Golfer chips in to help better lives for youth

Golf helped shape Ryan Cooney's life for the better, and inspired him to help local youth through the game he loves.

“The other part of my life was highly risky behaviour, and golf was a place that I could go where those risks in my life were totally eliminated,” said Cooney, the founder and executive director of the Canadian Youth Golf Alliance. “It gave me a career, it gave me mentors, it gave me a sense of responsibility and professionalism.”

Cooney started the Canadian Youth Golf Alliance three years ago to help young people in Sudbury and Toronto eliminate risky behaviours from their lives.

In Sudbury, he visits local high schools where he holds roundtable discussions to tackle subjects such as depression, addiction and relationships.

“I don't stand in front of the class and give a lecture,” he said. His approach is to start discussions instead.

The organization also helps young people find summer jobs, especially at local partner golf courses.

The Canadian Youth Golf Alliance subsidizes the cost of hiring young people over the summer months, who work in every part of a golf course's operations, from the pro shop to maintaining the grounds.

In three summers, the Canadian Youth Golf Alliance has hired more than 40 youths and boasts an 80-per-cent retention rate.

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, the Canadian Youth Golf Alliance will host its first Youth Invitational at the Lively Golf Course to give students from Lively District Secondary School, Marymount Academy and Lasalle Secondary School an idea of what golf can offer.

For more information about the Canadian Youth Golf Alliance visit www.canadianyouthgolfalliance.com.