Many people in the game will have been delighted to see the continued success of Anders Hansen recently, but perhaps none more so than a group of children back home in his native Denmark for whom, his influence has meant far more to them than mere birdies and eagles.
The 38 year old has been a revelation on the fairways of late, winning the Joburg Open on The European Tour International Schedule last month before, last week, adding to that with victory in the Vodacom Championship on the Sunshine Tour.
However, to a group of Danish teenagers, the winner of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in both 2002 and 2007 will always be a champion in their eyes whether he makes the cut or not.
Many European Tour professionals work in different ways to help charitable causes and give back to their respective communities and Hansen is no different. For the past 18 months, he has been involved with a groundbreaking project in Denmark - Backspin and Self Esteem - which began in 1999 and whose aim is to help teenagers, who have strayed, get back on the straight and narrow and whose main objectives are outlined below.
As well as talking to them and encouraging them wherever possible, they are also being helped to find discipline and order in their lives by taking up the sport which demands embracing those facets of human nature more than any other – golf.
“This group of people had the idea to try and combine the disciplines of golf with getting these kids back on the right track and they came to me and asked if I would lend my support and I was delighted to do so,” he said.
“These are kids who are a bit troubled, who have had bother in school or whatever, and indeed some of them have even been suspended by their schools or dropped out altogether which is very sad.
“Therefore, what we are trying to do is encourage them to go back to school and also play golf at the same time. It can be hard work at times, especially trying to raise money to help their funding, but it is very rewarding.”
The ages of the children involved in the project range from 11 or 12 through to 15 or 16 and while the total number of children supported by the project at present is relatively small, Hansen hopes that increased funding and increased awareness of the project will enable the dedicated team of people to reach out and make a difference to many other teenagers in the future.
“We are hopeful that by encouraging them to try and play golf that we can get them out of the bad environment that they have found themselves in,” he said. “It can be hard going at times but it is very interesting. To be honest, I don’t think the project is about trying to find the next golf champion, it is more about helping the kids get their lives back – that is the most important element of all this.
“Denmark, on the whole, has a generally good image and therefore a lot of people are surprised how many kids are in trouble like this in the country and who don’t have it very good in life – these are the kids we are trying to help.
“It is a great project - it really is a super project to be involved with. I love to be involved in things like this and if you can make a difference to somebody’s life – even just one person – by what you do with yours, then that is really great.”
Hansen will return to European Tour action in next week’s World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play in Arizona and will be a regular face on The European Tour International Schedule throughout the season including, of course, at Wentworth Club in May where he will attempt to win the BMW PGA Championship for a third time.
Backspin & Self-Esteem
The Concept
Back Spin & self-esteem is a childcare project, with golf as a development tool designed to improve vulnerable children and young people's self-esteem, confidence and self-insight.
The idea of golf as a social development tool is new in Denmark, whereas it has been tested successfully in various forms in several other countries where golf is a major sport. Not least in the U.S., where the World Golf Foundation National Project "The First Tee of Greater Austin" has existed for almost 10 years from conviction:
"By learning valuable life skills participants build: interpersonal communication, goal setting, self-management and resistance skills."
It is known that golf all over the world are engage in social projects (social responsibility). Whether it be Tiger Woods Foundation, which has helped millions of children in the U.S. PGA tournaments, which donates funds for humanitarian purposes. All this gives golf a more nuanced image.
The Danish variant, Backspin & self-esteem has existed since 1999. It is a bit different from First Tee as it aims to help very vulnerable children.
Sport is an ideal way to work with children and young people, but when working with vulnerable children it must be backed by a balanced and professional educational / psychological practice. This is not done in a scale and ambition, as Backspin & self-esteem has managed since 1999.
Why golf?
Golf has a wide range of qualities that are particularly suited to work with vulnerable children. Both in the actual sport, but also the environment in and around the golf course.
Golf is used to develop our students' ability to concentrate. Become part of a community and learn to respect each other. At the same time the games is a very real and concrete way to show that persistence in even the most impossible situations often leads to success.
Some concrete qualities of golf.
Concentration:In order to achieve success in golf, it is essential that you possess the ability to focus and concentrate.
Persistence and perseverance:In order to achieve success in golf you have to learn to fight, despite your bad choices and mistakes. It promotes self-insight and motivation to go on.
Versatility:You can start with golf regardless of age, talent and physics. This provides young people with self-esteem and self-esteem problems the opportunity participate.
The individual:Golf promotes the possibility of obtaining a positive individual development without deselecting relationships with other students.
Conversation:Golf allows for joint and individual talks away in a relaxed environment (walk and talk).
Joy:Golf environment is very positive. People are on the golf course because they like to play golf, and is positive in this context.
Backspin & self-esteem in practice
Back Spin & self-esteem is in practice a combination of golf and relationship-oriented work. Backspin & self-esteem works with 4 areas of focus
Golf component
Support and guidance section
The social part
Network part
