The Meadows at East St. Paul in Winnipeg was recognized as the 2013 CN Future Links Facility of the Year winner for its marked performance and engagement with over 500 juniors through the CN Future Links program.
Glen Sirkis, head PGA of Canada Professional at The Meadows at East St. Paul for the past five years, has been a leading supporter of CN Future Links since it began in 1996.
“It’s a great honour to receive recognition for all the hard work this team has put in over the years,” said Sirkis. “We have a passion to grow the game – watching the kids have fun learning to hit the golf ball and then knowing that it’s a game for life is such a thrill for Adam (Boge), myself and the rest of the team.”
With large junior classes, The Meadows has made full use of the tools provided through the CN Future Links program. Most notably, the program offers an online database for the instructor to organize and monitor results with just a few clicks. This has made progress reports simpler for Sirkis, and more impactful for each of his students. The progress reports clearly outline areas the student is progressing in and areas that need work. The Meadows at East St. Paul has realized the value of this and has been successful in delivering 100% of their progress reports to all students.
“We are trying to get even more PGA of Canada golf professionals on board to see the benefits of the CN Future Links program and the website” added Sirkis. “It’s is such a great tool for the parents and pros to follow along with what is happening, and it allows everybody to work together.”
In addition to maximizing the tools available, Sirkis has further delivered the mission of the program by planning to host CN Future Links Field Trip events throughout the summer. This initiative extends the outreach of junior golf by bringing children from the classroom to the golf facility to teach elementary students the fundamentals of golf along with the life skills and values involved in the sport.
Sirkis and his team are no strangers to teaching golf to elementary students, they have visited a handful of schools on their own time to help grow the game in Canada. They aim to visit at least six schools each golf season.
“We are very proud with the introduction of this important award”, explained Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “We thank The Meadows and Glen Sirkis for their leadership, delivery and support of the program. There were many qualified facilities to choose from, the Meadows should feel very proud of this accomplishment.”
Sirkis and his team were honoured May 10th with a media day acknowledging their accomplishment. Local press and industry representatives were in attendance to join in the festivities.