The inaugural MyGolf School Ambassador program has officially teed off.
Launched at Greythorn Primary School in Melbourne, the initiative developed by Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia will allow golf to be more accessible and easy to deliver for teachers in the classroom and in the schoolyard while providing a reward for their effort.
The free program aims to recognise, resource and reward school teachers for delivering and promoting MyGolf in their school community.
One of the first to become a school ambassador, physical education teacher Daniel Zito, was on hand at Greythorn to give the program a big thumps up and explain why he registered.
“It was the chance to give that experience in a sport that’s different (to normal school programs). It’s not a traditional sport that kids would be doing in PE lessons, so it’s something that’s tricky for me to go and introduce by myself,” Zito said.
“Not having that background knowledge and experience in golf makes it something you’d shy away from normally because you don’t have the ability to put together a lesson and so on. So to be able to sign up as an ambassador and get all those resources was great.”
One of the prized resources MyGolf school ambassadors can exclusively access to aid program delivery in their school is the newly developed MyGolf School Coaching Resource App for iPad.
The app contains interactive manuals that teachers can use to deliver fun and engaging programs to children in grades 3-10. It also features interactive videos of important teaching points and the fun, skill-based games contained within the manuals.
All lesson plans are easily mapped out for teachers to use and have been aligned to the national curriculum – a point Zito says is an extremely important aspect for teachers.
“The app has been really good. The manuals and lessons have been good. I particularly like the lessons and the way they’re set out,” he said.
“All lessons start with a learning intention – so it’s very clear what the students should take away from that lesson – then it moves through the warm-up, the skill and then the reflection at the end which is really important as well.
“It’s got everything you need to just pull out of the bag and run your golf lesson.”
Other benefits that MyGolf school ambassadors receive include a free MyGolf School Ambassador polo shirt, access to professional development opportunities in their state, access to tickets to attend golf events in their state and regular e-newsletters providing teachers with valuable coaching tips.
The program has already gathered huge interest from teachers across the country, with more than 200 primary and secondary teachers registered.
To become a MyGolf School Ambassador, or find out more information, visit mygolf.org.au/schools
To download the app, visit the iTunes app store MyGolf App
