Integrating Golf into Schools: Breaking Down Barriers and Promoting Values

The success of the Ryder Cup has broken down quite a few prejudices about the game of golf, but the road to demolishing them all and bringing Italy closer to those countries where it is a widespread and popular discipline is still long. One of the main paths to follow is certainly that of the school, since golf - a sport suitable for all ages - has in its genetic heritage important values for the growth of the youngest. One above all is that of loyalty. In golf, the figure of the referee is accessory. It is the player who judges himself and - when necessary - inflicts penalties on himself. A great school of life. Manassero wins the Jonsson Workwear Open, his first victory since 2013. The project to introduce golf into schools, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Sport and under the patronage of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the Paralympic Committee, has been underway for some years and is part of a broader project that brought the Ryder Cup to Italy and will conclude in 2027. It is now experiencing a phase of acceleration. Updated data were provided during a press conference in Milan to present the agreement with the Lombardy Region, a territory that with its 24,000 members is a leader in our country. The meeting was attended by the host Attilio Fontana, the president of the Italian Golf Federation Franco Chimenti, the head of the Sports Department Flavio Siniscalchi, the president of the Sports Credit, Beniamino Quintieri, and the undersecretary for sports of the Region, the former ski champion, Lara Magoni. Currently, 17 regions are involved, but soon there will be 19; the schools have increased from 58 to 63, the classes from 200 to 227, the students from almost 3500 to 4440, and the participating clubs are currently 31, from north to south. The school activity generally takes place according to two modalities: 3 hours of lessons per week for each Educational Institute, divided into one hour per week for each class, unless special agreements are made, to be carried out in the gym or another space of the school. Alternatively: 6 hours of lessons per week for each educational institute, divided into 2 hours per week for each class. The Italian Golf Federation has reserved for the institutes game and educational kits, including a booklet, "Golf Makes an Impact", conceived and realized by Librì Progetti Educativi in collaboration with the Federation. In particular, the agreement with the Lombardy Region also provides, for the most deserving students, an economic contribution that can reach up to 70% of the membership fee for young people's clubs for the start of pre-competitive activity. This was stated by President Fontana, who added concepts also reiterated by President Chimenti, who also wanted to emphasize how the initiative coincided with the return to victory of Matteo Manassero, a pure talent who can serve as a model and that gives us hope also for the next Olympics in Paris. Lara Magoni recalled how the values of sport are an integral part of Article 33 of our Constitution, while Flavio Siniscalchi assured government support as the intent of the ministry led by Andrea Abodi is to promote new free disciplines, offering all students a more complete and accessible overview of the sports opportunities available.