More than just a game

Special education students benefit from program

david becker/ViewCharles Fine, 11, left, and Sebashtian David, 12, hit a few out at the driving range while taking part in the Golf Offers Lifetime Fun program on June 12 at the Las Vegas Golf Club, 4300 W. Washington Ave. Top, Charles Fine, 11, left, and Sebashtian David, 12, hit a few out at the driving range while taking part in the Golf Offers Lifetime Fun program on June 12 at the Las Vegas Golf Club, 4300 W. Washington Ave. Left, Keseane Lavoll, 11, follows through with a swing.Photos By David becker/View Advertisement

Thanks to a unique partnership with the Clark County School District, the city of Las Vegas' Golf Offers Lifetime Fun program is exposing the sport to a larger group of economically disadvantaged and mentally and physically disabled youth across the valley.

GOLF is one of the programs in the Department of Leisure Services' Adaptive Recreation Division, offering golf instruction and education for ages 12 and older.

City adaptive recreation leader Bob Murray said the program, which has been around for about 15 years, primarily operates at the Las Vegas Golf Club, the oldest course in the valley, located at 4300 W. Washington Ave.

Murray said this is the first year that GOLF has worked so closely with the school district to expand the program, casting a wider net to bring in more valley schoolchildren.

"It has allowed us to branch out to other courses and take kids to other locations. It's basically the first time the school district has been able to bring kids off campus and come to us," he said. "It's been a great collaboration, and we've been able to get to more young students."

On June 12, a group of students from Variety School, a special education school of 125 pupils at 201 Sunrise Ave., made the trip to the Las Vegas Golf Club to hone their skills.

"They love it. They want to come all the time," Variety educator Dave Wankowski said while watching his students take practice swings on the driving range. "We're not the typical class that stays in the classroom, and we've done so much other stuff, but they're definitely into golf. They go home calling each other Tiger Woods."

Wankowski said the program has many benefits for the students.

"It's something they can take to the real world. This is real stuff that people do," he said. "They're not going to be labeled or stereotyped as 'special needs.' And it teaches community skills, how to behave out in public."

Murray said that while the program teaches only basic golf instruction, participants will gain an understanding of the game that can cross over into other areas of their lives and education.

"Golf is a lifetime sport. Anyone can play at any age, any ability," he said. "Learning the sport, for a lot of these kids, helps them get over some of their fears. Success in golf can transcend into everyday life. The small successes and goals they reach out here can really help build confidence."

For the Variety School students, the focus was building a solid swing, and hitting the ball as far as possible.

"I like hitting the ball because it's fun. I'm trying to get better," said Keseane Lavoll, 11, a program participant who seemed to be having plenty of success on the driving range. "Sometimes it's hard, but mostly it's fun."

The GOLF program is seasonal and will continue through early July until it resumes again in the fall. For more information, call the city's Adaptive Recreation Division at 229-4900.