downshire Golf Complex) and Terry Wild (Mill Ride) complete the lead coaching line-up for the academies in Berkshire. The 2014 Junior Academy Programme got underway on Sunday, March16, at Mill Ride, The Downshire, Donnington Grove, Studley Wood, Wycombe Heights, Wexham Park and Abbey Hill . In keeping the changes made for the 2013 programme the grouping system has once again been based on similar ages and abilities and sessions will be covering fundamental movement skills, rules of golf, the swing itself and many other topics. The Academies at Hadden Hill, Waterstock, Studley Wood, Abbey Hill 2, The South Buckinghamshire Academy, Iver and Donnington Grove all got underway on Sunday, March 23. The Academy Programme continued to go from strength to strength in 2013 and the Partnership is hopeful that the improvement trend will continue in 2014. There were some fantastic individual improvements from the juniors and, as with every year, the Academy Coaching Programme has been able to push some youngsters onto the next level of the talent pathway. 11