(Register Quickly!) TGA Premier Sports Now Offers Golf and Tennis Camps that Incorporate STEAM Academics!

Whether your child is a future Tech Mogul or Business Titan,  TGA Premier Sports camps will give them a head start in life. The particular TGA camps that I will tell you about today provide children with a foundation in both athletics and STEAM academics. As a Mom and an Engineer, my son attended one of their camps and had such a great time that I wanted to share the details with other parents.  My children have attended many camps, but the TGA Premier Sports camps are true game changers because they have a novel curriculum that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts, and math while using golf and tennis as the conduit.

If you follow regularly, you know that I am a big advocate of STEM education, but also believe in the importance of physical fitness and a well rounded education.    In today's post, I'll share an overview of TGA Premier Sports, tell you about my family's personal experience at the golf camp in Euless, TX, and share a link to the TGA website where you are able to find camps near you as they offer camps throughout the country.

Let's start with a quick overview of TGA Premier Sports (TGA):

TGA Premier Sports (TGA) is a leading introductory and recreational youth sports programming company specializing in Golf, Tennis,Cheerleading, Flag Football, Floor  Hockey, Lacrosse, Ultimate, and Volleyball. Through an innovative youth sports model, TGA empowers passionate entrepreneurs to impact the lives of youth and families by bringing youth sports enrichment programs into their communities.

TGA programs can be found in more than 75 markets across 28 states, as well as internationally in Canada and Spain. Its continued growth has impacted over 775,000 youth and made these sports available to 1.75 million families through its education-based programs and the TGA Sports Foundation, which provides access for all children and promotes the physical, educational, social, and character-building elements of these sports.

TGA Premier Sports is an iconic company because they are embarking on teaching one-million children introductory youth golf and tennis through after school enrichment programs and science camps while also incorporating STEAM academics into the lessons. There are many parents who have sent their children to TGA programs in order to give their children an advantage in life. Personally, I sent my son to their golf camp and it was truly amazing to see him grow with new skills and confidence throughout the experience.

Let me share some examples of their curriculum. During TGA camps students and coaches work concepts relating to STEAM in everyday lessons.

• Golf – why does the ball go up in the air?  Look at the angle of the club face for each club and tell me which club goes higher.  Try using different clubs to perform different shots.  Lower loft for longer shots and higher loft for shots that need to get over an obstacle or land softly.
• Tennis – why do we play on a shorter court?  Examine the red, orange, green, and yellow ball to show how the bounce and speed of the game increases with the court size.  Try playing with a yellow ball on a red court and see the difference.
• Football – why is the ball shaped that way?  Throwing a football long distances requires a spiral to cut through the air.  The shape of a football allows for a more aerodynamic shape for a larger size ball, allowing it to travel farther.  Try to throw a ball with a different grip or arm motion and see how the distance and accuracy breaks down.
• Cheerleading – why do we have to do a prep count for a jump?  The body has energy stored up inside and when you prepare for a jump, you’re gathering that energy and releasing it all into the jump.  Try jumping 6 times in a row against 1 controlled jump.

The image below provides a fantastic example of STEAM curriculum at a tennis camp.  The way that they taught the children about spins actually makes physics fun!   As a Mom and an Engineer, I find physics fascinating, but my children don't always share my enthusiasm. It's really about presentation and making material fun, so I appreciate that TGA camps are awesome about making science like this fun by relating the material to the children through sports!  It's such an interactive approach to practice a sport while also thinking about physics and how the world works.  My son has gone to both sports camps and a physics camp. He loved each of the individual camps, but the TGA Golf Camp with STEAM academics was his favorite. It's easy to see why - the way that TGA combines things is really a game changer. I think that this is the way of the future and will catch on quickly. For instance, several years ago, you didn't see many STEM toys in the toy aisles at stores.  They are everywhere now! STEM has taken over many of the toy aisles at stores. Someone just had to start the trend.  I think that TGA is doing this for camps and I bet that we'll see much more of this in the future because it makes a lot of sense to incorporate STEAM academics into fun real world applications like golf and tennis. I felt lucky to send my son to a camp with the TGA trendsetters who are pioneering this area. 

Now that I've provided a quick overview, let me share some personal insight.  My son attended the Golf Camp at the Bear Creek Golf Course in Euless, TX.  My little golfer (and future Tech Mogul) had the time of his life and raves about his experience. At the end of each day, he couldn't stop talking because he was excited to tell me about his day and everything that he learned.

The kids checked in at a special tent each morning.  The group of children at his camp were the sweetest kids and I could tell that they were bursting with excitement and energy.  The children seemed to bond and become the best of friends quickly thanks to the enthusiastic instructors who guided them throughout the experience with fun activities.

The children has the full golf experience.  If you haven't been to the Bear Creek Golf Course, it's beautiful. My son raves about how nice it was to spend the days there.

My son started as a novice, but quickly learned the golf terminology and how to play.  He woke up early every morning because he couldn't wait to attend camp to practice his skills.  I also noticed that the STEAM academics were introduced in a natural way so that the knowledge actually had real-time value. For instance, instead of putting the kids into a room with desks and chairs to hear a lecture, go through a workbook, or anything like that, the kids learned in real time as the knowledge was applicable. The knowledge that they gained was valuable because they instantly related it to the real world as they golfed.    The curriculum designers deserve accolades for this design!

As a Mom and an Engineer, I highly recommend TGA Premier Sports because their curriculum and instruction are top notch. I feel like they gave my son a strong foundation in golf while strengthening his STEAM skills with instruction that made him instantly see the value of what they were teaching him.  I felt like the camp designers were perfectionists who must have walked through the camp design from start to finish because every detail was fantastic from the moment that they checked in until the very end. My son came home every evening and enthusiastically told me about his day. This was rewarding to me as a parent because I knew that he was rapidly learning at a faster pace than usual and that the camp would always be a part of his happy childhood memories.

If you would like to learn more about TGA Premier Sports and their fun camps or after school enrichment programs, please visit them here. You'll find great program descriptions and be able to search for programs near you.