BOYS & GIRLS CLUB GAINS GOLF SKILLS
Members of the Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club ( VNBGC) received lessons
in how to swing a golf club and strike a ball Wednesday — and also received some valuable lessons in life.
Members of Solano County Junior Golf stopped by the VN
BGC’s main hub at Trower Center as well as the afterschool program at Markham Elementary School to teach kids the basics of golf as well as give them physical activities.
Alondra Cruz, a youth development professional with the club, said the activities were suggested by Executive Director Anna Eaton as a way to
keep club members active during a time of distance learning.
“Most of the day, they’re indoors,” Cruz said. “We don’t have a lot of space outdoors, so I think Ms. Anna decided to have the volunteers come in and teach them this. That way, they can get out and play a little bit and learn new skills at the same time.”
Over at Markham, there were three stations set up all led by members of Solano County Junior Golf, a local program that teaches golf to youth. One station was located on a lawn area with tees for kids to swing tennis balls onto a disc with varying points depending on where the ball lands. A hole-in- one at the center of the disc would net 50 points.
Another station did not have anything to do with golf but was still a test of agility and flexibility. They had to run and jump over a few hurdles and then try and catch a Frisbee from the instructor and throw it back.
The final station was set up along the wall of a classroom building where the youngsters were taught to swing the tennis balls onto a velcro grid and receive points based on where the ball landed. The most agile golfers were able to swing the balls onto a bullseye worth 10 points.
Cruz said the goal was to teach kids “the fundamentals of golf” such as how to hold a club and focus on the target.
“I know a lot of them are not familiar with golfing, so they can at least learn the fundamentals,” she said. “It’s also a lot of making sure they have fun. Most of the time, they’re cooped up inside, so being able to get out here and
safely be able to still do physical activity and have fun while doing it (is important).”
One of the volunteers, Gary Sigel, was pleased to pass along his lifelong love of golf to the club members.
“It’s just great to watch kids having fun,” he said.
Sigel is the founder of Solano County Junior Golf, which he started last year as a way to help children learn and grow through golf. Through the sport, he said youth can learn the core values of sportsmanship, honesty, integrity and even social skills.
“Out in the golf course, you’re communicating,” he said. “You’re not behind an iPod or an iPad, and you’re not playing video games.
You’re learning all these core skills if they want to take up golf. We’re giving them an introduction today.”
Currently, the program teaches hundreds of kids on the golf courses at Paradise Valley and Rancho Solano. The lessons are financed through donations, sponsorships and fundraisers. The largest event to raise funds for the program is the NIne, Wine & Dine Charity Classic, hosted in conjunction with the Northern California PGA Foundation. This year’s second annual event was held Sept. 27 at Rancho Solano. The title sponsors were Silvermark Construction and Solano Mortgage, with Flagstar Bank serving as the presenting
sponsor.
“It’s a nine-hole scramble, and we have 10 of the best Napa and Suisun Valley wines for a tasting,” he said. “Then we have a barbecue dinner and auction that raises the money.”
T he event raised $20,000.
Sigel said his parents taught him golf when he was 8, and the skills he learned have stayed with him throughout his entire life. He is happy to be teaching those skills to a younger generation.
“Golf can be fun,” he said. “We hope that some of this can catch on, and you never know where it takes them.”