The Golf Course Builders Association of America Foundation and Sticks for Kids program partner National Recreation and Park Association are pleased to announce the recipient of the 2012 Jim Kirchdorfer Sticks for Kids Excellence Award: City Parks Foundation in New York, NY.
The award is meant to honor an outstanding junior golf program that has utilized its granted Sticks for Kids program to the fullest potential. That can be accomplished by establishing and growing a junior golf program and using it as an outreach and youth development tool for area youth as well as a means to grow the game.
“It is important to Sticks for Kids program partners to recognize the accomplishments of the excellent programs that are teaching golf to underserved youth across the United States, said GCBAA Executive Director Justin Apel, “City Parks Foundation more than exemplifies the way the Program founders intended the program to be used.”
Earlier this year the award was renamed to honor one of the program founders, the late Jim Kirchdorfer, Sr., ISCO Industries, LLC who was instrumental in launching the program.
The Sticks for Kids program was granted to City Parks Foundation in 2010 and was immediately implemented in the CityParks Golf Program which is available for no charge to youth year-round at the Foundation’s Junior Golf Center and Junior Golf Annex in Queens. Additionally, clinics are offered at various community locations across all five boroughs of New York City. Children, starting as young as age 6, learn driving, pitching and putting right in their neighborhood parks. Programs provided golf education to 3,872 youth participated in 2011.
City Parks Foundation’s Development Officer, Julie O’Shea relates that the program positively effects families, communities and everyone involved across NYC. “First, it significantly expands free opportunities for kids to safely spend their summer and out-of-school hours, thus eliminating a burden on families. Secondly, by offering thousands of children lessons on public park land, it helps to bring people together and revitalize communities. For participants, the program has far reaching effects beyond its summer impact. Most participants continue the program for several years. We also provide follow-up instruction and competitive opportunities on local courses to encourage youth to continue playing. Finally, the life skills component of each lesson helps youth develop internal assets of goal-setting and interpersonal communication, that will contribute to personal success throughout their lifetimes as well as help to make them better citizens for the community at large.”