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A
'mini' version of golf designed specifically for young children
at infant and primary schools.
Introduction
In November 2000, a 'mini' version of golf was specifically designed
for use by young children in infant and primary schools. This involved
developing youngster-friendly equipment that has proved to be popular
with children, affordable for schools, and easy for teachers to
use.
In addition, resources giving ideas for games and activities that
can be linked with the PE and educational curriculum were produced,
and a 3-hour teacher training workshop was introduced. All of this
has led to an explosion in the amount of golf activity taking place
in primary and junior schools across the British Isles.
The introduction of Tri-Golf has made it possible for the education
sector and golfing community to work closely together for the benefit
of the schools, the clubs and the young people in a situation where
everybody wins.
· Tri-Golf has broken new ground and has demonstrated how
golf can be delivered through fun-based activity sessions involving
large groups of youngsters.
· Tri-Golf has changed the way golf is perceived by the education
and local authority sectors and the youngsters themselves.
· Tri-Golf has made it possible for golf to be taken into
almost any environment.
· Tri-Golf has been used to encourage girls to participate
in sport.
· Tri-Golf is helping to encourage responsible social behavour
because of golf's emphasis on honesty, integrity and good sportsmanship.
· Tri-Golf has reached youngsters who would not normally
have considered golf as an option.
· Tri-Golf has been used to provide a focal point for over
300 school and community projects.
· Tri-Golf has been used within schools to teach not only
P.E., but also maths, citizenship and other subjects.
· Tri-Golf has helped Police Officers to engage with young
people and turn them away from crime.
Tri-Golf equipment
Tri-Golf equipment is the only adapted golf resource developed specifically
for use in British schools and is the safest equipment available.
Each Tri-Golf pack includes chippers with over-sized clubheads,
putters, a variety of over-sized foam balls and other items needed
to run the games and activities. The clubs have been specially designed
so that they are safe to use in the school environment and make
it easy for the children to achieve success. Other accessories are
available, including a pop-out target with Velcro balls, which enable
teachers to expand the variety of golfing activities they can deliver.
A Tri-Golf pack includes:
* 9 Right handed Tri-Golf Irons * 2 x 3.8m Target ropes
* 1 Left handed Tri-Golf Iron * 10 Marker flags
* 9 Right handed Tri-Golf putters * 16 Pieces of construct-a-hoop
* 1 Left handed Tri-Golf putter * 29 Resource cards
* 30 Super safe foam golf balls & bag * 1 Tri-Golf kit bag
* 10 Pairs of throw down feet * 1 Notes for use
* 50 Marker cones (5 colours) plus stand
In addition, new equipment has been developed which makes it possible
for schools to create a more realistic golfing experience on the
playing fields or in the school halls. Using the Driving School
pack, schools can set up a driving range within their grounds and
then use the Course Pack, which includes tee markers, trees, rough,
a water hazard and a flag, to make the perfect golf hole! Click
here to visit the F11 Golf website.
Games and activities
The Development Team has expertise in creating educational play
activities for children and has produced more than thirty different
games around Tri-Golf that are presented in the form of activity
cards. These make it possible for teachers to introduce golfing
concepts and skills through fun games rather than technical instruction.
They also enable teachers to use golf as a way of encouraging learning
in other areas; for example, maths, from scoring, literacy and citizenship
(golf is a game of honesty and self-regulation).
The games include a 'Simon Says' style game that introduces basic
golf terminology, a 'Divots' game which teaches care of the course
in a fun way, and 'Bullseye' which helps to develop distance control
and accuracy. On each game card there is a description of the activity,
details of how it runs and options for making it easier or harder.
A set of games cards is included in the Tri-Golf pack.
Tri-Golf Resources for Teachers
All teachers and coaches on a Tri-Golf workshop receive the new
Tri-Golf manual. This contains a scheme of work including 5 lesson
plans for delivering golf for a half-term of a standard PE lesson,
linked to the Key Stage 2 PE curriculum. With cartoons, the lesson
plans show the progression within a lesson and also challenges from
the Tri-Golf Skills Award that can be run in conjunction with the
lesson. The Tri-Golf manual is very much pupil-centred with participants:
" developing skills for life such as cooperation, honesty and
respect;
" setting up the challenges using a putter as a unit of measurement
and assessing their own performance;
" designing, demonstrating and playing activities within a
skills festival at the end of the coaching block.
Also, as participation in golf requires the use of numbers and mathematical
skills, it was felt that a Numeracy Activity Book could help to
teach maths through golf and golf through maths. To ensure that
this would be used successfully within the classroom, the book was
developed by maths specialists and aligns with specific curriculum
standards, for length, shape, time and weight elements at Key Stages
I and II, and each worksheet is marked with the relevant standard
at the bottom of the page (e.g. L2, S14, T12, etc.).
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