Michigan basketball coach Dusty May swings for the fences
Michigan basketball coach Dusty May swings for the fences in U-M softball’s charity fundraiser
There were two distinctly loud roars on Monday afternoon on Detroit’s northeast side.
The first was for Dominic Zvada, Michigan football’s kicker when he was announced as the guy “who made the game winning kick against Ohio State last year.” The second was for a lifelong Detroiter, former NBA standout and Michigan basketball Fab Five star Jalen Rose.
Both were on hand to support and participate in the “Golf With Us” clinic, an initiative that began earlier this year at the Masters in Augusta and is sponsored by Bank of America. The goal? Create more opportunities for youth to get into the game, traditionally an expensive sport that has a higher barrier of entry, by making it affordable.
The program in just a few months has created affordable access to golf nationwide for more than 75,000 kids aged 6-18 by offering rounds for $5 or less at thousands of courses in partnership with Youth on Course.
“It’s very important, because young people get exposed to what’s in their proximity,” Rose told the Free Press June 16. “So if you go to a class right now and ask a young person ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’ many say an athlete, an entertainer, a rapper but in sports it’s mostly they want to be a basketball player or football player because that’s what’s in their proximity. They’ve seen so many young people come out of their communities to be successful in those sports.
“That’s what we’re trying to do with golf, trying to have that expansion so they have that same enthusiasm and see an opportunity for success.”
More than 100 participants from a host of local youth organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, First Tee of Greater Detroit, Careers & Beyond (Midnight Golf Program), the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and Detroit PAL took the course Monday afternoon under 80 degree sunny skies.
The younger group, ages 8-12, rotated through six interactive golf stations led by golf professionals as well as a couple members of the Michigan golf team. The older group took part in a six-hole on-course instructional experience where they were able to gain some tips as well as focus on course strategy, mental preparation, and real-time golf techniques.
“We wanted to take Golf With Us to the next level,” Ed Siaje, President of Bank of America Detroit told the Free Press. “The next level is bringing in some mentors, if you will. Jalen Rose, Dom Zvada. … some LPGA representation, PGA representation. We want to teach them the physical and emotional part of the sport and the discipline it takes to be good at golf, but in tandem we’re trying to mentor these kids and teach them these are also life items they should focus on: perseverance, focus, practice, etc. Teach them about golf and teach them a few things about life.”
Zvada told the Free Press golf is just a hobby of his but he enjoys giving back to the community and interacting with kids. He’s about an 18 handicap so he was going to leave the “real teaching” to the Michigan golf team and professionals.
As for Rose, he said he couldn’t be happier in general that this type of initiative is happening nationwide and that it’s especially meaningful for it to come to his backyard.
“Absolutely: 3-1-3, 2-4-8, 7-3-4 we boss up,” he smiled. “We have to do it here.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
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