Westwood, how poulter is inspiring the next generation of golfers

Lee Weewwood and Ian Poulter have been around for decades, first on European Ryder Cup Squads and now as members of Liv Golf’s Majesticks GC.

With the last partnership, Westerwood and Poulter have now partnered with another program: A community program with children at the top of their minds.

In collaboration, with the principals of the group Oliver and James Dunkley – and Jordan Stephenson, who joined the youth sports organization in the UK and use small sticks, young people are made to improve their strength through golf. The main objective of Little Stick’ is to educate, engage and provide young people by introducing themselves to that sport and its values.

“The community has always been at the heart of what we’re trying to do,” Banks told me recently. “A lot of golf programs have come and done really well, so there’s an opportunity for us where we can really do it.”

The Little Stick Pilot program began last year with a program of school-age programs in six schools in the UK and the US according to the major challenges of the US according to Stephenmumus of Golf education was the appropriate inclusion in education. Once they decided to implement the program, Stephenson arranged for the delivery of the necessary equipment, training and resources. The pilot was successful, Stephenson said, with data showing that about 60 percent of the participants had a significant improvement in their well-being after going at least six times.

Small clubs aren’t just about learning the game of golf. The 12-week program takes a holistic approach, providing the basics in the form of 15 simple exercises while also emphasizing mental and physical fitness. The curriculum features Poulter and Westwood to deliver instruction and encouragement in video form, with actors representing character values ​​such as tenacity (Westwood) and cooperation (Poulter).

“We give them skills and tools that will help them in their future but also give them a sense of belonging,” Stephenson said. “They are on our team, the Majestics, they are our players, so they have a broad sense of community as well. What we really want to use is our golfers, so we have visible people, so we have visible people that our children can learn from and teachers can use in their lessons.”

The Little Stick curriculum also reinforces these character-building lessons within the games children play in rather than classroom style, making it fun and engaging.

“When you see a PE lesson, 95 percent of the time, the kids are playing golf, it’s just cool stuff that’s been developed to help get those character-building skills,” Stephenson said. “So it’s not like, ‘Sit down, everybody, we’re going to tell you about being tough.’ Instead, ‘You played this game, how did you get it? Did you find it challenging? What did you do to win if you don’t use it if you can’t do it?’ “

Stephenson said his next challenge is helping kids participating in junior golf programs continue their nascent golf journey. He said he has contacted UK golf associations and unions to discuss strategies to keep those children involved in the game.

Another way to keep kids connected: by tapping into their natural fandom. All Little Stick members are invited to Liv Golf’s Stops in the UK, leading to a growing nation of new fans for the club.

“The guys make all the videos, they’re really involved from start to finish, so all the kids involved in the show really know the players,” Banks said. “They feel like they are part of this program. I love it when the kids come out to watch the events. They see the players or meet all the other youth players because the players are connected to the development difficulties of these children.”

Little sticks is expanding to 200 schools in the UK by 2025 and plans to add another 150 programs by 2026.

“It’s been a real passion project for the whole organization,” Banks said.