Canadian PGA and RCGA Conduct National Coaching Symposium
Canadian PGA and RCGA Conduct National Coaching Symposium
ACTON, ON (May 5, 2008) - The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) in partnership with the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association (Canadian PGA) conducted the 2008 National Coaching Symposium for golf at Humber College in Toronto on Sunday April 27, 2008 with more than 80 coaches from across the country participating in the one day event.
The symposium marks the second time the RCGA and Canadian PGA have partnered on such an initiative and is one of the many endeavors the two associations are working on together to enhance the education of coaches in an effort to elevate the quality of players Canada is producing on a national scale.
The symposium chiefly focused on Train to Play and Learn to Compete stages (Ages 12 to 18) of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) Guide for Golf in Canada.
“With golf making its first appearance at the Canada Summer Games in 2009, we want to do everything possible to ensure golf is well represented,” said Doug Roxburgh, the RCGA’s director of high performance. “The National Coaching Symposium allows the RCGA, as the National Sports Organization for golf, to better assist the provincial associations in preparing their athletes not only for this important championship, but for overall junior golf development in their province.”
Open to all Canadian PGA professionals, the symposium offered attendees the opportunity to learn more about all aspects of the game including coaching, mental skills, physical preparation and nutrition for these critical stages of the LTPD. Keynote speakers included Dr. Stephen Norris - Sport Canada consultant and Peter Mattsson – Director of Coaching for the English Golf Union. Breakout sessions were held with RCGA Performance Enhancement consultants Dr. Dana Sinclair – Mental Management, Dr. Greg Wells – Exercise Physiology and Dr. John Berardi - Nutrition. The day was concluded with a panel discussion led by Canadian PGA Board Member, Glenn Cundari, on various developmental aspects of these two stages.
The LTPD has been designed to establish a consistent and systematic guide to maximizing the potential of Canadian golfers and to increase the number of people participating in the sport of golf from “cradle to grave”. It is a framework or pathway to creating champions and clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in the sport. A copy of the LTPD can be downloaded from www.rcga.org.
Plans are already in the works for the 2009 National Coaching Symposium. Contact Dave Stockton at 1-800-263-0009 ext. 333 or dstockton@rcga.org or Gary Bernard 1-800-782-5764 ext. 221 or gary@cpga.com for more information.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN PGA:
Established in 1911, the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association is a non-profit association comprised of approximately 3,500 golf professionals across the country with a mandate to promote and advance the game of golf, serving the needs of both its membership and the golf public through professional and junior golf development programs and high-calibre competitive events. The National Office is located in Acton, Ontario with nine Zone Offices across the country. For more information, visit www.cpga.com.
ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA’s mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.
For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community please visit www.rcga.org.
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For more information:
Erica Duffy
Coordinator, Communications
Canadian PGA
519.853.5450 x234
erica@cpga.com
Terry Lenyk
Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Office: 1-800-263-0009 ext. 335
Mobile: (416) 407-3893
Email: tlenyk@rcga.org