#41 Educating Golfers, Entertaining People, Enhancing Lives
What are you waiting for to get more young golfers into the game? Is golf too intimidation? Do you think golf requires more sophisticated coordination skills required from older children? Well all of these questions will be answered in this episode from Nicole Weller. We are going to talk all things preschool golf, and touch on how to implement sports psychology into classes of this level.
Nicole Weller is a proud member of both the PGA of America and LPGA. She has served on the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf of Savannah Board, two terms on the PGA National Youth Player Development Committee, the LPGA Education Committee, the PGA Special Awards Committee, is a co-author of the LPGA Girls Golf Playbook and has been a proud partner with both Little Linksters and The Littlest Golfer.
A U.S. Kids Master Kids Teacher certified with both U.S. Kids Golf and Spirit of Golf, Nicole was given the prestigious honor of being the first professional to receive both the 2013 PGA and LPGA National Junior Golf Leader awards in the same year. Some of her top accolades include 2017 & 2019 LPGA Top 50 Teachers List, GRAA Top 50 Growth of the Game Teacher, Georgia PGA Horton Smith Section Award, Golf Digest Best 50 Women Teachers, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, Golf Digest Top Teacher in the State, LPGA T&CP Southeast Junior Golf Leader and Teacher of the Year, Georgia PGA East Chapter Teacher of the Year. Some of her most favorite recognitions are the handmade artwork of her young students!
Discussion:
- (4:20) When Nicole began coaching preschoolers
- (5:15) The learning curve of coaching preschoolers golf
- (9:19) Why starting so early is important for their development
- (12:53) Advice for adults about how to set good expectations
- (16:29) Why adults are timid to get preschoolers into golf
- (18:24) When to get juniors into tournaments
- (20:28) How sports psychology is applied to young golfers
- (24:28) How to explain the preschooler coaching philosophy
- (26:23) Nicole’s resources for junior golfers
- (29:08) Nicole’s new book release
- (31:38) Nicole’s final words of inspiration for raising golfers
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