Reaching A Milestone

In order to progress and move forward in any aspect of life goals need to be set and milestones will be reached in the successful completion of those goals.  Anyone who has ever played golf knows that this is especially true as a beginner tries to learn the game or an experienced player works to lower their handicap.  It does not matter if you're learning the game at an exclusive country club or working on your swing while you are a patient in a pediatric hospital.  Goal setting is vital to measuring your progress and watching your game improve.

The kids who participate in our junior golf program at Ranken Jordan are no different than any other golfer around the world.  Many of them establish goals and work very hard to meet those goals.  Each week I hear comments like "I've never hit a golf ball that far" or "this is the most putts in a row that I've ever made!"  Earlier this week I had one of the junior golfers comment to me that he had gotten much better at controlling the trajectory of his golf ball.  He could now hit it high, normal, and low on command.  Did I mention he is doing this while swinging from a wheelchair?

Today at Ranken Jordan we had one of our most loyal junior golfers reach an incredible milestone.  This milestone had very little to do with her golf game.  Rather, it showed the progress she has made with her physical recovery and the hard work she has been putting in with her therapy.  If you ask her, she will tell you that golf has become an important part of her therapy program.  She has grown to love playing the game and gets excited by seeing the flight of a well-struck shot.  You may think that this milestone she reached was a longest drive or lowest score on the mini golf course we occasionally set up in Warner's Corner.  If those types of thoughts entered your mind you would be incorrect.  The milestone she reached that left me in total awe was reaching over with her golf club and raking the next golf ball into position to hit.

In past posts I have written about this incredible young lady.  When she first began playing golf she could not sit up in her wheelchair and hit balls for more than a couple of minutes without needing a break.  Due to a lack of physical strength we had to go hand-over-hand for her to hit the ball.  Through hard work and sheer determination she has progressed to being able to hit golf balls on her own for an hour at a time.  Today, for the first time, she showed the hand-eye coordination and steadiness to be able to rake the next golf ball onto the mat to hit.

From a golf standpoint you may think that this is relatively insignificant.  Compared to establishing a career low score maybe it is.  Then again maybe it isn't.  In this particular case I am not overly concerned about what it means for her golf game.  What makes me the happiest is watching her recovery from the day she started playing golf until now.  This is where the game of golf illustrates the important role it can play in the lives of children in pediatric healing facilities around the globe.  Because this junior golfer wants to improve her golf game and get better she has worked harder in therapy and received additional therapy, albeit unknowingly, while playing golf.  The next time you are at the driving range and absentmindedly rake the next ball from the tray, maybe you will think of one of my favorite golfers and the progress she has made in her recovery because of golf.

Springtime in December

Last weekend at Ranken Jordan there was a camp similar to the ones held in the summer.  You may recall me writing about the camp in which we had a large group of kids and a great mix of patients, day treatment patients, and community participants.  Looking up and down the line of kids hitting golf balls you saw kids in wheelchairs, kids requiring help to stand, and able-bodied kids, all of whom were swinging away.  The two days we had golf during those summer camps were a wonderful example of how golf can be a completely inclusive sport.  Last Saturday's camp provided the same type of example.

An unseasonably warm December day actually allowed us to get the kids outside and enjoy some mid-winter sunshine.  Not only did we have a great turnout of kids, but there was a great involvement from the local golf community.  Oak Brook Golf Course's Mike Suhre, PGA, Ann Briar Golf Course's Kevin Schaeffer, PGA, and Metropolitan Golf Association Executive Director Curt Rohe all came out to lend a hand.  Walking up and down the line helping the kids, I saw nothing but smiles on the faces of everybody that sunny morning.  As always, those of us helping took away as much or more from that day than the kids!

While all of the kids had a great time, improved their golf swing, and left smiling, there were two kids who really stood out to me.  The first one, Dakota, I have talked about several times in the past.  He is the young man who we took to the golf course earlier this summer and has not stopped smiling since!  Last Saturday showed exactly how far his golf game has come since he stopped thinking the game is "stupid and boring" and picked up a club.  Anyone who has played golf knows that "click" you hear when you strike a golf ball just perfectly.  This past week Dakota heard that on virtually every shot he hit.  I was absolutely amazed at how consistently he hit the ball.  Shot after shot was sent high and straight across the field. Talking with Dakota after the golf clinic we both agreed that this was the best he has hit the ball since he started playing.

Dakota at The Quarry at Crystal Springs Golf Course

The second junior golfer who stood out to me was a young patient with limited use of one side of their body who took a few swings then walked away with a frown.  I went over and asked why I didn't see a smile.  The conversation went something like this:

Junior golfer:  "I stink at golf.  I can't do this.  My hand won't let me hold the club, my arm won't let me swing the club, and my leg makes it tough to stand up to the ball.  I just stink at golf."

Me:  "Why don't you give it one more try and let me watch you hit a few balls?  I'll help you and we will get you hitting the ball better than ever."

Junior golfer:  "OK, I guess I'll try one more time.  But I'm only hitting 3 balls.  I stink and don't want to do it."

With that the youngster picked up a club, went back to the pile of golf balls, and got ready to hit the 3 balls as promised.  I made a slight adjustment to the junior golfer's grip to allow the left hand to better hold the club, slightly modified the stance, and then it was time to swing away.  Ball #1 was sent flying through the air towards the target . . . and there was almost a smile.  Soon after ball #2 was airborne and had the same result . . . but with a little smile.  Then came ball #3 which wound up being the best shot yet . . . and got a huge smile!  I told our new golfer thank you for hitting the golf balls for me and how great the new golf swing looked.  The next thing I knew another ball was being teed up and sent flying.  After about 20 more swings it was time for a little break.  So much for only hitting 3 golf balls!  When the practice session was over I got a huge smile and was informed that this special junior golfer had decided, "I don't stink at golf."

I always enjoy the camps at Ranken Jordan as they allow for all of the participants to interact and simply be kids.  This is one of the great things golf is doing for them.  The game allows for everybody to interact equally and shows that they are all just kids.  Everybody uses the same equipment and hits from the same spot.  One of the best parts of days like this are watching the able-bodied kids look on in awe as Dakota launches shot after shot past their best drive!  But of course nothing is better than seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter from kids playing a game.

Spreading the Word

Another year is drawing to a close and this is always the time for year end reviews and reflections.  The golf program at Ranken Jordan is closing in on 3 years old and it doesn't seem a day goes by when I don't look back on that time.  One of the things things that has made me the happiest this year (aside from all the smiles and great stories from the kids) is the evolution of the questions I have received from people not associated with the hospital.

Early on in our program questions typically consisted of "Why?"  We would also hear "How do you get the kids in wheelchairs (or hospital beds) hitting golf balls?"  Now many people are starting to "get" it and understand the significant role golf plays in the lives of these great kids.  This year, more often than not, the question I have received the most is about the various media stories on our golf program.  Since I have heard that question so often this year I will keep this post short and provide links to everything.  Please feel free to click and read or watch at your convenience.  The best part of all the articles and television stories is the spotlight they shine on the kids and the hospital.  Every time the golf program is discussed in any type of media coverage the focus goes to the kids and the hospital.  There is also a link to Ranken Jordan's January 18 Crystal Ball Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, MO.  Those who can should definitely attend!

Mary Ranken Jordan Society Service to Children Award Video

Golf Channel article by Al Tays

Joe Strauss article in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

KSDK-TV 5 story about Scott Simpson's visit

KSDK-TV 5 story by Kay Quinn

VuGolf story with Dustin Ashby part 1

VuGolf story with Dustin Ashby part 2

2014 Ranken Jordan Crystal Ball Gala

I certainly hope everyone had a happy holiday season and best wishes for a healthy New Year! Please keep the e-mails, phone calls, text messages, and tweets coming with any comments, questions, and feedback about the junior golf program and/or Ranken Jordan.

Laughing & Living

Winter is firmly entrenched in many parts of the country and the holidays are upon us.  More freezing rain and snow is imminent which means no golf will be played for some time.  However the winter weather will not slow down the kids at Ranken Jordan from playing golf every week.  I have regularly talked about how much fun the kids have with golf and how they will not let much get in the way of them playing this great game.  Even doctors and nurses sometimes have to wait until 1 more putt drops before the kids will put down the clubs!

It was about this time last year that one of my fondest memories from our junior golf program occurred.  Last year we had a young man named A.J. who fell in love with golf the first time we put a club in his hands.  During that first introduction to golf, we asked A.J. what he wanted to accomplish with the game.  His reply was "I want to learn how to walk again."  Fast forward a few weeks and A.J. gave all of us who were there one of the greatest Christmas presents imaginable.  He came to the golf clinic in his wheelchair, grabbed a putter, stood up, walked to the putting green, and rolled a few putts.  As you can imagine there were not many dry eyes.  Thankfully Joe Strauss from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was there to write an article about the golf program.  He easily tells the story in a much more eloquent manner than I ever could.  You can read his article by clicking HERE.

Stories like this, miraculous as they are, are not an uncommon occurrence at Ranken Jordan.  The staff there has figured out one thing:  kids heal better and faster when they are having fun.  There are not many pediatric healing facilities where you walk in and see the patients playing air hockey, ping pong, basketball, or golf.  Often times we will have people come over while we are doing the golf clinic to return golf balls they have found in some far corner of the hospital.  The kids do not spend any more time than necessary in their rooms.  They are up and moving around getting back to living while they are healing.

One other thing that is common at Ranken Jordan is laughter.  There certainly is not a much sweeter sound than a child's laugh.  Hearing that makes it obvious that the kids are getting better while they are having fun.  We certainly have our share of laughs while we are playing golf!  That joyful noise always reminds me of a line from "Changes In Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes," one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs, when he sings "If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane."  That laughter is extra special during the holiday season and has definitely kept me from going insane . . . sort of.

Improving Lives One Swing At A Time

As I sit here typing this post I look out the window and see snow coming down on top of the snow and ice the St. Louis area received in the past couple of days.  With this type of weather some may think that it would be difficult to be excited about the game of golf.  After all, unless I come up with an excuse to go south to warmer weather I won't be playing golf anytime soon!  It certainly is not uncommon to lose a bit of passion and desire for the game knowing that consistent warm weather in this region is a few months away.

The winter months are really the ideal time for golfers to recharge their batteries and do the little things that can pay huge dividends when the next golf season arrives.  For some this could be getting into better physical condition, reading a book by Dr. Bob Rotella to improve their mental approach to golf, or just enjoy some down time after a long season of hard work.  Others may enjoy doing what I am doing right now and watch whatever PGA Tour event is on to see some beautiful golf courses, sunshine, and warm(er) weather.  One thing I do every week that keeps my passion and excitement for this game at a high level is go to Ranken Jordan and work with the kids in that incredible pediatric hospital.

Golf can and does represent a lot of things to the kids in the hospital.  It certainly gives them a fun activity to do while they are in the hospital and provides numerous physical therapy benefits.  They see social and emotional improvements by interacting with their peers through sport.  The kids see possibility and hope from being involved with and learning a game that they can continue to play when they leave the hospital and go home.  And one of the things golf will do for these kids is exactly what I was reminded of recently:  it gives them a reason to smile and look forward to the day.

As I walked into the hospital a few short days ago the mother of one of the kids in our golf program stopped me and told me that her child hasn't been as happy as usual the past couple of days.  However that all changed when she told him that particular day was "golf day."  Suddenly the smile that everybody knows and loves lit up his face and he wanted out of bed as fast as possible.  This game we all love took a couple of bad days and instantly turned things around.  Never mind that weather conditions dictated we stay inside and bang drivers off the windows (how many pediatric hospitals do you see golf balls bouncing all over the place every week?).  Just being able to get a golf club in his hands and make some swings had this young man happy once again.

Sometimes people will ask why I spend so much time at the hospital working with the kids.  My answer always starts by telling them that I don't spend as much time there as I should.  But the reason why I spend the time I do is a story like the one I just related.  By showing up and bringing the game of golf to the kids, their lives are improved.  Some of them will continue to play the game of a lifetime when the leave.  Others will never pick up a club after going home.  But all of them have fun, laugh, and smile while they are in the hospital playing golf.  For those who have never spent time in a pediatric hospital and done something to put a smile on the face of a child I can tell you that nothing compares to seeing that reaction.  Golf has done a lot of things for me during my lifetime but the best thing the game has done is allowed me to bring a bit of joy to the lives of some very special kids.

Thankful For . . .

Another Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone.  If you're anything like me you ate too much turkey, fell asleep watching football, woke up for more turkey, and then fell asleep again watching football.  Holidays are always a great opportunity to spend time with family, friends, and those who are important to each of us.  Thanksgiving is also a great time to reflect on the good things we have in our lives and express our gratitude for all those things we are thankful for.

One of the things that I am most thankful for is having the opportunity to go every week to Ranken Jordan and teach the kids how to play golf.  As I have mentioned before in other posts, starting the junior golf program is without a doubt the best thing I have done thus far in my golf career.  Every week I see or hear something that reminds me of the significant positive impact the game of golf is having in the lives of these children.  While it is not necessary, it is always heartwarming to hear positive feedback from the kids and their families.

In the past week there have been two occasions where the impact of golf program has been shared with me.  The first was through a moving letter written by the mother of a patient who was recently discharged.  Her letter clearly expressed her thanks and gratitude to everyone at Ranken Jordan as they cared for her son and provided her with significant help and guidance as well.  Her son is a sports nut and the only sport he can safely play is golf.  Prior to coming to Ranken Jordan he had never touched a golf club.  Because of the few clinics he attended, he told me right before he went home that he wanted to keep playing, practice, and try out for his high school golf team.

And then we had our golf clinic this morning.  As has been happening recently, we had a large group of kids excited to get a golf club in their hands and start swinging.  While working with one young man he made the following comment to me:

"I don't know what I would have done here without golf.  I might have gone crazy!  Before I came to Ranken Jordan I didn't really like golf.  Now that I have learned how to play I love the game and can't wait to keep playing when I go home.  All of this is because of you."

While he worked on his putting we kept talking about a variety of topics, how much better his putting is getting, the Alabama-Auburn game, and how well Adam Scott is playing, among other things.  However I had to leave him for a few minutes and go help some of the other kids who were there this morning . . . partly to make sure they were working on the right things and having fun and partly to make sure he didn't see the tears of joy that I was struggling to hold back.  He almost made me want to say "War Eagle."

Inspiration

On October 22 of this year, one of my fellow PGA Professionals, Todd Meyer, came to Ranken Jordan to surprise me with the news that I had been selected as the 2013 Gateway PGA Junior Golf Leader.  Needless to say I was in total shock at this very unexpected honor.  Receiving the news from Todd gave the award extra meaning.  Not only is he one of the best teachers in our Section (and around the country in my opinion) but he is also one of the finest gentlemen you will ever meet.

Before I continue on any further I would like to recognize the other very deserving 2013 Gateway PGA Award Winners:

Joe Dodich PGA Professional of the Year:  Gideon Smith
PGA Assistant Professional of the Year:  Brandon Coffey
PGA Teacher of the Year:  Barbara Blanchar
PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award:  Jeffrey Field
PGA Horton Smith Award:  Craig Liddle
President's Plaque/Growth of the Game:  Jon DePriest
PGA Resort Merchandiser of the Year:  Ryan Manselle
PGA Public Merchandiser of the Year:  Ty Zimmerman
PGA Private Merchandiser of the Year:  Mike Tucker
Hard Goods Sales Rep of the Year:  David Kohlberg
Soft Goods Sales Rep of the Year:  Michael Bechert
PGA Player of the Year & Senior Player of the Year:  Bob Gaus
PGA Super Senior Player of the Year:  Steve Heckel
PGA Assistant Player of the Year:  Shane Blankenship
PGA Women's Player of the Year:  Barbara Blanchar

In preparation for our annual awards dinner in early December all of the awards recipients received a questionnaire that needed to be completed.  Our answers help provide information that will be used throughout the evening.  One of the questions asked who has provided the greatest inspiration in our career.  My answer included four people:  my mother and father, Robert Harper, PGA, and Annette Thompson, LPGA.  Each of these people has contributed more to my career as a PGA Professional and who I am as a person than they will ever know.  There is no way I would be where I am today without the influence and guidance they have provided.

However there is another group of people who provide an incredible  amount of inspiration and influence every week.  This group would be the kids at Ranken Jordan who take part in our weekly golf clinics.  It is without hesitation that I will tell anyone that these amazing kids provide continuous influence and inspiration as I strive to continually improve as a PGA Professional, father, son, and human being.  Far too often you hear the comment that something "has put it all into perspective."  I have a tendency to let that type of comment go in one ear and out the other.  What I see on a weekly basis really puts everything into perspective.

Today in our golf clinic we had 10 kids . . . 5 in wheelchairs and 5 ambulatory.  Watch the interaction between the kids, the attitudes of all of them, and spend just a few minutes talking to them.  Do this and your entire thought of what "puts things into perspective" will be changed forever.  As we move closer to our awards dinner all of this year's recipients will see people who helped get us to where we are and we will have the chance to thank them in person.  I am very fortunate that I get to see one group of people who helped me get to where I am, and continues to push me to grow personally and professionally, on a weekly basis.  To those 1,500+ kids and counting and the staff at Ranken Jordan . . . Thank You.