Virginia Golfer Mar / Apr 2019 | Page 37

PLANNING YOUR CHILD’S GOLF YEAR BASED ON THE OLYMPIC MODEL 2-3 MONTHS 5-6 MONTHS 3-4 MONTHS PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 The preseason, the first two or three months of the year. This is the time of the year to get your child’s body, fundamen- tals, technique, equipment and mind tuned up. In-Season mode, a five- to s i x- m o n t h p e r i o d w h e r e serious play heats up. This is where your golfer should be focusing on competitions and results. The offseason, a three- to four-month cooldown from the competitive season. At this point of the year, your junior should wind down, relax and play for fun! much structure and formal competition before age 13—can be dangerous. Let your child absorb instruction and devel- op their own love for the game. Don’t force it on them! • Do not forget that every child needs a break. Be sure to build in an ‘offseason’ to prevent burnout. • Do not overemphasize results early in your child’s development. For the youngest players, the focus should be on training and skill building, not where he or she finishes on the leaderboard. Be sure to let your child absorb instruction and develop their own love of the game. and evaluate improvement and perfor- mance in training and competition. Keep ‘stats’ and a handicap! IF YOUR CHILD IS 16 AND OLDER At this point, your junior knows golf is the sport for them. They will commit in full to the sort of deliberate practice and play that will help them in the future in terms of playing high school golf or beyond. TRAINING ‘DON’TS’ Some things to remember when your child begins their foray into the world of golf. • Parents: please do not coach your own children after age 10. • One-sport specialization—as well as too vsga.org YOUR CHILD IS HOOKED ON GOLF— NOW WHAT? I recommend a three-phase approach to planning out your child’s year on the golf course based on the Olympic model. Let’s start with Phase 1: The preseason, the first two or three months of the year. This is the time of the year to get your child’s body, fundamentals, technique, equipment and mind tuned up. Start with a sports screening at your pediatrician, including a vision check. This is the time of year to start a car- dio, strength and flexibility regimen so your golfer is prepared for the rigors of the upcoming season. Your child will want to work with their coach to review and reinforce the fundamentals of their game. Begin a practice regimen, including putting, the short game and full swing. The preseason is the time to ‘knock the rust’ off their game, playing outdoors in a non-competitive environment with no expectations. The preseason is the time to check on equipment as well. Did your junior grow out of their clubs from last year? Be sure to check club grips for wear and get his or her bag in order for the upcoming year. This is a good time for range work and identifying yardage gaps in clubs as well. Phase 2 is In-Season mode, a five- to six-month period where serious play heats up. This is where your golfer should be focusing on competitions and results. Your golfer should play at least nine holes per day for five-plus days a week and follow a detailed skill development and practice regimen. They should also and keep stats to compare and contrast round results to determine what to work on the most in practice as well as celebrate improvements that may not be as apparent on a scorecard. Phase 3 is the offseason, a three- to four-month cooldown from the competi- tive season. At this point of the year, your junior should wind down, relax and play for fun! This is a good time to refocus on fitness and strength training as well. Generally, boys ages 9-12 and girls ages 8-11 should play 5-10 competitions per year. That number rises to 10-20 per year for boys ages 12-16 and girls ages 11-15; and 15-25 per year for boys ages 16-18 and girls ages 15-17. Find events that are stimulating and appropriately challenging for your child so they gain experience and build confidence competing against their contemporaries. To read more about junior instruction, visit coachleighann.com. Leighann Albaugh is the Director of Instruction at The Magnolia Green Golf Academy in Moseley and has been honored as a Top 50 Masters Kids Coach by U.S. Kids Golf, Golf Digest Best Young Teachers in America and Golf Digest Best In Your State (Virginia). She was also the recipient of the 2018 MAPGA Youth Player Development Award. M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 19 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R 35