“It’s an opportunity for athletes with intellectual disabilities to be placed in a sports environment where they have an opportunity to learn golf from professional instructors,” said I GOT THIS member Tracy Hupko.
Turning Pointe and I GOT THIS combine forces
Turning Pointe Autism Foundation in Naperville and the I GOT THIS Foundation recently teed off at the Bob Berry Sunshine Course in Lemont for the Discovery Golf Clinic. This is the fourth golf clinic put on by I GOT THIS, but the first in Illinois.
“We welcome those with or without experience. Our goal is that through this clinic, they develop an interest and joy in the sport. We can introduce our golf camp, so the foundation’s golf camp is a five-day program with two hours of instruction each day that truly gets them ready to play on the course with family and friends,” said Hupko.
The clinic was headlined by Amy Bockerstette, an American competitive amateur golfer and disability advocate. Bockerstette is the first person with Down Syndrome to receive a collegiate athletic scholarship, having golfed at Paradise Valley College in Arizona. She even participated in a practice round of the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, where she parred the infamous Hole 16 at TPC Scottsdale.
“We were made aware of Amy Bockerstette through one of our board members, Rick Biaggi, and Rick was connected to Amy through her sister at a golf tournament and knew that this was something Turning Pointe would be proud to bring her to Naperville and partner with her on,” said Turning Pointe Advancement Director Barb Brauer.
“Turning Pointe is committed to creating ideal environments for individuals with autism to learn new skills and to grow personally. So having the opportunity to partner with them, I got this foundation was a great chance for us to expose individuals to the game of golf in a very safe and perfect environment,” said Turning Pointe Executive Director Carrie Provenzale.
I GOT THIS to a better golf game
The clinic featured three stations for athletes who are new to the game or who want to improve their skills on the golf course. That included driving, short games, and putting. Once they took their swing, they used Amy’s “I GOT THIS” mentality for a better game. So what does, “I GOT THIS” mean?
“I GOT THIS means to stay focused and have fun, be brave and be cool,” said I GOT THIS Golfer Amy Bockerstette.
That motto is Bockerstette’s strategy when it comes to the links. While she was excited to participate in the first clinic in Illinois, it gave confidence to the other athletes interested in golf.
“We are so happy to be part of this clinic, so happy to be in Chicago, and we are lucky to be here,” said Bockerstette.
“I had a lot of fun, saw many new faces, and loved the whole community. I love the story, and I just felt so inspired. By the time I got here on the little sections, I just had fun. I had a lot of sweat and it was just wonderful,” said golfer and Special Olympics athlete M.J. Palmquist
New athletes on the links coming soon
Now the athletes have the basics down and are ready to say, “I GOT THIS!” when they approach their next tee shot.
“They now know they can do anything they set their mind to, and I hope they find joy in golf and want to keep going. I hope the families and playing partners have that same moment of wow and say, ‘We can do this together.’ I’m so glad it was introduced to us,” said Hupko.
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