5 Life Lessons Golf Teaches Kids
Golf might not be the first sport you think of when your child starts becoming interested in playing something. Soccer, baseball, basketball, and other team sports are usually top of the list, but golf is a very worthwhile contender for your child’s first sport.
You can invest in a set of junior golf clubs for a very reasonable price, as well as various training aids that will help your youngster to progress quickly. But it’s not just great for physical development - it’s excellent for learning life skills and lessons too.
Here are 5 life lessons golf teaches kids. Between the great muscular and cardiovascular exercise and mental health benefits golf offers, it’s surprising more parents aren’t encouraging their kids to start learning this great sport!
1. That Hard Work Pays Off
Golf is not a simple game. Unlike soccer, you can’t just show up once a week to practise, enjoy yourself, then leave and forget about it until next week. If you’re determined to be a good golfer, you absolutely have to put in the work.
That means a weekly lesson without practising in between isn’t going to be enough. Your child needs to be dedicated if they want to progress beyond “Little League” status.
But there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you hit that perfect drive, or you manage to put the right amount of spin on the ball, or you land a chip shot right next to the hole.
When your kid starts to see progress, that feeling is amazing! But it doesn’t come without hard work. No other sport shows the value of hard work quite as much as golf does.
2. To Take Calculated Risks
Golf is definitely won with strategy, creative thinking, and nuance rather than brute force, speed, or power! So your child will have to learn how to take thoughtful, calculated risks in order to be successful on the golf course.
Critical thinking plays a huge role in being a successful golfer. Should you attempt to lift the ball over the lake to drop a shot or two from your score? Or do you play it safe and go down the side of the fairway where it will take you longer, but is the safer option?
But if you never take the risks, you’ll always be a mediocre golfer! Your child will learn the value of taking risks—calculated risks—and understand that smart risk-taking is a necessity to become successful and stand out from others.
3. That Fitness Takes Many Forms
Most people assume that golf isn’t a “fitness” kind of sport. There’s no heavy breathing or sweating going on, which makes it quite relaxed and leisurely.
In reality, golf is an excellent way to build certain muscles (shoulders, arms, abdominals, and glutes), as well as a safe and effective form of cardio (did you know that the average course runs between 3 and 5 miles long?).
Just because you’re not huffing and puffing after a few minutes of playing the game and your heart rate is still low, it doesn’t mean you’re not getting a great workout!
4. To Appreciate Nature
In today’s world, kids spend more time behind the screen than outdoors. One of the best things about golf is that it’s not just played on a sports field. It’s played out amongst nature, between trees, flowers, sometimes wildlife, and often stunning views.
Kids who play golf develop a deeper appreciation for their playing field than other sports. There’s no denying the golf course is a beautiful place to be, and there are well-documented benefits of being out in nature that your child will be able to take advantage of as well!
5. To Be A Good Sport
There’s a reason they say golf is a gentleman’s (or gentlewoman’s) game. Players treat each other with utmost respect, congratulate each other when they’re successful, and conduct themselves with an air of elegance at all times.
Whatever happens on the course, your child will learn to conduct themselves in a respectful way and be a good sport. There’s no throwing of clubs or yelling at opponents as so often happens in other sports.
If your child is interested in golf, it’s a wonderful way to teach them to be a respectful player, opponent, teammate, and human in general.
