Upper Austrian Youth Program

One Year ago the Upper Austrian Minigolf confederation founded a board to get ready for the future. Nearly 90 percent of the clubs joined the board and worked together on a conclusion.

In several discussions and a sum of about 150 hours we found out 6 columns which are essential that minigolf is played another 20 years. Financials, public relations, youth programs, sportiness, sportsmanship and club work were chosen as the most important points. If you want to know more about it, you can visit our website http://ooebgsv.jimdo.com.

The Youth program became the leading theme, our slogan in the header of the confederatian is: „Advance the Youth, not just tolerate them!“

Now, what ist he content of the youth program?

We install youth-coordinators in the clubs. They are contact persons and support children and beginners. They get training for their work and have periodic exchange of experience.

Our financial support for the Youth Work in the clubs is changed from „Money for success in the past“ to „Money for youth projects“. The decision about the spreading is made by the board of the youth-cordinators under the lead of youth coach of the confederation. A club without youth-coordinator has no influence in the decision!

We chanced the rules of our team-events. In a team of 5 Minigolfers the best four results are counted, the worst is deleted. If there is a player of the category „pupil“ (within 15 years of age), there can be 6 players in the team and the two worst results are deleted. This is a motivation fort he clubs to invest in youth and in the young players when they get in the team and espcially when they play a result that counts!

We install a Upper Austrian squad of youth players to increase their motivation.

We make a special competition within our general contests for young beginners as long as they have no chance to match with experienced players. Theese boys and girls do not need to have a player’s-licence. But we give them a special booklet where they register their best results. So they can follow their advancement „black on white“ though their feeling says that there is no increese in their results.

The confederation organizes meetings of the young players („Youth meets youth“), where they meet youth within Upper Austria or of other federal states. The idea is to enforce friendship and give motivation to meet theese players again at minigolf competitions instead of spending the weekend in front of TV or PC.

Upper Austrian Youth Program: An old hat or a good idea? It depends on how it will be handled in the future. It depends on us.