Time For Camp!

Thirty-two smiling junior golfers.  Some of the kids walked to the area where they would practice.  Some of them ran to the same spot.  Still others rolled themselves or were pushed in their wheelchairs.  The method by which they arrived is irrelevant.  What is important is that they were all there with the same purpose:  to hit golf balls, learn how they could improve, and have fun.  Able-bodied kids were sandwiched in between kids with obvious physical challenges.  The ironic thing about it is the junior golfers who kept asking to hit more golf balls were the ones who are patients at Ranken Jordan!

Mikey T. and Dakota working on their chipping while Ali Wells gives a tip to a camper.

Each summer Ranken Jordan conducts camps that are 100% inclusive and all of the activities are able to be completed and enjoyed by each and every kid who participates.  This summer marks the third year that golf has been a part of their summer camp.  Every year the number of kids who come for the golf clinics has grown and it seems the size of the smiles on their faces continues to grow as well.  Thirty-two kids may not be a lot when compared to many junior golf programs around the country.  However when you are talking about a junior golf program at a pediatric hospital it is a great number!

Unlike some of the "traditional" junior golf programs I have been involved with ours does not rely on the number of players to determine how successful it has been.  Do we want to see as many kids as possible enjoying the game and having fun outside on a sunny summer morning?  You better believe we do.  But we do not use this number as the focal point in deciding if the golf clinics should continue on in the following year's camps.  Rather we look at the faces of the kids while they are hitting golf balls and as they are heading back inside to Warner's Corner for more fun and games.  Those expressions we see are the determining factor of whether or not we have achieved success.

Bombs away!

One other way we determine the level of success is from the interaction of the kids with each other.  It is not often that you the mixture of kids all playing the same game like you do at Ranken Jordan.  On a weekly basis throughout the year we show the patients that they can play and enjoy golf.  During the camps we have the opportunity to show the able-bodied participants from the community that just because a child is in a wheelchair it does not mean they should not be included.  In fact, during the clinic on June 25, 2013, I watched 2 young men in wheelchairs hit the ball farther than the able-bodied kids who were hitting next to them!

It has been well-documented in various blog posts that our golf program runs year-round thanks to the wonderful facility we have to work with.  During most of those weeks the focus is on showing the patients that they can participate in a sport, enjoy it, and have success with it.  Those weeks of diligent practice lead into these weeks during the summer where the patients have the opportunity to show off their skills to their peers.  While working with a couple of the patients at Ranken Jordan, I looked up at different times to see some of the campers staring in awe as ball after ball was sent flying straight as an arrow.  As I walked up and down the line of junior golfers offering a tip here and there, I often found myself wondering who was learning more, the patients, camp participants, or those of us who were supposed to be providing the instruction!

The 5th Major?

For many PGA Professionals the start of the golf season includes marking their calendars for the dates of the Section tournaments they plan to play in.  Many Professionals will find themselves playing in tournaments almost every Monday throughout the golf season.  Unfortunately I do not play that much but I do mark my calendar early in the year for the 2 events I always make certain to play in.  Only one of these events I always plan to play in is a Gateway PGA Section event (PGA Golf Day www,pgagolfday.com).  The other event is the Ranken Jordan Golf Tournament (click HERE for info).

This year's event is July 8 and will be held at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, MO.  Norwood Hills is a great country club and in the past has hosted several PGA Tour events including the 1948 PGA Championship won by none other than Ben Hogan.  Tom Watson met his long-time caddy, the late Bruce Edwards, at this historic club.  There are plenty more stories of famous names who have walked the links at Norwood Hills.  As has been the case the last few years, there is one golfer playing in the Ranken Jordan tournament that many have not heard of but all could gain inspiration from.  The young man's name is Sam Ward and recently I learned I will have the honor and privilege of playing alongside him on July 8.  You may ask why am I looking forward to playing with Sam?  Click HERE to watch a short video and learn more about what Sam has successfully battled to continue playing golf.

According to the United States National Library of Medicine, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking.  Symptoms may include muscle weakness or loss of movement in a group of muscles, abnormal gait, muscles that are very tight and do not stretch, or joints that are tight and do not open up.  These symptoms may affect one arm or leg, one side of the body, both legs, or both arms and legs.  Sam has not let cerebral palsy keep him off the golf course just as he has not let the major hip surgery he had slow him down.  The surgery required him to be at Ranken Jordan for 6 weeks of very intensive rehabilitation.  Initially Sam had to have assistance getting from the golf cart to the golf ball and was only able to play limited shots.  The next year he got around on his own with the aid of a walker.  Following that he walked on his own and did not need the help of anybody or anything to play all 18 holes!  Thanks to his hard work Sam's golf game has continued to progress and improve; I have heard a lot about him and look forward to watching him play up close.

As I mentioned, this year's golf tournament is July 8 at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, MO.  It is not too late to enter a team and/or contribute in some way to the golf tournament.  To sign up, contribute, or get more information about the tournament please contact Elaine Hickerson at 314.872.6412 or elaine.hickerson@rankenjordan.org.  Each year this single event raises in excess of $40,000!  Every dollar raised by Ranken Jordan makes an incredible difference in the lives of thousands of kids every year.  The kids who see these benefits are there because they need to be there.  The ability or inability of a family to pay for the medical care their child receives is never a factor in determining who is admitted to Ranken Jordan.  And once these children are at Ranken Jordan they can begin participating in the junior golf program!

Every child is welcome at our clinics and they always leave with a smile.  Just think, once you sign up to play in the July 8 golf tournament you might even have the chance to watch a kid from our program bomb a drive past the one you just hit!  How good would it feel knowing that the money you donated for playing in the golf tournament led to medical and rehabilitative care for a kid that may not have been possible otherwise . . . and then led to that kid being introduced to the game of golf.

It Happened Again

It happened again.  As ball after ball is struck and shot after shot flies through the air it happened again.  While it is not a common occurrence it is not exactly a rarity, either.  Standing to the side watching her 4 year old daughter swing a golf club a mother has tears rolling down her cheeks as a smile covers her face.  Watching her daughter hit golf balls is not what is making her cry tears of joy.  Simply seeing her daughter out of her wheelchair doing something athletic brings more joy than she could have ever imagined.

Physical limitations cause the junior golfer to only be able to grip the club in her right hand.  Balance and coordination limitations require that I have a hand on the club to guide the swing and help her make contact.  One other adjustment we have to make in teaching her is that she has not been able to get out of her wheelchair for very long . . . and until this first time playing golf she had never stood in grass.  After a couple of swings her physical therapist (because of the balance issues the therapist is there to hold her and make sure she is able to stand and hit golf balls) and I determine it would be best if she stands on the edge of the sidewalk, we place the golf ball in the grass, and she hits from there.  This is not something that is even considered in a typical junior golf program at golf courses around this country and around the world.  However at Ranken Jordan, this type of adjustment is just another day in our golf program.

Making adjustments in our teaching from student to student is nothing new for PGA Professionals.  Every lesson is a different student meaning a different way of learning, different strength & flexibility, different type of player, etc.  Reasons like this are why golfers go to PGA Professionals for lessons.  We have the knowledge and training to make these adjustments, tailor our teaching to the individual student, and ensure the student gets the maximum benefit from their time on the lesson tee with us.  What is rare is having to make adjustments because someone has never stood in grass before, can only see an orange colored golf ball, or has a cast on their right arm one week followed by a cast on their left arm 2 weeks later.  These are the adjustments I, and the other PGA Professionals who go to Ranken Jordan, make on a weekly basis.  As has been mentioned in several other blogs, these types of changes provide the rewards that have given me the most pleasure I have experienced during my career.

I have seen students transform their game through hard work and lessons and make the jump from amateur golf to the professional level.  I have watched students break 100 for the first time following a long season of diligent practice and instruction.  I have also watched a student pick up a driver for the first time and hit a high, soaring drive that has her jumping up and down on the lesson tee.  But what I have enjoyed the most are moments like what happened this past Tuesday during "Golf Day" at Ranken Jordan.

These are the memories that would have never happened if I had not met with Janine Roe and created this amazing program.  Thinking back to the week before Christmas in 2012 and watching 13 year old AJ get out of his wheelchair, take his first steps, sink a few putts, and then walk back to his wheelchair still brings tears to my eyes.  Now that I think about it, having him stand up and play the game as opposed to in his wheelchair was another adjustment I had to make in my teaching.  That is the type of adjustment that makes all the time and effort so worthwhile.  This crazy game we call golf is making a difference in the lives of thousands of children with complex medical conditions.  I am honored to have a small role in making that difference.  The "difference" I am talking about . . . this past Tuesday it happened again.

A Great Compensation Package

It is amazing what a couple of short television news stories can do for the awareness of a golf program at a pediatric hospital.  Following the stories done by Art Holliday with KSDK-TV 5 (NBC affiliate in St. Louis) and Martin Kilcoyne with Fox 2 (Fox affiliate in St. Louis) people from all over have been asking questions of me, my family members, friends, etc.  You would think that the questions would relate to the visits we had during the Senior PGA Championship from Chamions Tour Player Scott Simpson, PGA President Ted Bishop, PGA Vice-President Derek Sprague, and PGA Secretary Paul Levy.  However the questions have been more about the program in general, specifically how the kids are able to play golf and how am I compensated.

Scott Simpson giving Deontay tips while Kevin Corn and Lauri Tanner look on

The latter part of that last statement is what this post will focus on and those of you who have read the blog posts since the beginning can provide a quick answer:  I am not compensated financially for the weekly golf clinics at Ranken Jordan.  Neither are any of the other PGA Professionals who have provided instruction to the kids.  You want to know the funny thing?  None of us have ever even thought about being paid for doing what we do.  The rewards we get from working with the kids far outweigh what a paycheck could provide.  How many of you have been a part of anything where a 13 year old tells you they want to learn how to walk . . . and then you watch him take his first steps up to a putting green, sink a few putts, and then walk back to his wheelchair?  Or how many of you have ever had a mother crying on your shoulder as she thanks you for making her wheelchair bound son's dream of playing golf come true?  Maybe you have at least had a "sword fight" (using putters) as a way of convincing a 6 year old boy he really needed to go to therapy.  I could go on and on with examples like this.  Situations like this do not happen every week, but they do happen regularly.  Typically what we see that provides all the "compensation" we need is a huge smile when one of the kids hits a ball on the sweet spot and gets that special feeling all golfers long for.

When told that the instructors have never been paid a dime, nor will they be, most people are left in disbelief.  What they apparently don't get is that the reason we are doing this is because we know we are making a difference.  Maybe the difference will be that some of the kids will continue playing golf when the leave the hospital and our game will benefit accordingly.  Maybe the difference will be some of the kids will see improved strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, social interaction, and greater self-confidence.  Maybe the difference will be that some of the kids will see their bad day turned into a good day because of the time they got to spend playing golf.  Or just maybe the difference will be simply allowing these great kids to be kids for an hour each week.  Speaking from 2+ years of experience I can tell you the difference is all the above and then some.  Since starting the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan it has become obvious to me what a great healing tool golf is for these kids and that is really all that matters.

PGA Vice-President Derek Sprague helping Tyler get lined up

Imagine if you were in a hospital after being hit by a car, as the result of a stroke, or an issue with your lower body that leaves you confined to a wheelchair.  As adults many of you can put yourself in that place and begin to think about how you might deal with the situation.  Now imagine if that scenario happened during your youth while you were growing up.  Instead of going outside and playing with your friends during summer break you are going to therapy on a daily basis hoping that at some point you will be able to get out of your wheelchair for good.  Your dreams are the ones that many kids have of playing professional baseball or being a police officer.  How do you think you would deal with that situation?  I would expect your answer to be a bit different than how you would handle it as an adult.

Corey is already talking to his mom about how often he will practice his putting!

My role at Ranken Jordan, and the role of all the other PGA Professionals who help, is not to find the next Rory McIlroy or Natalie Gulbis.  We are there to provide an outlet for these great kids to simply be kids and see that they can be involved in a sport if they choose to.  As I mentioned, golf is a great recovery tool and our program is used that way in a lot of instances.  If what little time we spend there can brighten the day of any of the kids then we have had a very successful clinic.  Of course, I always enjoy hearing from the kids who have left the hospital and still continue to play golf.  But what I really cherish, and the reason why I go back every week, is to see the smiles and hear the kids say "this is fun!"

A Visit From the President, Vice-President, & Secretary

St. Louis and its love for sports was once again well represented by an exciting 2013 Senior PGA Championship played at Bellerive Country Club.  The city and surrounding communities turned out in record numbers to support the tournament and all of the participants.  St. Louis has long been known as the best baseball city in the country but the people here also have an indisputable passion for all sports.  The support this golf tournament received was no surprise just as the support shown to the St. Louis community from those involved in the tournament was no surprise.

PGA President Ted Bishop jumps in and offers a quick tip

 As I have referenced several times through the posts on this blog, charities play a central role in many golf events played every year.  These events range from small, local events that may raise several hundred dollars to a professional event that may contribute over $10 million each year.  You can easily find stories all over the internet and the charities section on the PGA Tour website does a great job documenting just how much charitable money is raised each week.  However one level of support goes unnoticed and unreported.

Each week many players and tournament officials spend time conducting clinics, visiting schools, or spending time with patients at local hospitals.  If you read the last post on the blog you learned that early in the week of the Senior PGA Championship Ranken Jordan had a visit from 1987 U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson.  You may also have seen this story reported on the Fox 2 or KSDK-TV 5 news here in St. Louis.  What wasn't reported was the visit Ranken Jordan had on Friday of the golf tournament.  This visit was from the three officers of the PGA of America:  President Ted Bishop, Vice-President Derek Sprague, and Secretary Paul Levy.

Paul Levy, Ted Bishop, Lauri Tanner, Kevin Corn, & Derek Sprague with Deontay & Patrick

Anyone who has played golf knows there is a tremendous amount of behind the scenes work that goes into running a successful golf tournament.  While the PGA of America has a staff dedicated to running their events, the officers have a great deal of responsibility before and during the week of the championship.  Even with all of the responsibilities and demands on their time, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Sprague, and Mr. Levy still found time to visit Ranken Jordan, work with the kids, and tour the hospital.  Almost immediately upon arriving at the hospital they dove right in and began sharing their knowledge of the game with the kids.  After working with the kids, spending time getting to know them a little bit, and giving out golf balls and hats, they went on a tour of the hospital led by Lauri Tanner, President & CEO at Ranken Jordan.  Their 90 minute visit left them amazed at the work done by Ranken Jordan and impressed with the way the kids can hit a golf ball!

PGA Vice-President Derek Sprague offering swing tips while Kevin Corn, PGA, looks on and PGA President Ted Bishop poses for a picture in the background

These visits are often the level of involvement that is not discussed or reported.  I wanted to highlight it because it shows the generous nature of these three gentlemen and also begins to illustrate that it doesn't always take money to improve what a charitable organization provides.  These three men gave an hour and a half of their time to bring smiles to the faces of these kids and tell the staff "thank you" for the work they do on a daily basis.  Every week I see the value of simply spending time with the kids and doing the "little things" that help them simply be kids.  Financial contributions are critical to providing the facility and ability to be able to take care of the kids who so badly need what Ranken Jordan offers them.  But our weekly golf clinics, and the visits from Scott Simpson and the PGA's President, Vice-President, and Secretary, perfectly illustrate how critical volunteer time is and the positive effects of what the game of golf can give these kids.

Golf Lesson of a Lifetime

The 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is being played this week in St. Louis at Bellerive Country Club.  As with any professional golf tournament there is a tremendous amount of benefit to the local community and a wide-variety of charities.  One of the primary reasons the PGA of America selected Bellerive as the host site for this event as well as the 2018 PGA Championship is the development of the PGA REACH program.  This innovative new program was developed by our Section's Executive Director, Josh Riley, and a small group of key members at Bellerive.  Through their hard work St. Louis sports fans were rewarded with these two great golf tournaments.

Sometime shortly after Christmas I got the idea that the kids at Ranken Jordan would enjoy having one (or more) of the players in this year's tournament come to the hospital and give them some tips on their golf swing.  With that in mind I looked at the roster of players on the Champions Tour and who would likely be in town to play in this tournament.  I narrowed the list to a small group of "good" guys who have been involved with charities benefiting kids or people with disabilities (and both in some cases).  Of the 4 players I contacted two replied almost immediately and expressed their desire to visit Ranken Jordan.  Those two players were Scott Simpson and David Frost (who ultimately chose to play in the PGA Tour event this week and did not come to St. Louis).

Mikey T. with his mom and grandmother surrounded by Scott Simpson, Kevin Corn, Brett Moorehouse, and Jon Loesch

After exchanging numerous e-mails with 1987 U.S. Open winner Scott Simpson, we decided I would pick him up at Bellerive following the Tuesday pro-am and he would spend an hour or so with the kids at Ranken Jordan.  For those who have never met Scott or don't know much about him, we could not have had a nicer, more gracious professional golfer spend time with the kids and offer suggestions on how they could hit the ball better.  Scott spent almost an hour giving tips to the kids, staff members, and small group of media who were there.  He filmed a couple of interviews (please click HERE to watch the KSDK-TV 5 story) and answered any and all questions asked of him.  Prior to leaving he toured the facility with Dr. Nick Holekamp and signed several golf balls to give to the kids.

These are the types of things players do that oftentimes go unnoticed.  It is the week of a major championship and Scott certainly didn't have to generously give his time to visit the kids at Ranken Jordan.  Prior to this I had never met him nor had any contact with him; I was just hoping one of the players I contacted would like the program and want to see how we are impacting the kids with the game of golf.  Yet here is Scott walking off the practice green, putting his clubs in my car, and driving over to Ranken Jordan with me to spend time with the kids when he could be practicing.  His visit provided a tremendous boost to the kids and gave another opportunity to increase the exposure of Ranken Jordan throughout the St. Louis area and the golf community in general.

Deontay showing off his skills while Scott Simpson, Kevin Corn, and Lauri Tanner look on

In the future I would like to see and hear more about players doing these types of things.  I have written about the amount of money donated through golf and it is well known that golf contributes a ridiculous amount of money to charity every year.  However, more often than not, the time that can be spent with the people directly affected by the charities can be just as important as giving them more money.  The expressions we saw on the faces of the kids while Scott was there made it clear that his time had a tremendous impact on them.  Who knows, maybe the PGA Tour will hire me to establish one of these programs in every city with a PGA Tour event and/or a Champions Tour event!

Donating A Smile

The single most rewarding part of the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan is seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids when they hit a good golf shot or make a putt.  Yes it is great to see the kids who enjoy the game so much that they continue to play after they leave the hospital.  And it is wonderful to watch family members smile and cry when they watch shot after shot flying through the air.  But nothing compares to that ear-to-ear smile when a kid feels that "click" from a well struck shot and realizes that they can play golf regardless of their physical limitations.

Elijah making another chip shot into the net.  The progress he has made with his rehabilitation is amazing; his wheelchair is a thing of the past!

 Several of the posts on this blog have mentioned how supportive Josh Riley and the Gateway PGA Foundation have been.  Their help and support have allowed this program to succeed and impact many more kids than we could have ever imagined.  It is true that the support from the facility (Ranken Jordan) and instructors (PGA Professionals) will ultimately determine the success of the program.  However, without the backing of the Gateway PGA Foundation the program would have been much more difficult to get off the ground.  They have generously provided the equipment necessary to allow the kids to learn the game of golf and enjoy the benefits of being involved with a sport alongside other kids.  The only question that has ever been asked is "What do you need?"

The Gateway PGA Section does not have to be alone when it comes to supporting the junior golf program at Ranken Jordan.  You can get involved in your own way and to whatever level you are comfortable.  You can go to bed every night knowing that you provided the necessary support for one (or more) of these amazing kids to show off their ear-to-ear smile.  Are you asking yourself, "How can I be the reason for the excitement and enjoyment these kids are seeing every week through the game of golf?"  If you are the answer is very simple:  Donate to the junior golf program.  Here are just some of the golf-related items we use, or could use, on a regular basis:

• US Kids Golf Clubs:  As mentioned in many of the posts these are the clubs we use each week for the clinics.  I would like to be able to send at least 1 club home with each kid who expresses a real interest in continuing to play the game of golf when they leave the hospital.  One young man, Corey, who I wrote about in a previous post, went home with a putter, putting green, and golf balls.  We unfortunately do not have the means to do this with very many of the kids.
• Almost Golf Balls:  These are the golf balls we use for the clinics.  They are limited flight, much softer than regular golf balls, and allow us to move seamlessly from outdoors to indoors when weather dictates.  When kids go home with golf clubs we would also like to be able to send some of these golf balls with them.
• Golf Accessories:  Hats, towels, ball mark repair tools, etc.  One of the visions I had for this program was having a "going home package" to give to the kids when they leave the hospital.  As mentioned above, this would be for those who are seriously interested in continuing to play once they go home.  It would be wonderful to be able to set up the kids with some of the basic items needed for a round of golf.  The few hats I have given to the kids, all with the Ranken Jordan logo somewhere on the hat, have been incredibly popular.
• Practice Aids:  Putting mats, chipping nets, and full-swing nets are used each week in the clinics.  These would also be great items to send home with the kids who would benefit from using them to further their golf game.  Corey certainly enjoys the putting mat he went home with!

Corey & his mother with the practice putting mat and putter that he went home with.  He also received some Titleist golf balls to use for his practice!

Some of you may be concerned about making sure you are purchasing the correct items to donate.  You can solve that issue one of two ways by either making a monetary donation or contacting me to guide you to the right items.  Whichever path you choose to proceed down, I encourage you to contact me first (my e-mail address is at the top of the page) and I will gladly answer any questions you may have.  Your donations can go directly to Ranken Jordan or to the Gateway PGA Foundation.  Both organizations are 501 (c)(3) charities so you will receive the necessary information for your taxes.  Another way to make a financial contribution is to the Gateway PGA Golf Day.  These donations will go to various charities, Ranken Jordan being one, around the Gateway PGA Section and can be made through August 8, 2013.  Please click HERE to be taken to the donation page.

Establishing this program has easily been the best thing I have ever done in my golf career.  Having the knowledge that what we are doing at Ranken Jordan is making such a huge difference is an amazing feeling.  You can enjoy that same feeling by knowing that you are providing the means for these kids to enjoy the game of golf.  Please contact me with any questions you have or to make a donation.  Not only will you impact the lives of the kids at Ranken Jordan, but you will have an impact on your own life as well.