Coaching children ages 2-5 – Nicole Weller

Participation Coaching Podcast

Following a previous episode with Kate Tempesta, let’s continue the topic of coaching the very youngest golfers. How early does your program start?

Matching your offer to the environment you’re in

My guest – Nicole Weller (@Stick2Sports, website).

I wrote Stick to Sports: Let’s Play Golf because I watched adults try to teach kids in an adult manner. The kids aren’t developed that way yet to understand it.

Nicole Weller is the Head Teaching Professional at The Landings Club (Savannah, Georgia, US). She is also the author of a children’s golf book Stick to Sports: Let’s Play Golf and flashcard memory game Match Play Golf (more information on both).

Nicole is also a co-founder of a unique golf coach certification Little Golf T.R.A.I.N. that focuses on effective early-learning environment for children ages 2-5, providing coaches with education and turn-key resources to run sessions with this age group.

Here is a selection of things we discuss in the interview:

• Nicole’s background as a golfer and a coach
• How environment affect programs and their structure
• Coaching juniors at a private club
• Nicole’s ways of coaching juniors of different ages (2 y.o. and up)
• Using toys, gear and technology in junior coaching
• Her children’s golf book – who it is for and what it includes
• Teaching adult concepts to juniors (e.g. emotional resilience)
• Little Golf T.R.A.I.N. – how it came to be and what it includes
• Parents’ place in her coaching process

Little Golf T.R.A.I.N. is organising a live Training Workshop during PGA Show Week on Tuesday, January 23 2018- check out the website for details.

Also, good news for European Coaches – there is a Little Golf TRAIN Certification seminar coming up in Italy (Milan) on 4-5/03/2018. Check out the details.

Listen to the episode

Listen to the episode below or in your favourite podcast app (I recommend Overcast).

If you are reading this in an email, access the player and all the links on the website.

Listen to the interview on YouTube