October 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 30

Who, What, Where & how Around the Parks

participating in it and you
can put different age groups
together and it seems to
work, " Brenes notes. " We're
always looking for non-traditional sports and new ways
to get the kids excited about
being active. "

SNAG Golf
Gary Metzger, director of
golf for the City of Treasure
Island, Florida, knows a thing
or two about teaching kids to
play golf. Over the past four
years, his programs have introduced golf
to more than 20,000 students in 38 elementary schools. One of his favorite tools
for teaching golf is SNAG (Starting New
at Golf).
" It's safest and the easiest way to introduce golf to kids, absolutely, " Metzger
says. " We can use this SNAG equipment in a playground, in a gymnasium,
in a community center. We can use it anywhere and we're not weather dependent. "
SNAG includes just a few basic pieces
of equipment, such as fuzzy tennis-balllike golf balls, a rubber launch pad, targets, and only two clubs-a launcher and
a roller. While SNAG golf equipment is
used globally for new learners of all ages
in school PE classes, golf courses, camps,
etc., G-Ball is golf's version of T-ball and is
a program specifically designed for five
to eight-year-olds. G-Ball is being rolled

DURABLE -

S n ag g
olf

out in park and recreation facilities through a grant partnership with NRPA.
Manny Padia, senior recreation coordinator in Glendale,
Arizona, says that playing GBall indoors in a multi-purpose
room offers some advantages.
" It's actually going very well
qu ick ba ll
indoors, especially for the
younger kids trying to learn
a new sport like golf. It contains some of the equipment
and you don't have balls flying
all over the field....It works out
beautifully for us. "
Jordan Riley, facilities manager for the Hyland Hills Park and Rec- moved it indoors and just had a great
reation District in Westminster, Colorado, success with it....We just set the goals up
agrees that G-Ball works well indoors. against a wall and if the kids miss, the
" Honestly, it was too hot for the kids. We balls are right there. "
" The SNAG balls don't go that far
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
anyway-they only go 50 yards or
so and they don't get hurt with them, "
Metzger says. " Some gymnasiums have
PARK BENCHES
lines to help you....but the biggest adPICNIC TABLES
vantage is weather. "
TRASH RECEPTACLES
Padia says that a mix of children have
PLANTER BOXES
CAR STOPS
signed up for his G-Ball program, some
SPEED BUMPS
by parents interested in having their
BOLLARDS
kids learn golf and others by parents just
PLASTIC LUMBER
DUNNAGE & CRIBBING
looking for a new activity for their kids.
In Florida, Metzger trains elementary
school PE teachers how to teach SNAG
MANUFACTURING THE BEST WHILE PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
golf to their students of various ages and
WWW.PLASTICRECYCLING.US
each May takes 60 to 100 fifth graders out
see us in atlanta at booth #1816

28 Parks & Recreation O C T O B E R

2 0 1 1 w w w . N R P A . O R G

snag / Ripken Quickball

GREEN PRODUCTS

October 2011 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2011 - Parks & Recreation