In a national first, GolfWA has teamed up with Murdoch University to add MyGolf Schools accreditation into their Health & Physical Education curriculum.
More than 40 Year 2 and 3 HPE students completed their national accreditation online at the start of Semester 2, before going on to attend practical workshops delivered by Wembley Golf Course’s Andrew Thomas at the university in late August.
GolfWA covered the costs associated with the online accreditation and workshops, which count towards the students’ university credits. The undergraduates are required to complete 30 hours of practical assessment throughout the year, with golf now set to feature prominently.
As part of their accreditation, the students have also gained access to Golf Australia’s new MyGolf Schools content and session plans via the CoachMate app.
A strong pipeline of future HPE teachers now have the tools required to deliver MyGolf Schools programs upon graduation. Better yet, with the accreditation set to be an on-going option for Murdoch’s HPE students moving forwards, a potential pathway into golf for thousands of schoolchildren for years to come is being created.
Wembley GC’s Andrew Thomas instructs participants on the basics of the game during one of the practical workshops
Everyone’s a winner
Former Hockeyroo Olympian Nicole Arrold, now an Associate Lecturer at Murdoch’s College of Health and Education, has been working closely with GolfWA to drive the initiative from within the university. She was impressed by the success of the workshops and by the positive energy on show from those involved.
“Students need to experience a variety of activities to give themselves a broader perspective on what it’s possible to introduce young people to in a school environment,” she told GolfWA. “That’s why, as well as traditional team invasion sports, we now offer students two target sports – golf and lawn bowls – in our curriculum.
“You can see from the enthusiasm today how much they’ve all enjoyed the experience, whether they’re keen golfers or have never held a club before. The feedback has been incredibly positive.”
Marc Pike, GolfWA’s Game Development Manager, who initiated the concept, identified some of the long-term benefits for all parties involved.
“Having 40 or so students earning their national accreditation at this early stage in their careers is a big win,” he said.
“It aligns with our strategic vision to increase participation opportunities and provide sustainable pathways into golf in the long term, while students gain valuable insights on how to deliver fun and engaging golfing sessions. That will hold them in good stead as future decision-makers in the education system.
“Not only that, we’ve also seen a number of students having their first proper swing of a golf club today – and thoroughly enjoying it,” he added. “We might gain a few new golfers out of this process as well!”
Thanks to Wembley GC’s Andrew Thomas for facilitating these workshops. You can find out more about Murdoch University’s Health & Physical Education degree here.
