Ball shortlisted for UK Coaching Awards

Inspirational golf coach Peter Ball, left, is on the shortlist to be named the Children’s Coach of the Year at the UK Coaching Awards 2013.

The PGA Fellow Professional has helped to make golf accessible to the young people of Sheffield, while also teaching life skills that can help his pupils work towards a brighter future

Ball, 56, has been working with school children in deprived areas of the South Yorkshire city since 1989. During that time many of the young people he has worked with have found it difficult to stay out of trouble with the police, and have struggled academically.

Over the last year participation has increased following the introduction of his golf club loan scheme, which offers equipment free of charge to those who cannot afford to buy their own.

His work has not been without its challenges though, and he has been working on a voluntary basis since 2011 when budget cuts halted his progress.

Yet despite the setback, Sheffield-based Ball has managed to expand his operation, and he currently reaches out to more than 4000 children every year.

To date 50 youngsters have graduated from his junior programmes to become PGA Professionals and golf coaches, while some have been inspired to play competitively on events such as the European Challenge Tour.

In recognition of his work Ball will take his place among Britain’s finest coaches for the event at the Montcalm Hotel, London on Tuesday 3 December.

Golf’s last winner was PGA Master Professional Peter Cowen, who claimed the Coach of the Year Award in 2010 after guiding Lee Westwood to the top of the world rankings.

Also shortlisted is Alastair Spink, who will be in the running for the Gillette Community Coach of the Year Award after the successful introduction of the ‘Here Come the Girls’ initiative at Fynn Valley Golf Club.

The scheme helps to introduce and retain female golfers by offering a friendly group environment to learn the basics of the game, use of the par-three course and a follow up session. There are currently 200 women involved with the scheme.

Roughly 50 per cent of Spink’s pupils stay in touch, going on to further their golfing education both at Fynn Valley and other golf clubs in the region.

Elsewhere the England Golf Partnership County Academy Programme has been shortlisted for the Coaching Intervention of the Year Award after it provided more than 2000 coach education opportunities over the last year.

This helped clubs to attract 490 new members, with 83 per cent saying they felt they would go on to become lifelong participants of the game.