The BGGA Golf Approach
BGGA coaching team boasts an unrivaled combination of experience and leadership. BGGA’s collaborative coaching model is unique in the world of junior golf. The coaches are led by a high-profile Advisory Board of distinguished research professors in the science of human learning, kinesiology and motor learning, psychology and human performance, and experts in golf biodynamics. The coaching team is supported by renowned leading golf coach Kevin Craggs.
In just five short years BGGA is proud to have built the foremost golf coaching team in junior golf with the results of our students evidencing the quality of instruction and development. Our analysis shows that we had twice the number of wins over our nearest rival and four times the number of wins over our third-place rival academy.
We see in the structure of the golf program to main elements, one obviously being the Coaching and Instruction of students, but also very importantly we recognize the importance of many areas of the golf program that require professional Management and Organization.
Coaching / Instruction
BGGA has an extraordinary Advisory Board made up of the following notables:
Dr Fran Pirozzolo
Dr Bob Bjork
Dr Bob Christina
Dr Anders Erikson
Dr. Tim Lee
Dr Rob Neal
Trillium Rose
Kevin Smeltz
Our golf coaching/instruction program is built around the principles they have developed from many decades of research into physical, mental and technical aspects of the golf swing and student development. Dr. Pirozzolo, Dr. Neal, Yarwood and Smeltz are also practitioners who spend over fifty days onsite with our coaches and our students, giving invaluable advice to both coaches and students with hands-on interaction.
We then have four POD leaders who have a maximum responsibility for twenty-four students in their POD, and are assisted by at least one senior golf coach. With our morning and afternoon golf schedules, we manage the ratio of golf coach to student to no more than 8:1 when in a group setting, and often 2:1 or 1:1 for part of the training. The POD leaders have at least 10 years of coaching experience and have all been accredited by Kevin Smeltz to Level 2, with one further Level of accreditation to be completed:
David Louys-Morone
Manuel Bermudez
Nate Dougherty
Nick Duffy
The senior golf coaches also have an average of over 10 years of coaching experience and have also been accredited by Kevin Smeltz to Level 2:
Drake Edmond
Keegan Fennessey
Scott Shaffer
The golf coaching team are rounded out by the Sports Psychology / Mental Performance and Athletic Development responsibilities by outstanding directors:
Dr Fran Pirizzolo, Sports Psychology
Paul Dewland, Mental Performance
Pat Etcheberry, Athletic Development
Karen Harrison, Athletic Development and Nutrition
Justin Smith, Athletic Development
Management / Organization
Led by Jeff Hay with over ten years directing and managing golf programs in a number of different golf academies.
The many responsibilities which he oversees include:
- College Counselling and Placement
- Tournament Strategy and Implementation
- Data and Measurement
- Client Reporting
- Daily Scheduling
- Technology
- Facility Management
- Social Media
- Membership and Visiting Country / College Team
