“The love comes before you become good.”
Those are the words of Pádraig Harrington, a multiple Major Champion, when speaking about the subject of how children come to enjoy participating in sport.
The Irishman – a father of two – says that starts with making it fun.
“Tell them to smash it, find it and have fun getting it in the hole,” he says, while practising ahead of this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last year, Harrington believes time is on their side – something parents often forget in their wish to support their children’s progression.
“[Parents] should leave them make the mistakes," he says. "If they come and ask you, that is good but don’t get involved [too much].
“Even with my own kids, I’d be aware of this and tell my kids things, but they would always tell me if I told them something they took that as a criticism.
“I would be careful with my language, but they would still take it as I am doing something wrong.
“They have time, they have so much time. It’s our clock that is out. We think they need to get better right now, [but] let them enjoy it, bring them to a stress-free environment and bring them home before they get tired.
“Try to take them away when they are enjoying it rather than waiting until they are not.”
Harrington has played alongside his eldest son Paddy at the PNC Championship, a tournament featuring family duos of leading global golf players, for the last few years, and has one standout piece of advice.
“The most important thing if you are bringing your kids to sport is to take that five to ten minutes [afterwards],” he says.
“Don’t rush home. Take that time to have a Coca-Cola so that the child will associate that happiness, that moment, with the sport…
“They will remember that for the rest of their life.”
