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Check back frequently as new stories about Hook A Kid On Golf are added regularly!
Hook A Kid On Golf announces Ryan Dwyer as new Program Coordinator
Palm Beach (Fla.) Par 3 hosts golf tourney to benefit Hook A Kid program
Former Hook A Kid On Golf student swings her way to the Citadel
BREAKING BARRIERS: NAYS Founder Fred Engh's Journey Featured On Golf Channel's Golf Central Nov. 14
Childers Family YMCA (Ga.) Recognized as 2011 Hook A Kid On Golf New Site of the Year
Gulfport (Miss.) PAL Selected as 2011 Hook A Kid On Golf Site of the Year
Ray Floyd leads Hook A Kid On Golf clinic
Flint River (Ga.) hooks kids on golf
From Hook A Kid On Golf student to state champion
How it all began - Hook A Kid On Golf celebrates 20 years
Getting to know Bob Murphy - Hook A Kid On Golf's national spokesperson
Q&A's with Hook A Kid On Golf coordinators
USGA and National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) continue to hook kids on golf
National Alliance for Youth Sports Announces Ryan Dwyer as Hook A Kid On Golf Program Coordinator
 The National Alliance for Youth Sports, America’s leading advocate for positive and safe sports and activities for children, has announced Ryan Dwyer as national Hook A Kid On Golf program coordinator.
“I’m excited to join the National Alliance for Youth Sports,” said Dwyer. “I plan to bring new energy and ideas to expand the Hook A Kid On Golf program.” Dwyer will be responsible for enhancing Hook A Kid On Golf’s presence by developing relationships with potential new sites, as well as strengthening associations with the more than 200 current sites.
Dwyer was previously an admissions counselor at Ripon College in Ripon, Wis., as well as the head men’s lacrosse coach. His experience there taught him the impact communities could have on the individuals they serve, a lesson he believes will translate well to his role within Hook A Kid On Golf.
Hook A Kid On Golf has been providing America’s youth with quality golf instruction for more than 20 years. As America’s most comprehensive youth golf program, Hook A Kid On Golf provides participating communities with all the tools necessary to provide an organized youth golf program, such as equipment, affordable instruction and a fun structure that teaches youth how to play the game on the course.
Founded in 1981, the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida. More than 3,000 community-based youth sport programs across the country use NAYS programs and services for everyone involved in youth sports experiences, including professional administrators, volunteer administrators, volunteer coaches, officials, parents and young athletes. Learn more at www.nays.org.
Palm Beach (Fla.) Par 3 hosts golf tourney to benefit Hook A Kid program
The Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course held its third annual Raymond Floyd Open in early March to benefit their Hook A Kid On Golf program. Sponsored by the Par 3 Foundation, the tournament consisted of 11 teams of five and raised nearly $24,000.
The winning team shot a 44 and consisted of Belen Mozo, Tony Ittleson, David Kirkland, Donna Acquavilla and professional Bob Ford.
In the face of reported 40 mph winds, the golfers had a great time raising money to give youth access to a sport respected for the values it provides both on and off the greens, while playing on the newly renovated Palm Beach Par 3 course.
“If you can reach one or two kids a year, you’ve made a huge difference,” said Ray Floyd. “Golf is a game of integrity. If you can live by the rules of golf, you can be a stand up citizen.”
Since starting the program, more than 100 youngsters have participated in the Hook A Kid On Golf offerings of Palm Beach Par 3. “Having a funding stream from this tournament allows us to put on great summer clinics for children who may not have had an opportunity to learn the game due to cost,” said Jay Boodheshwar, recreation director.
The fundraiser helps the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course offer Hook A Kid On Golf clinics at no cost to the participants, and the youth even receive their own set of clubs to keep at the end of the clinic.
“The Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course has been a great example of how an organization can give local kids an opportunity to benefit from the game of golf,” said Ryan Dwyer, national program coordinator of Hook A Kid On Golf. “I’m sure that both the golf and life skills the kids learn at Palm Beach Par 3’s summer clinics stay with them for a very long time!”
Hook A Kid On Golf, a youth development program of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), was developed in 1991 to provide communities with a comprehensive youth golf program that eliminates the obstacles that discourage children from learning and continuing to play golf while instilling in them an understanding of golf's rules, etiquette and history. To date, more than 300 organizations have implemented the Hook A Kid On Golf program in their communities.
BREAKING BARRIERS: NAYS Founder Fred Engh's Journey Featured On Golf Channel's Golf Central Nov. 14
Nays Founder Fred Engh’s amazing journey - How playing on the all-black Maryland State College golf team led him to introduce children to sports worldwide - featured on special Golf Central profile on the Golf Channel Nov. 14
The Golf Central piece will trace Engh’s incredible journey, which began as the only Caucasian golfer on the golf team at the historically all-black Maryland State College in the early 1960s and culminated in his current role overseeing NAYS, and its international division, which has been advocating the power of sports for children since 1981.
The piece will also spotlight the Hook A Kid On Golf program, which was created by Engh in 1990 and is recognized as one of the nation’s most comprehensive junior golf development programs. Since its inception Hook A Kid On Golf has introduced more than 75,000 youngsters to golf around the world who otherwise would never have had the opportunity to swing a club, as well as provide them with opportunities to continue playing in fun and innovative formats.
Golf has been a passion of Engh’s ever since he first began playing as a youngster in Ocean City and then where he later helped lead Maryland State College to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference title in 1961 along with a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics district championship.
Golf Central staff conducted extensive interviews with Engh this summer in Ocean City prior to the annual Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Golf Tournament, as well as a nostalgic trip to the Winter Haven Golf Course in Pocomoke, where he honed his skills. The show also explores how those early experiences helped shape Engh’s tireless efforts these days to help ensure that children have positive and rewarding experiences in all sports.
Engh created the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS), a division of NAYS, nearly a decade ago to help impact the lives of children in poverty-stricken regions of the world. Today the organization partners with The Peace Corps worldwide.
He was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport in 2007.
Childers Family YMCA (Ga.) Recognized as 2011 Hook A Kid On Golf New Site of the Year
Youngsters in Waycross, Georgia received an opportunity to pick up a set of golf clubs this summer – many for the first time – through Childers Family YMCA’s inaugural Hook A Kid On Golf clinics. The YMCA effectively hosted two clinics during the summer of 2011, allowing them to spread the game of golf to 83 local youth.
For their successful implementation of the Hook A Kid On Golf program, Childers Family YMCA has been selected as the Hook A Kid On Golf New Site of the Year. “The YMCA team and members of the community worked very hard to promote this new program and to be recognized as the best new program in the country is an honor,” said Paul Thein, chief operating officer/executive director of Childers Family YMCA.
Devoted to youth development, the team at Childers Family YMCA has not been happy with the current trends of youth in southeast Georgia. More children are becoming obese and less active, there also seems to be a decrease in social skills and self-responsibility, reports Thein.
“We want to make a difference in the decisions our youth are making,” said Thein. Childers Family YMCA’s mission is to work with all youngsters in their community – despite their family’s financial resources – and offer them programming that not only improves their fitness, but also teaches core values, social responsibility and life skills. “Partnering with Hook A Kid On Golf was an easy decision when we learned of their mission,” he said.
Childers Family YMCA worked with Laurie Adams, the local PGA golf professional to implement their Hook A Kid On Golf program. “She had past experience with the Hook A Kid On Golf program and a passion for the youth,” said Thein.
“The day the kids received their new clubs was simply something special,” Thein said. “The children thoroughly enjoyed the Hook A Kid On Golf program and the parents and grandparents were so appreciative.” He credits the support of volunteers and donors for the program’s success.
This success has led Childers Family YMCA to opportunities to work with others in the local golf community to spread the positive effects of golf to even more children. For example, other homegrown youth golf programs have approached them about merging efforts. Thein plans to double the number of children exposed to golf through Hook A Kid On Golf at next year’s clinics. “The more kids we can get involved from more communities is all the better!”
Gulfport (Miss.) PAL Selected as 2011 Hook A Kid On Golf Site of the Year
Since 2002, the Gulfport (Miss.) Police Athletic League (PAL) has utilized Hook A Kid On Golf, offered by the National Alliance for Youth Sports, to enrich the lives of children through the game of golf. Gulfport PAL is noted for their ability to reach a consistent number of youngsters each year. Even in light of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, they were able to keep their Hook A Kid On Golf program strong. Over the years, more than 700 local children have gained the benefits and skills offered by golf because of the Gulfport PAL.
Because of their dedication, Gulfport PAL has been a positive influence on their community and an exemplary Hook A Kid On Golf program, earning recognition as the 2011 Hook A Kid On Golf Site of the Year.
“We are very humbled to be recognized for helping give kids fun and unique activities during the summer,” said Mike Shaw, Police Lieutenant at the City of Gulfport and board member of the Gulfport PAL. “It’s nice to have a little pat on the back to reassure you that you are indeed making a difference in a child’s life.”
According to Shaw, the key to keeping clinic participation numbers up is simply having a good reputation in the community. They also use aggressive and public advertising, such as television, newspaper, web and school flyers to each child in the city.
“It’s important not to get caught up in social media solely to advertise,” warns Shaw. Since many lower economic households do not have computers or Internet access, they can easily miss notices about the summer clinics. “We definitely want those children to take advantage of the Hook A Kid On Golf program,” he said.
Additionally, Hook A Kid On Golf – as well as Gulfport PAL’s other after-school and summer programs – are offered for free. “This makes it easier for parents to have an enriching program for their child to attend,” said Shaw. This factor also helps to increase their participation rate.
“We have the philosophy that there are a lot of youth that may never pick up a golf club or set foot on a golf course if not for Hook A Kid On Golf,” said Shaw. “These are the kids that make us put 100% into what we do.”
In addition to working with local golf professionals that give their time to teach the children the game, Gulfport PAL also utilizes members of their local high school golf teams. While this gives the children another role model to look up to, it also gives the high school golfers an opportunity to give back to the community.
“Giving children an opportunity to broaden their experiences with non-traditional sports such as golf, touches everyone's life from the instructors, the volunteers, and of course the kids,” Shaw said. “Nothing makes you feel better than to go home each day knowing that you positively made a difference in a child's life.”
From Hook A Kid On Golf student to state champion
Over the past 20 years, more than 300 organizations have implemented the Hook A Kid On Golf program in their communities, including the Fort Kent Golf Club in Fort Kent, Maine. More than 120 children have participated in this site’s Hook A Kid On Golf program over the past four years; however, the recent success of one player really stands out.
In November 2010 a virtually unknown junior golfer won the Maine girls' state golf championship at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro, upsetting the favorites. That winner was Alison Prescott, who began playing golf just three years ago through the Hook A Kid On Golf program.
 As America’s most comprehensive junior golf program, Hook A Kid On Golf gives an understanding of the sport’s rules, etiquette and history. “I believe that Hook A Kid On Golf is a great program,” said Michael Nadeau, manager of Fort Kent Golf Club and Hook A Kid On Golf site coordinator.
Hook A Kid On Golf is often a child’s first experience with the game of golf. Although clinics may only last a week, the lessons they learn stay with them long-term. Many participants continue the sport at the high school and college levels while some maintain recreational play.
After completing her first Hook A Kid On Golf clinic, Prescott became enthralled with the game. She joined the school’s golf team, where she continued to develop her golf skills and began to play in a competitive nature. Prescott, a high school freshman, is the only girl on the golf team. She puts her early instruction from Hook A Kid On Golf on swinging, putting and chipping to good use because her coach has her play off the men’s white tees during practices and matches. Nadeau cites this as one of the reasons for her success.
Prescott also began to volunteer at the Fort Kent Golf Club by helping with tournaments and making sure the dispensers at the driving range had sufficient golf balls in them. She even had an agreement with Nadeau that if she picked up the range balls, he would let her hit as many balls back on the range as she wanted.
The two also partnered together for the club’s annual Rocky Bullwinkle Tournament. “The first year we played I carried us to a fifth place finish,” said Nadeau. “For the next two years Alison carried us to first place.”
By gaining a foundation of the sport from participating in the Hook A Kid On Golf program, Prescott is an example of how players can proceed to advanced levels of play. As Prescott has clearly demonstrated in her short time playing golf, there is no limit to success if you are self-motivated, willing to put in the practice and if you are given the opportunity to be introduced to this great game – and Hook A Kid On Golf does exactly that.
 More than 20 years ago, the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) set out to design an instructional youth golf program that would seek to eliminate the barriers that traditionally prevented children from playing the game. With the help of select communities across the country, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and professional golfer Bob Murphy, that dream was realized with the creation of Hook A Kid On Golf.
An instructional youth golf program that also focuses on golf’s rich history, rules and etiquette, Hook A Kid On Golf was designed with the goal of overcoming the exclusionary nature of this wonderful sport and to provide children with a lifetime activity to play beyond their team sports years.
Two decades later, thousands of children throughout hundreds of communities across the country have benefited from this innovative program that is continuing to create enthusiastic young golfers every day.
“One reason we developed Hook A Kid On Golf was because of the need for lifetime activities for children – things that they can play beyond team sports when they get older,” said John Engh, chief operating officer for NAYS. “We wanted to develop a program that would remove the obstacles for children to play the game. We created a turn-key program that brought golf to public recreation and made it affordable to participants."
Backed by the support of Bob Murphy, NAYS was able to successfully launch the Hook A Kid On Golf program after receiving $90,000 in matching grant funds from the USGA to support the development of the program nationwide.
To officially get the program off the ground NAYS relied on 22 communities from various regions of the country that were already using its coach education program, the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA). These communities served as the original pilot sites for the Hook A Kid On Golf program, many of which still use the program to this day.
Representatives from each site were asked to attend a complete educational session in Palm Springs, Calif., in late 1990. During the training session site coordinators were not only trained on how to run the Hook A Golf On Golf program, but were also briefed on how to find golf courses to participate, soliciting youngsters and sponsors, promoting locally, fundraising and much more.
As word of the program began to spread throughout NAYS affiliated leagues and communities, Murphy continued to lend his celebrity status to promotional efforts dedicated to growing the program. In December of 1990 NAYS and Murphy organized the first Bob Murphy Pro-Am to support Hook A Kid On Golf at the Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Bob Murphy Challenge was the first fundraising event that was held for HAKOG and the unique format generated a great deal of interest in the golf community.
“Bob was more than a spokesperson, he was more of a mentor in guiding us – especially with all of the national golf associations,” said Engh. “Bob and his wife Gail have both helped raise well over a million dollars for Hook A Kid On Golf. They have also brought in a number of donors over the years that still help to support the program.”
One on one with Bob Murphy
More than 20 years ago professional golfer Bob Murphy stumbled upon a newspaper advertisement for a new instructional youth golf program offered by the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) called Hook A Kid On Golf. Intrigued by the idea, Murphy quickly contacted them to find out a way in which he could offer his support.
 As luck would have it Hook A Kid On Golf, which was still in its early stages, was in need of a national spokesperson to help promote the program to a national audience. With numerous PGA Tour victories and years of broadcasting accolades under his belt, Murphy more than fit that bill perfectly.
“Originally, I sent a donation in response to their newspaper ad asking if you would sponsor a child to the Hook A Kid clinic,” Murphy said. “I then thought ‘maybe I could do more.’”
In 1990 Murphy was named the National Spokesperson for Hook A Kid On Golf and also began serving as the Chairperson of its Advisory Board. Murphy did not waste much time in his first year as Hook A Kid On Golf’s national spokesman. In December of 1990 he organized the first Bob Murphy Pro-Am to support Hook A Kid On Golf at the Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Bob Murphy Challenge was the first fundraising event held for HAKOG and consisted of a unique format that generated a great deal of interest in the golf community.
Following the tournament and the announcement of Murphy as the national spokesperson, Hook A Kid On Golf continued to grow. Thanks to Murphy’s relationship with Hook A Kid On Golf, to date more than 50,000 children have participated throughout hundreds of communities across the United States
Q: What is your most embarrassing golf moment?
A: “Being out driven by young skinny kids – by 50 yards!”
Q: Tell us about your most memorable moment as a golfer.
A: “Winning the U.S. Amateur while in college, after only playing for four years, was probably my biggest thrill.”
Q: If Hook A Kid On Golf participants could only learn one thing from the game of golf, what would you want that to be and why?
A: “Learning a little about this game is the "hook." Youngsters are quick to learn games. A big part of what we do is helping them enjoy golf.”
Q: How did you first get introduced to the game of golf?
A: “My father played and I caddied. I didn't really play until I took it in P.E. in college and then I was hooked.”
Q: Tell us about your most memorable moment as an analyst.
A: “There were many. One involved me saying Sergio Garcia was going to make a 50-foot putt and go on to win. Johnny Miller said "No way." He made it and won the Player's Championship!”
Q: If you could only play one more round of golf, which course would you choose and why?
A: “One last round would be with my dad and two brothers. We would play Pebble Beach. The U.S. Open just showed why! …Incredible scenery, fantastic design and the weather changes from beautiful to horrible in a matter of hours. What a gorgeous blending of land and sea incorporated in a golf course that is so influenced by the elements.”
Hook A Kid On Golf would like to extend its deepest thanks to Bob and his efforts. Without his passion and involvement, much of what Hook A Kid On Golf has accomplished over the past 20 years wouldn’t have been possible.
In their words - Hook A Kid On Golf coordinators give us their perspective
This is the inside scoop from original coordinators who are still running Hook A Kid On Golf today; providing a snapshot of their experience after twenty years of dedication to the youth of their community through their youth golf programming.
After 20 years of involvement, what impact has Hook A Kid On Golf had on your community?
“Hook A Kid On Golf has given kids in our community the opportunity to be exposed to a new sport which they would not have been learned about otherwise. I have seen kids grow from the beginning level to now playing in college and coming back to coach in our Challenge Golf League. The most rewarding element is to see them develop into good persons/citizens after they have grown older and thank me for being a part of their lives.” –Donald Coleman, Richmond Parks and Recreation
Describe your favorite/most memorable Hook A Kid On Golf moment?
“My most memorable moment was watching all the hard work the kids put into practicing and studying and then seeing their faces when everything they put into it paid off in winning the Traditions of Golf Challenge in 2009.” –Todd Fleener, Cascades Golf Course
What are the reasons you have continued to conduct HAKOG programming year after year?
“Golf is a game of physical and mental control and to teach that to young participants and see them grow is rewarding. To give youth the opportunity that they may never have is the purest form of fun and fundamentals that sets the foundation for the game of golf.” - Joe Rosselli, MCAGCC
What is your proudest (or most memorable) HAKOG participant accomplishment?
“I have watched some of my youth grow from eight years of age to their completion of college. Seeing young men and ladies graduate from great schools like Paul Weiner, Harvard University, Andra Kelly, from Hampton University and Freda Jackson from Spelman College.” –Ray Savoy, Langston Jr. B&G Golf Club
Describe the most impactful partnership you have been able to form through conducting HAKOG for 20 years?
“Our local golf course owners were somewhat skeptical of the HAKOG concept when we first pitched it to them 20 years ago. Now it is a number one priority and they literally turn the course over to us with never any type of charge.” -Frank Seitz, Superintendent of Recreation, Derby Recreation Commission
How has the Hook A Kid On Golf program benefitted your organization or community? Are you helping to create future golfers?
“The benefit for most of my participants is learning the game. To be able to play the game at a beginning level and then progress with the respect for all that is involved. The joys the kids experience when playing with Mom or Dad really help golf become quality time with the family; and being at a highly deployable base makes this very important.” -Joe Rosselli, MCAGCC
United States Golf Association (USGA) grants providing youth across the country the opportunity to enjoy innovative Hook A Kid On Golf program
For more than a decade, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) have been working together to offer the innovative instructional golf program, Hook A Kid On Golf, to children who have previously never had the opportunity to play the game.
 Once again this year hundreds of children all across the United States had the chance to experience the game of golf, in large part due to the financial assistance of the USGA. Any Hook A Kid On Golf site offering Hook A Kid On Golf Tee Level Clinics has the opportunity to receive a matching grant from the USGA, which is used to sponsor participants at no cost.
“The USGA grant enables a lot of children who would not otherwise get a chance to play golf to get involved,” said Todd Fleener, golf program coordinator for Cascades Golf Course (Ind.). “We’re now seeing an increase of families and kids coming to the golf course to play.”
This past summer Fleener, who has been running Hook A Kid On Golf clinics with the help of USGA grants since 2001, held golf camps for more than 40 children in his community.
“It gives them something to do that’s different,” Fleener said. “It’s something that they can do for the rest of their lives, not just for exercise but for business, and is a great family activity.”
Officially launched in 1991, Hook A Kid On Golf is a comprehensive youth golf program that not only teaches youngsters how to play the game, but also emphasizes golf’s rich history, rules and etiquette. The focus of the program is not only to provide children with a fun and productive activity, but also as a vehicle to impart valuable life skills and lessons.
“I believe the program increases self esteem and confidence,” said Jen Godbehere, recreation coordinator for Glendale Parks and Recreation (Ariz.), a Hook A Kid On Golf site since 1995. “It provides youth lessons for life that they can carry with them away from golf: self discipline, self respect and the importance of honesty.”
Thanks to the contribution of the USGA, each Hook A Kid On Golf participant is provided with a starter set of golf clubs and various other pieces of equipment needed to begin to learn the game. At the end of the clinic, youngsters get to keep their clubs and all their other materials, including a member bag tag that signifies their completion of the clinic.
“It’s paying off, more of the kids are sticking with it,” Fleener said. “The kids are kind of falling in love with the sport.”
Hook A Kid On Golf Tee Level Clinics are designed to provide an easy to follow format for any youth organization, recreation agency or golf course to use in setting up a week-long introductory golf clinic for first-time golfers. Tee Level Clinics are broken down into four days (three hours each day) of swing, putting and chipping instruction and one day of on-course play.
“The USGA’s generous matching grants have once again enabled hundreds of first-time golfers to experience this wonderful sport,” said Caitlin Autwell, director for Hook A Kid On Golf. “We look forward to another successful year of working with the USGA to provide meaningful golf experiences to children all over the country.”
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