At Higgins Community Academy on the South Side, education and enrichment is taking place outside as well as in. Students from ages 9 to 13 were given the opportunity to hit the green and swing away through a summer program sponsored by the Salvation Army&
by Jordane Frazier At Higgins Community Academy on the South Side, education and enrichment is taking place outside as well as in. Students from ages 9 to 13 were given the opportunity to hit the green and swing away through a summer program sponsored by the Salvation Army’s sports day camp. The youngsters took part in the 3rd annual Hook a Kid on Golf program June 30 and July 1, and got some real life lessons in the sport at Burnham Woods Golf Course in south suburban Burnham. The program was in conjunction with Higgins Community Academy, 117th and Morgan Streets, and three other schools in Far South Side area. It followed the motto of the T-Level Clinic and was sponsored by community service organization, which received grants from the Kids Golf Foundation and Jerry Rich of Rich Harvest Farms. Mark Rasar, who has been a golf instructor for nine years – seven of them as a golf coach at Lincoln Park High School – served as a coach for last week’s program. He said he knows exactly what methods of teaching get through to young golfers. “I make them compete,” Rasar said. “Kids will naturally learn when you set up a skill based activity against other golfers. Competition drives them to stay focused.” This year 25 children participated in the program, some returning from previous years. “It’s a pretty good program for kids to have fun and learn the game of golf so they could maybe teach other kids and maybe even teach their children some day,” said 13-year-old Aaron Taylor, who is a Higgins Community Academy student and active member of the program. The Salvation Army is also taking advantage of Higgins being a year-round school and has organized an after school program where cages will be set up in stations so that kids may have the opportunity to practice driving indoors as well. “Our goal is to help kids find their gifts and their talents while also discovering how they could apply to education and possible scholarships,” said Salvation Army Major Darlene Harvey. “We have recognized a lot of potential in some students.” But the Salvation Army does not limit these children to golf. The “Hook a Kid on Golf” was only a small component within the Salvation Army’s day camp, which consists of a broader sports component including sports such as soccer and softball, a music component, and a green component as well. On the day of the golf outing, some other students planted a garden.
Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender Photo: Defender/Worsom Robinson
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