Girl’s Golf

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We take you out to the green to show you how the organization “Girls Golf of Phoenix” not only teaches girls how to tee up for a good shot on the course but also extend that philosophy to other endeavors in their life.

TED SIMONS: ARNOLD PALMER ONCE SAID THAT, "GOLF IS DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE AND ENDLESSLY COMPLICATED. " GIRLS GOLF OF PHOENIX IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT TEACHES GIRLS THE SPORT BUT ALSO SOME VERY IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS. PRODUCER SHANA FICHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER ROB MCJANNET HAVE THE STORY.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: EVERY SWING, EVERY DRIVE IS PUSHING THESE YOUNG GIRLS CLOSER TO THEIR GOALS AND THAT IS THE MISSION OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED GIRLS GOLF OF PHOENIX.
CORI MATHESON: GOLF IS A TOOL THAT I USE TO BUILD THE CONFIDENCE WITH THESE GIRLS.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: CORY MATHISON HEADS UP THE ORGANIZATION.
CORI MATHESON: OUR AVERAGE AGE IS TEN. THESE ARE LITTLE GIRLS. PEOPLE THINK THE GAME OF GOLF YOU HAVE TO BE EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE IN ALL THE RULES AND SKILLS IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT. GIRLS GOLF PROVIDES A SAFE PLACE WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THAT EXPERIENCE. SO THESE GIRLS ARE COMING TO ME FRESH. SOME OF THEM IT IS THEIR FIRST REAL TIME ON A COURSE. WE WILL GO FROM HERE TO THAT REALLY FAR ONE.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: 13-YEAR-OLD OLIVIA FLORENCE PICKED UP A CLUB IN CHICAGO YEARS AGO. SHE CAME FROM AN ATHLETIC FAMILY AND SHE SAW GOLF AS SOMETHING SHE WANTED SOMETHING OF HER OWN.
OLIVIA FLORENCE: I LIKE GOLF BECAUSE IT HELPS ME COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE. I USED TO BE SHY AND I DIDN'T REALLY TALK TO PEOPLE A LOT.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: SHE SAID IT HELPED HER IN SCHOOL AS WELL.
OLIVIA FLORENCE: WHEN I HIT A GOOD SHOT ON A CERTAIN HOLE, I APPRECIATE THE FACT I WORKED SO HARD FOR THAT AND THAT IS A CONNECTION I MAKE WITH MY LIFE. I WORKED REALLY HARD TO STUDY FOR A MATH TEST AND ONCE YOU GET THAT ONE ANSWER RIGHT AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN DO EVEN BETTER, LIKE YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, THAT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY GOOD.
VIDEO: I THINK IT IS BETTER WITH OUR LUCKY SPOT.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: WHEN TATEM PARTRIDGE TOOK UP GOLF IT WAS BECAUSE OF AN INJURY. SHE BROKE HER LEG AND LOOKED FOR A SPORT THAT WASN'T REQUIRING RUNNING. HER MOM SIGNED HER UP.
TATUM PARTRIDGE: A HALLOWEEN GOLF TOURNAMENT WHICH I LOVED. PROBABLY THE BEST TIME I HAD.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: TATUM SAYS SHE IS GETTING BETTER WITH GOLF BUT MORE IMPRESSED WITH THE CHANGE IN HER ATTITUDE.
TATUM PARTRIDGE: IT HELPS ME LEARN AND HAVE PATIENCE. WITH GOLF, YOU NEED A LOT OF PATIENCE. IT HELPS ME WITH SCHOOL. THEN I CAN HAVE MORE PATIENCE WITH SCHOOL.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: HER MOM AGREES. SHE SHES GOLF AS A WAY FOR HER TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT.
COURTNEY PARTRIDGE: I AM MOST PROUD SHE GETS OUT HERE, SMILES, HAS FUN, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE HER COMPETITORS THEY WILL LAUGH, HAVE FUN AND SHE HAS NADE REALLY GOOD FRIENDS FROM GOLF.
VIDEO: IS IT HALFWAY OR ROLLING FASTER?
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: CORI LOVES TO SEE GIRLS LIKE TATEM FIND THE SPACE WHERE SHE CAN BE HERSELF AND LEARN A NEW SKILL. IT IS WHY SHE JOINED GIRLS GOLF AS A TEENAGER.
CORI MATHESON: GIRLS GOLF OFFERED ME A SAFE PLACE WHERE I COULD GROW MY GAME. WHEN I WAS 12, I FELT LIKE I WAS STARTING LATER THAN THE OTHER GIRLS PLAYING COMPETITIVELY.
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: COREY SAID SHE KNEW BACK THEN SHE WANTED TO LEAD THE ORGANIZATION AND FOUR YEARS AGO SHE GOT THE CHANCE. GIRLS GOLF STARTED IN PHOENIX IN 1989 AND NOW THERE ARE 300 CHAPTERS NATIONWIDE. 50,000 GIRLS AGES 3-17 ARE REACHED EACH YEAR. GIRLS GOLF PUTS ON TOURNAMENTS, EVENTS SURRONDING THE LPJ, BUT AT THE CORE THEY TEACH EMPOWERMENT, SELF-ESTEEM, AND HONESTLY.
CORI MATHESON: A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY GOLF IS PARALLEL TO LIFE BECAUSE IT WILL TEACH YOU VALUES AND SKILLS YOU CAN TAKE ALONG. YOU WILL HAVE TO BE SELF-RELIABLE AND GET YOURSELF THERE. YOU ARE ONLY RELYING ON YOURSELF.
VIDEO: DID I MAKE IT?
PRODUCER SHANA FICHER: AND FOR TATEM AND OLIVIA, THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING.
VIDEO: AFTER EVERY SHOT YOU WITH WINNING A PIECE OF YOUR LIFE OR YOUR GOALS. GOOD JOB!
TED SIMONS: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GIRLS GOLF OF PHOENIX, HEAD TO THEIR WEBSITE, GIRLS GOLFOFPHOENIX.ORG. FRIDAY ON ARIZONA HORIZON IT'S THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE WE'LL HAVE THE LATEST PUSH TO EXPAND SCHOOL VOUCHERS IN THE STATE. AND SHOULD A WARRANT BE REQUIRED BEFORE REMOVING A CHILD FROM A TROUBLED HOME? THOSE STORIES AND MORE ON THE NEXT JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE. SPEAKING OF POLITICS WHICH WE WILL TALK A LOT ABOUT TOMORROW, NEXT WEEK, TUESDAY, THE GOVERNOR DUCEY WILL JOIN US FOR A ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW. THAT'S IT FOR NOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. I AM TED SIMONS UNTIL NEXT TIME. YOU HAVE GREAT EVENING.
VIDEO: ARIZONA "HORIZON" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FRIENDS OF ARIZONA PBS, MEMBERS OF YOUR PBS STATION. THANK YOU.

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