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July 12, 2024
Ahead of the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland (July 17-21), Golf Foundation and Scottish Golf have released the Unleash Your Drive program in schools across Scotland. The initiative equips primary school students with mental resilience tools through golf. Golf Foundation notes that the benefits of golf on mental health and wellbeing are backed by extensive research and evidence.
The program’s launch comes at a crucial time for youth mental health in the country. 18% of young people are facing probable mental health issues and children from disadvantaged backgrounds are three times more likely to suffer from mental health problems. Since March, 9,403 children and young people have been referred to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). A recent report on CAMHS in Scotland found that young people don’t get the appropriate care until they reach crisis point. Unleash Your Drive therefore includes nine mental resilience tools that are designed to help children navigate life’s challenges and reduce the likeliness of mental health issues.
The program can be delivered over six weeks by any teacher using easy to follow printed and digital resources, specially adapted Golfway (a leading junior golf retailer) kit and a built-in evaluation. The initial pilot project, developed and tested over a period of 18 months with golf coaches and young golfers across clubs in the SE of England, demonstrated a 20% increase in confidence, commitment and overall mental toughness in the juniors involved.
Recent program results have shown a 26% rise in understanding of the mental strength tools and use, with a 6% improvement in mental wellbeing over six weeks. Golf Foundation is developing this impact by producing online content that’s accessible to all and providing equipment for young people through Golfway. It is also looking to provide the program free to those who need it the most. Since its initial launch in September 2023, nearly 1,000 schools in England, Wales and Ireland have expressed their interest in the program.
The initiative kicked off in Scotland last month with two training workshops led by mental toughness expert Pete Wortley and Unleash Your Drive Manager Andy Leigh. The sessions were attended by Scottish Golf staff, golf coaches and representatives from six local authority areas – Aberdeenshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife and Moray. It also followed early consultations with local authorities and the Active Schools network, which consists of over 400 managers and coordinators in Scotland. Unleash Your Drive will complement Scottish Golf’s National Junior Framework, which offers programs, events, resources and opportunities for junior golf across the country.
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