Lucky 13

 Each year, as May 10 draws closer, I start thinking about how I can adequately describe what the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital means to me. Each year, for what is now 13 years, I know that I will fail in achieving that goal. Each year, since May 10, 2011, I have not even really come close to fully explaining how grateful I am for the kids, and everyone, at Ranken Jordan.

How can anyone possibly describe the pure joy that comes along with all of the smiles, laughter, jokes, and stories that comes from so many great golf shots from so many amazing children? I know I sure cannot do that. That is what these last 13 years have been -- all incredible memories and experiences that I am so incredibly fortunate to have experienced. From the first day I walked into Ranken Jordan not having a clue what I was going to do, to last night at this year's golf tournament at TopGolf with Kiland, Deon, and Jace hitting our ceremonial tee shots, I stand by what I always say -- the kids do far more for me than I could ever do for them.

I do not mention it often enough, but the staff at Ranken Jordan is, quite simply, incredible. The passion they pour into their work each and every day is evident in the miraculous results they get through their "Care Beyond The Bedside" model of healthcare. Mary Ranken Jordan's favorite quote was "consider the children first in all you do." The staff certainly does that and more every day. I am very lucky to witness it and to be able to call so many of them friends.

Prior to the very first clinic 13 years ago, it was already obvious to me that the program would not last long, if it even got started, without the support of friends. The first two phone calls I made to ask for help with golf equipment for the kids -- one to Josh Riley at the Gateway PGA and the other to John Bryan at U.S. Kids Golf -- set in motion something that is more than I could have ever imagined. Through the years so many of my friends have supported the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan in every way conceivable. I cannot thank all of you enough for what you have allowed to happen each and every week for 13 years. Your support is what allows the lives of so many children and their families to be improved through the game of golf. Thank you.

As always, when I sit down to type a blog post (which was pointed out to me quite recently I rarely do anymore), I am looking forward to next Wednesday and being back with the kids. From that very first clinic 13 years ago, my favorite day each week is Golfday with the kids at Ranken Jordan. Being there with them and seeing how golf is making a positive difference in their lives, oftentimes in ways I never would have thought of, is humbling and inspirational. I am eternally grateful the kids have allowed me to be part of their recovery, and look forward to at least 13 more years with them.

This Is Awesome!

The very first time I walked through the doors of Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, I instantly knew I was in a very special place. Go anywhere in the building and you will see and hear children laughing, smiling, playing, and simply being kids. They are doing all of these things at the same time as they are getting better. Ranken Jordan's "Care Beyond the Bedside" model of healthcare utilizes "play" as the key component of the countless miracles that happen every day inside, and many times outside, the hospital. Having the good fortune for golf to be a small part of that is something I am grateful for every day.

Several weeks ago we had a new junior golfer join us and he picked up a golf club for the very first time. That first week, Deon was in his wheelchair and didn't have the strength to swing the golf club on his own, so we helped him with hand-over-hand assistance. From the first golf ball he hit he was hooked! Every week Deon has been one of the first to arrive for golf and one of the last to leave. Over the past few weeks Deon has been getting stronger and required very little, if any, hand-over-hand help to hit golf balls from his wheelchair. This is the type of progress in our junior golf program that I so enjoy seeing. Yes, he is hitting the golf ball harder, straighter, and farther, but the reason he is able to do that is because he is getting better. Little did I know the surprise Deon would spring on me at our most recent junior golf clinic.

Like any of the other weeks, Deon was prompt for our 2:00 p.m. tee time and started hitting golf balls right away. One thing he has started doing much more of the past two or three weeks is trash talking to the golf balls! He gets a kick out of it and he makes all of us laugh when we hear it. Every time he squares up his U.S. Kids Golf driver and hits one really hard we hear him say, "I showed that golf ball who is the boss!" After one such drive, Deon turned to his rec therapist, Sean, and said, "I want to stand up to hit golf balls." Sean immediately grabbed a gait belt to put on Deon to make certain he wouldn't fall and I teed up the first golf ball for him to hit standing up. As you might expect, Deon started to send drives sailing across Ranken Jordan National Golf Links! After about 20 minutes of standing to hit golf balls he told us he needed a break and wanted to sit in his wheelchair, but that he wanted to keep hitting golf balls. A few minutes later Deon was back standing up to hit some more. Before he finished hitting golf balls, Deon looked at me with the biggest smile on his face and said, "This is awesome!"

Yes, Deon, you are absolutely correct. This is awesome, you are awesome, and I can't wait for Wednesday to get here!

12 Years of Smiles

"Anytime you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth." --Roberto Clemente

It should not come as a surprise to many people that baseball is my favorite sport, so it seemed fitting to me that I start this post with my favorite quote from one of my favorite ball players. While I never had a chance to watch Roberto Clemente play in person, he has always been someone I look up to. I do so for reasons other than the brilliant player he was who showed off his canon of an arm in game 6 of the 1971 World Series, or the amazing hitter who stood on 2nd base after doubling off Jon Matlack on September 30, 1972 for his 3,000th and final hit. Clemente was certainly one of the greatest baseball players to ever live, but I take my inspiration from him from the man he was off the field.

For the past 12 years, May 10 has been a day I look forward to each year with great excitement and appreciation. It was 12 years ago on this date that I walked into Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital for the second time -- the first had been a couple of months earlier to plan the junior golf program that would begin on May 10, 2011. For some reason, Janine Roe believed in a crazy PGA Professional who wanted to start a weekly, year-round junior golf program at Ranken Jordan. Fast forward 12 years from that day and I never would have imagined what our junior golf program has turned into, and the impact it has had on so many children and their families.

Starting with our very first junior golf clinic, we have maintained the exact same primary goal -- make the kids smile. More than 5,000 kids have come through our junior golf clinics and I feel we have been very successful in achieving that goal. Many of the kids at Ranken Jordan have never had the opportunity to play sports of any kind, but they are shown that they can play golf, and we do our best to make sure they have fun doing it! The hospital's "Care Beyond the Bedside" model is on full display every Wednesday afternoon, as is Mary Ranken Jordan's favorite quote, "consider the children first in all you do." We all owe Mrs. Jordan a debt of gratitude for starting this amazing facility, and I think she would be ecstatic with the miracles happening there every day.

When talking to people about the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan, people often hear me say that Wednesday is my favorite day each week and the kids do far more for me than I could ever do for them. Both of those statements are completely true! Spending every Wednesday afternoon with the kids is an incredible honor, and I have never left Ranken Jordan when I did not feel that I got more from the day than the kids did. I cannot wait to get back there each week and am always grateful for the support of so many wonderful people and friends who have made the program the success that it is. Thank you to each and every person who has volunteered, donated, supported, offered words of encouragement, and so much more. All of your generosity has allowed so many kids and their families to heal through golf!

As this date drew nearer, I found myself constantly thinking that there is no way this is already the 12th "Trip Around the Sun" (as Jimmy Buffett would sing) for this program. Fortunately, when I look in the mirror I am reminded of another Jimmy Buffett song line when he says "wrinkles only go where the smiles have been." This means we have created plenty of smiles for the kids, their families, staff, and volunteers, and hopefully have improved their lives through golf. Twelve years is just the beginning and I am ready for many, many more! Hopefully over these 12 years I have done my little part in living up to Roberto Clemente's quote, and in doing so, hope that my Mom has watched each and every junior golf clinic from high above with a smile on her face.

I Got Fired For Christmas

 Ok, so I really did not get fired, even though I was told I was fired, then re-hired, then fired, then re-hired . . . You get the idea. For the past month or so, those of us who are at Ranken Jordan on Wednesday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. have been fired multiple times, but we always get re-hired (so far). The first time I heard this directed at me I could not have been any happier about it!

Why would I be happy to hear that I was fired? It is really quite simple. One of our regular golfers, Joe, has been coming to play golf with us the entire time he has been at Ranken Jordan. For the first several weeks, Joe didn't talk. This certainly is not an abnormal occurrence as many of the kids who have been part of our junior golf program through the 11.5 years have either been non-verbal, or just did not talk much. Even though Joe did not talk during those first several weeks, he communicated very well with us through eye contact, smiles, and giving us frequent thumbs up (I am sure Mr. Palmer would approve of him doing this after a great golf shot).

Around the beginning of December I was setting up for our junior golf clinic and as usual Joe was the first one there. He came right up to me, pointed, and said, "Kevin, you're fired!" We both started laughing and I could not have been any more excited to hear that! Right after he said that he smiled and said, "Ok, you're hired." This was repeated at least three more times that afternoon and each time I was happy to hear it.

See, this is where the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan shows just how different and important it is. We are not necessarily looking for the kids to hit the ball a bit straighter, farther, or make more putts. The primary goals of the program are for the kids to smile, laugh, have fun . . . and get better. Golf is a powerful healing tool and I am fortunate to see the proof of that every Wednesday with the kids. When a child like Joe goes so many weeks without talking and then suddenly starts talking non-stop, it shows how comfortable he is with us, and also how much he enjoys what he is doing. Being able to reach kids in this way is far more important than adding a few yards to a tee shot.

Ever since Joe fired me for the first time, we start each Wednesday with a conversation about what he has done in the past week. He talks, smiles, laughs, and enjoys his time with the therapists, volunteers, and other kids. Joe also enjoys seeing how many times he can hit the golf ball in his target net, but not nearly as much as he enjoys hitting me with the golf ball! At this time of year people are always looking back on the year and reflecting on a myriad of things in their life. Each Wednesday I walk into Ranken Jordan I am grateful that I get the opportunity to spend time with amazing kids like Joe. They get golf lessons from me, but I am the one who is learning the most. Is it Wednesday yet?

"I Had Fun!"

 "If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane." -- Jimmy Buffett

Spend much time around me and you will either hear Jimmy Buffett's music or me quoting lyrics from his music. One of the many things I love about Jimmy's music is how fun it is -- there are so many songs that immediately bring a smile to your face or bring sunshine on a lousy day. I was reminded of this line from "Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes" during a recent golf clinic at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital.

We had a new junior golfer walk up to join us and I was immediately told by our soon-to-be golfer that they had never touched a golf club, but looked forward to learning. Due to the injuries that are the reason this youngster is a patient at Ranken Jordan, they have poor flexibility and dexterity in their hands. Our junior golfer initially believed this would be a problem, but that thought was quickly changed! We spent a couple of minutes talking about how fun Ranken Jordan is and then got started learning a new sport. After a few minutes getting the stance and set up just right, I assured our junior golfer that I would help hold the club and swing it.

As is usually the case, my help was needed for all of two or three swings. Our new junior golfer immediately gained all the confidence needed to make swings without any help! I went back to doing what I do best and kept teeing up golf balls. Shot after shot went dead straight and right into the target net! Swing after swing, shot after shot, smile after smile, we both were laughing and having a great time. This continued non-stop for about 15 minutes before our new junior golfer told us "I'm tired and done, but I had fun and want to play golf again!"

You would think after over 11 years of weekly junior golf clinics at Ranken Jordan that I would not be surprised by reactions like this. Smiling, laughing, having fun, and being kids, allows the amazing medically complex children to heal faster and get their lives back. To think that golf plays a small role in that is a very humbling feeling. Watching the kids have the opportunity to see that they can do something and seeing them smile, always has me smiling while I am with them and long after I have to leave. Every week I look forward to Wednesday afternoons when the kids will be smiling and I will be smiling. And as I get older and look in the mirror each morning, all the smiling reminds me of another Jimmy Buffett song lyric: "wrinkles only go where the smiles have been." I am ready for next Wednesday and more smiles!

11 Years and Still Going

Friends and family know that my memory is a bit odd. I have a knack for remembering dates and numbers, but if you ask me what day it is I will very likely give you the wrong answer, however I can quote pretty obscure baseball stats if you ever have use for those (Jimmy Buffett wrote a song called "Useless But Important Information" that could easily describe a lot of things in my mind). Every once in a while, though, being able to remember dates and numbers does have some benefits.

May 10 just so happens to be one of those times. Eleven years ago, on May 10, 2011, I pulled into the parking lot at 11365 Dorsett Road in Maryland Heights, Missouri, for the first junior golf clinic at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital. That first junior golf clinic was the beginning of our weekly, year-round junior golf program at what quickly became one of my favorite places. Yes, you read that correctly. For 11 years we have had junior golf clinics every week, all year long, in St. Louis, and at a pediatric hospital. Kids have come to play golf in hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, and walking on their own. They have had to stop in the middle to take more medicine, get a quick check-up, or wait while a hospital staff member finds out why a machine is beeping. Many of the kids have never played golf before, and many have thought golf was something they would never be able to play. All of them have been included, shown they can play, and learned how much fun golf can be for everybody!

When I first started the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan after reading about a similar program at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, I didn't know what to expect. All I knew is I wanted to use my knowledge of the game of golf to help very sick children heal and get better. Over the last 11 years and more than 575 junior golf clinics (every once in a while we have two clinics a week), I think golf has done just that. One thing I quickly learned during the very first clinic is that there is no better feeling than putting a smile on the face of a child in a pediatric hospital. Golf has become a part of the "Care Beyond the Bedside" model of healthcare for the kids and just typing that brings a big smile to my face.

A successful junior golf program like the one at Ranken Jordan would not happen without continual support from a lot of people. I know one thing I am not good at is expressing my gratitude and appreciation for this support. So many of you have helped through kind words, volunteering your time, financial contributions, and so much more. All of the support is so greatly appreciated and has allowed the game of golf to make such a difference in the lives of so many children and their families. I cannot say thank you enough for all of you who have contributed in some way through the first 11 years, and I can tell you that we are just getting started! And to Janine Roe -- the biggest thank you of all for believing in the crazy guy who presented this idea to you. I am beyond lucky and fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time every Wednesday at Ranken Jordan teaching golf to and learning from some amazing kids. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Who Needs A Wheelchair?

 A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .

"Do you think I can play golf since I'm in a wheelchair?"

"This is fun! I didn't think I could play golf!"

"I'm getting better at golf every week!"

Ok, so maybe these quotes were not said by Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Princess Leia, but they were said at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital by one of our most dedicated junior golfers over the span of the past several weeks. Today when I got to Ranken Jordan and got everything set up for golf, I was greeted by something that had me speechless -- the same junior golfer who said these things and has been in a wheelchair for far too long, walked outside for golf! During the next hour I was in awe as I watched this junior golfer stand with their walker and hit golf balls! We made a few minor tweaks to the swing and soon enough golf ball after golf ball was being knocked across Ranken Jordan National Golf Links and onto the two putting greens!

"Standing up to hit golf balls is so much more fun than sitting in my wheelchair!"

"Did you see that?! I hit that one really far!"

"I could stand here and hit golf balls all day!"

These comments are the type of things we heard all afternoon, and there was also a huge smile to go along with everything said! Days like today provide some of the most rewarding moments possible. When teaching golf to children in a pediatric hospital, success and progress are not thought of the same way as many would think. Typically people look at score, driving distance, or in the case of junior golfers, being able to move back a set of tees, as ways to define success and progress. With medically complex children, we look at getting out of a wheelchair to stand and hit golf balls, being able to hold the golf club independently, or increasing the number of golf balls hit, as measurements of success and progress. No, it is not the "traditional" way of gauging improvement in golf, but golf is so much more than just a game. Golf truly is a healing tool and when you see proof of that in front of you, it leaves you at a loss for words and with an overwhelming sense of gratitude that you get to see it. I understand that every Wednesday afternoon I am the one teaching golf to the kids, but the kids are the ones giving the lessons every week.

Yes, She CAN Play Golf From Her Hospital Bed!

Every golf course around the world has their "regulars" that they can count on seeing at a particular day and time each week for a tee time. One of my favorite things about the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital is the number of kids who are "regulars" every Wednesday for GolfDay. Many of the children are at Ranken Jordan for an extended period of time; the average stay is approximately 42 days, and many are there longer than that. This provides the opportunity for the kids to really start to learn how to play golf with their medically complex health issues and utilize golf in their healing journey as a form of therapy. It also allows me to get to know the kids, and vice versa, as I get to be somebody who is a bit more than someone who just hands them golf clubs.

At a recent junior golf clinic this relationship was perfectly illustrated as one of our junior golfers, CC, who is usually in her wheelchair came to play in her hospital bed. Keep in mind that we have had many kids come to play golf who at some point during their stay at Ranken Jordan have played from their beds, wheelchairs, standers, walkers, etc., so this is not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, I have pictures of one child progressing from hitting golf balls out of his hospital bed to his wheelchair, then to his walker, followed by being held by his gait belt, then standing with no aid at all, and now he sends me regular updates from his weekly nine hole rounds of golf. We always find a way for the kids to play golf and enjoy their time! When CC arrived for golf on this particular day she told me, "I'm just going to watch today because I can't play from my bed." She and I have spent enough Wednesdays together that she knew the look I was giving her even though I was wearing a face mask. It didn't take her long to correct herself and say, "never mind, I forgot who I'm talking to. Where's my golf club?" CC, as she usually is, was correct with that statement!

For the next hour, CC hit golf balls, we all laughed, joked, and everybody had fun -- most importantly CC had fun! To have the good fortune to see her smiling and laughing while playing golf had me smiling for days afterwards. The feeling that comes from putting a smile on the face of a child in a pediatric hospital is indescribable. What really stuck with me after this day was how quickly CC went from thinking she could not do something because she was in her hospital bed to realizing that she could play golf from her bed! This is one of the best things I see on a regular basis at Ranken Jordan -- the staff and volunteers there show kids that they can do things that they did not think they could. That realization is as much a part of the healing process as anything else. Believing in themselves and seeing how much they can do gives them a sense of freedom that many likely would not have had if they had not been at Ranken Jordan. This is a big part of why I get so excited about going to see the kids every week! Bring on GolfDay!

A Plan At Ranken Jordan

Growing up there were several TV shows I really enjoyed watching -- M*A*S*H, Mork & Mindy, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Incredible Hulk, and Magnum, P.I., just to name a few. One other show that I always tried to watch (and if we were gone we would put a VHS tape in the VCR to record it; yes, I'm old) was the A-Team. Recently at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital I got to quote Col. John "Hannibal" Smith. We had a brand new junior golfer, Allie, join us and no matter how much any of us tried, she decided she did not want to play golf. She did, however, stay close and play air hockey instead.

 
After about 15 minutes of distractedly playing air hockey (I noticed her sneaking glances at the kids hitting golf balls) she tried to be sneaky and throw one of the Almost golf balls towards me. I caught it and rolled it back to her -- and Allie laughed. Then she threw it back, I rolled it back again, and she laughed again. This kept on for about 10 minutes before three of us told her if she wanted to keep doing that she had to hit some golf balls first. Allie quickly agreed.

We got her a spot on our indoor driving range, Warner's Corner, where we hit the first few together, and the smile never left her face. The first shot she hit on her own went right into the bullseye of her target net! After about 15 minutes straight of hitting golf balls she decided hitting was more fun than throwing. When it was time for her to go to therapy, she rolled her wheelchair over to me to say thank you, and asked if she could play golf again tomorrow! Arrangements were made to incorporate golf as part of her therapy for the rest of her stay.

Any guesses who the first junior golfer was to show up for golf the following Wednesday? Allie was ready to go 10 minutes early and could not wait to get started. This time she hit for an hour straight all on her own. During that hour she smiled, she laughed, she talked to the other kids, and she had fun. Allie did exactly what any child should do -- she played. In fact, Allie enjoyed playing golf so much that we wanted to make sure she could keep playing when she went home, so we gave her a U.S. Kids Golf yard club and three pink golf balls!This is what Ranken Jordan is all about, letting kids be kids and healing at the same time. I am so fortunate that I get to spend time with the kids every Wednesday and be a very small part of their "Care Beyond the Bedside" model. Every day at Ranken Jordan is special, but those days like the ones described here, when we show a child like Allie that she CAN do something are even more special. While I was walking out to my car after that first day when Allie started playing golf, I had a big smile and thought to myself, as Col. Smith said, "I love it when a plan comes together."

10 Years Fore the Kids

 "Consider the children first in all that you do."

Those words formed Mary Ranken Jordan's favorite quote. On April 9, 1941, Mrs. Jordan founded what is now known as Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, a unique, state-of-the-art facility designed to help children heal physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, so they can return home safely. Eighty years after her vision began, those words are still evident each and every day at 11365 Dorsett Road in Maryland Heights, Missouri. For those wondering, yes, the street number has significance -- 1 mission, 1 child at a time, 365 days a year. Over the past 10 years I have had the privilege and honor to be a small part of that.

Ten years ago on May 10, we held our very first junior golf clinic at Ranken Jordan. It would be the first clinic of what quickly became a life-altering experience for me. When the junior golf clinics at Ranken Jordan first started, I really had no clue what I was doing, I simply wanted to use golf to help medically complex children and their families heal faster and better. That was it, the goal was really that simple. Last year I was asked what the goal of our program is, and the answer is still the same -- "put smiles on the faces of the kids and help them heal." Now, here we are, over 520 junior golf clinics and more importantly, over 5,000 children helped, later, on our 10 year anniversary. This is the point that I could start telling stories about the kids, what we have seen, how golf has helped the kids, what the game has done for the families, or how the hospital has changed. However if somebody got me started on that I might never stop talking. Over the past 10 years I have seen miracles at Ranken Jordan. Some of these have involved golf and some have not, but I have seen miracles. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful and appreciative I am for the opportunity I have to spend time every week with the kids and staff at Ranken Jordan. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

There are no words to describe what the last 10 years at Ranken Jordan have meant to me. The children, their families, staff, administration, board of directors, and donors, are all simply the best. Ranken Jordan is a one-of-a-kind facility, and all of those included in the groups I just mentioned are one-of-a-kind as well. Thanks to all of those associated in any way with Ranken Jordan, over the past 10 years I have grown and improved as a person. I can state without a doubt I would not be who I am today without our weekly golf clinics at Ranken Jordan. There have been very few weeks during these 10 years that someone has not mentioned how much golf means to the kids at Ranken Jordan. I never hesitate to tell them that the kids do far more for me than I could do for them. Unbeknownst to them, the kids have lifted me up when I needed it the most, and have provided support at times when smiles were very hard to come by. They taught lessons that I did not know I needed to learn, but the education was necessary. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

In 10 years there are countless people who have provided support to allow for the success we have had with the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan. I hesitate to mention anybody specifically because there is no way I could do so without forgetting someone who has been (and continues to be) an integral part of our program, but do want to mention four people. Dana Dempsey with Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children took a phone call from a crazy PGA Professional in St. Louis, Missouri, and generously gave that guy a couple of hours on the phone talking about how to make a program like this successful. Josh Riley with the PGA of America (formerly the Executive Director of the Gateway PGA Section) stepped up and provided funding support and equipment through what was then the Gateway PGA Foundation. John Bryan with U.S. Kids Golf never hesitated in providing discounted prices on the absolute best junior golf equipment. And then there is Janine Roe. She agreed to a meeting with an insane guy who wanted to start a junior golf program at Ranken Jordan, and she never wavered in her belief that it would be beneficial to the kids. Ten years later I am beyond thankful to call these amazing people friends, and grateful that they are only a phone call away for help when I need it! For all of the other hundreds of people who have helped along the way, and continue to help, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Each year as we draw closer to the anniversary of the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan I am reminded of the only aspect of it I wish I had done differently -- I wish I had started it sooner. The reason for this is very, very simple -- I wish my Mother had been able to see it. You see, both of my parents were in education, my Dad being a high school math teacher and my Mom being the board of education secretary, and both enjoyed nothing more than helping children. My Mother also greatly enjoyed volunteering her time to the local hospital to help raise critically needed funds. As she laid in her bed at Siteman Cancer Center and less than two weeks before that damn disease called cancer would take my Mother from us, I told her about what was going to happen at Ranken Jordan, what her little boy was going to do there. And she smiled, the same big, beautiful smile we were all used to seeing from her, but that had become less frequent. We lost my Mom 63 days before the first junior golf clinic. Ten years and more than 520 junior golf clinics later, I can only hope she is looking down and smiling with pride.

This has been a much longer than average post for me, but I believe the situation allows for that. If you have stuck with me this long I appreciate it (I had to take breaks typing so thank you for hanging in there this long)! Thank you to everyone at Ranken Jordan who allow me to show up every Wednesday afternoon to spend time with the kids. Thank you to all of you who have provided support in any capacity during the past 10 years (and I hope for continued support for unlimited years ahead). Most importantly, thank you to the kids and their families for allowing me to be a small part of their healing journey. Each and every one of you has provided me with so much; I hope that I have been able to provide something to you in return. Ten years have flown by in the blink of an eye and I look forward to what the next ten years (and more) have in store for us

Fun Golf Therapy

 Junior Golfer: "Golf is hard, but I'm having a lot of fun playing!"

Me: "It makes me happy to hear you are having fun, and you've been working hard at getting better."

Junior Golfer: "I have been practicing a lot and doing a lot of therapy so I can play longer."

Me: "Remember when you started and you could only hit 10 shots before needing a break? Today you've gone for 30+ minutes without a break!"

Junior Golfer: "I know, and look how many I have hit in the bullseye!"

Me: "Your health and your swing are both getting better, and that is wonderful!"

Junior Golfer: "This is great. I never would have thought I could play golf or would enjoy playing it."

The conversation above happened at one of our recent junior golf clinics at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. During the almost 10 years we have had our weekly clinics there, I have had similar conversations with many kids, and I assure you that each and every one of those conversations is special. The combined look of pride and excitement on the faces of all of the kids is something that will always bring a big smile to my face.

Many of the children at Ranken Jordan have been told throughout their entire life that they cannot do things; other children have heard the same thing after accidents altered their life forever. At Ranken Jordan the kids do not hear that and are shown how they can participate and enjoy a wide variety of activities and sports. Golf happens to be the area that I can contribute to this in my own small way. The day that the conversation above happened, I watched that child's face absolutely light up when the first golf ball went into the bullseye. Then, when the very next shot also went in the bullseye, I was ready for the junior golfer to jump out of their wheelchair just like Phil Mickelson reacted after he won his first Masters in 2004!

When a child who has always been told they cannot do something realizes that they can do things, it provides a very powerful feeling not only for the child, but also for all those around them. During my many years playing golf I have been fortunate to have some pretty cool things happen personally on a golf course that I never expected to happen -- had a hole-in-one, shot 29 for 9 holes, set a couple of course records, and won the first junior tournament I played in. None of these personal accomplishments comes anywhere close to the feeling I get when I watch any of the kids at Ranken Jordan accomplish something they did not think they could. Mr. Arnold Palmer once said, "The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done." I would slightly modify that to say that watching and helping the kids at Ranken Jordan do those things is the most rewarding to me.

"Best Day of My Life"

This year has certainly been one that none of us will forget anytime soon! Even with all of the craziness that has been 2020 (that includes all 582 days we have had so far this year), there has been one constant. With my apologies to people like me who are baseball fans and immediately hear James Earl Jones saying "The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball," the one constant I am talking about in this situation is Golf Day with the kids at Ranken Jordan.

While there was about an eight week break in the early summer when I could not go to the hospital to be with the kids, golf continued on each and every week. The staff at Ranken Jordan is so awesome that there were even a couple of weeks when I showed up virtually to help the kids! Golf has become such an important part of weekly activities at Ranken Jordan that everyone, especially the kids, wanted to keep playing. The weeks that I had to miss were pure torture because spending time with the kids has become just as important to me. Fortunately, since the middle of summer I have been able to go back every week to play golf with the kids, while following all necessary safety protocols. As it has been since the first day of the junior golf program there, each and every day has been special.

 

Recently we had a new junior golfer join us and she provided a moment that left me in awe, speechless, and nearly in tears. Those of you who know me best realize how tough it is to have me speechless! As usual when we are inside in Warner's Corner with the kids, we had target nets set up. On this particular day there were some tables and also a couch on our "driving range" so we got a bit creative with where we put the target nets. One of those nets was put on the couch and as our new junior golfer started hitting she confidently declared that she was going to hit one in the bullseye of that target! She immediately got to work in an attempt to accomplish that goal and hit several pretty close to the net, but none in it. Following a club change from her caddie (rec. therapist) and a minor tweak to her setup (her wheelchair was not aligned correctly to allow her to set the clubface square to the golf ball and target line), she started hitting shots all around the net, but still none in it. Only a couple of moments after moving off to help one of the other kids, I heard a yell that anyone getting a hole-in-one would be proud of, and it was followed by this exclamation -- "I did it! This is the best day of my life!!" Yes, she had indeed hit one right in the bullseye just as she said she would!

These are the exact moments that I had missed so much during the few weeks I was unable to go to Ranken Jordan. Experiences like that are exactly why spending time every week with the kids is so meaningful and impactful to me. Showing them they can do something they might not have thought they could, hearing them clearly state a goal with this new game, and then accomplish that goal, is such an incredible feeling that I cannot adequately describe it. For almost 10 years I have been amazed every week by what I see the kids do at Ranken Jordan, and the story I just told is no different. I could never say thank you enough for being allowed to go there each week to spend time with the kids, and what the kids may not realize is that I look forward to Golf Day just as much as they do. Now, is it Wednesday yet?

And Now For 9 More!

"Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth." --Roberto Clemente

Nine years ago today, on May 10, 2011, an opportunity that I believe would have made Mr. Clemente proud, became a reality for me. There are very few instances that I can think of when I can point to an exact day or time and say that day was life-changing for me. Each year on May 10, I write a blog post talking about just such a life-changing event. It was on that day in 2011 that we had our very first weekly junior golf clinic at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital.

During the past nine years, I have had the honor and privilege to spend time each and every week, 52 weeks a year (with the exception of the past several weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic), teaching medically complex children how to play golf. While I only go to Ranken Jordan one or two days a week, there is not a day that goes by when I don't think of something I have seen a child do and it makes me smile (and sometimes brings tears to my eyes). Having the opportunity to use golf as a healing tool for these incredible kids is something I am grateful for every day!

There is no way these last nine years would have been possible without a lot of help and support from many, many people. Saying thank you to each and every one of you seems insufficient, but your help and support, in whatever way it has occurred, is profoundly appreciated. I am so very fortunate to have so many great, kind, and considerate friends who are willing to help at a moment's notice! Each of you has played a part in helping over 5,000 medically complex children smile, heal, and be provided an opportunity to do something many of them never thought they could. I look forward to helping even more children in the future and sharing stories of what you have allowed to happen!

For those of you who have not been to Ranken Jordan, you need to come visit! While there you will be amazed by the entire facility, but especially by the incredible people who make up the Ranken Jordan staff. One person in particular, Janine Roe, has been the driving force behind our junior golf program. You will not meet a person who is more dedicated, caring, and compassionate than Janine. Without her the junior golf program would not be possible. Ranken Jordan is lucky to have Janine on their team and I am lucky to count her as a friend!

Trying to adequately describe the past nine years at Ranken Jordan is impossible. Watching children stand up to hit golf balls (and walk) who have been diagnosed as quadriplegics, seeing children hit golf balls from their hospital bed, or seeing a child's face light up with a smile and hearing them yell, "I did it" after a great shot, leaves me speechless every time. I am so incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with the kids each week, and I look forward to the next nine years of Golfday with the kids! Since I started this post with a quote from a baseball legend, I will end it with another one, but before I do, I want to say "thank you" one more time to each and every one of you who has made this possible!


"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." --Jackie Robinson