Taking a cue from the Anguilla Tennis Academy, there has been a suggestion that children on the island should be taught to play golf and, in the process, for the brightest of them to be accorded educational scholarships.
The view was expressed by Mr Noel Egan, President of the Anguilla Golf Association. Known for his love for children and sports, he made the suggestion at the Golf Dinner and Awards Ceremony at Italia Restaurant at CuisinArt Resort and Spa on Saturday, March 28.
Mr. Egan spoke in the presence of Mr. Mitch Lake, Founder and CEO of the Anguilla Tennis Academy, who was one of the invited guests at the event. He requested Lake to stand and to be recognised for his continued training of Anguillian youngsters in the sport of tennis, a number of whom have been awarded scholarships to study abroad.
Mr. Egan took the opportunity to address Mr. Scott DeLong, the Professional Golfer at CuisinArt Resort and Spa, to follow a similar youth training programme at the golf course. “Get that youth development programme up and running on Saturday morning because you have all the attention and assistance of the Anguilla Golf Association,” he stated both respectfully and anxiously. “We will assist you 100 percent and if you can’t do it, we will do it. But the point is, let’s get a hundred children out there on Saturday morning promoting golf on Anguilla – and we can then get scholarships for each one of them when possible. That is our future,” he stated with much applause.
Commenting afterwards, Mr. Lake, speaking on behalf of the Anguilla Tennis Academy, told The Anguillian:
“I feel honoured to also be recognised by the Golf Association. I have always believed that academies are the way to go for sports in Anguilla; and I am very appreciative of the fact they will consider having a golf academy where more young children will be exposed to golf, as there are many benefits – not just in terms of the sport but also scholarships that can be achieved.
“So I really think this is the right way to go and it shows me that with hard work and dedication a lot can be achieved; and that the model that we have created, through the Anguilla Tennis Academy, is now being adopted through different sports in Anguilla.”
