RICHMOND, Va. — About 50 Richmond Public School students brought the sunshine with them to the Belmont Golf Course in Lakeside Monday afternoon, chasing the rain away and looking to try something new.
They were part of the Golf With Us clinic, an initiative sponsored by Bank of America aimed at introducing thousands of kids nationwide to the game.
The campers got instruction from a professional athlete… but not a pro golfer. At least, not yet.
Prince George native Jackie Bradley Jr. spent 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with four teams, primarily the Boston Red Sox with whom he won a World Series title in 2018. He picked up his first golf club seven years ago, mostly because a lot of his teammates played in the downtime between games.
“My teammates kept pushing me [to play],” Bradley explained. “I always said I was going to wait until I was retired from baseball. Thankfully, I picked it up just before COVID when I got a lot of rounds in."
Bradley was named All-State as a senior at Prince George in 2008 and was the College World Series Most Outstanding Player for South Carolina in 2010. He is naturally right handed but taught himself to bat left-handed when he was just 8 years old. That natural athletic ability transferred well to golf, even though the swings in golf and baseball are not as similar as you might think.
“The plane of the swings are different,” Bradley said. “But you can take a whole lot of different things from either sport and implement them into one another.”
The Golf With Us clinic set up five different stations, each focusing on a different aspect of the game, from driving to chipping to putting. Bradley moved around each location, providing pointers and encouragement.
“We want to create the next PGA winners through giving these kids an opportunity to start early,” said Victor Branch, the President of BoA Richmond. “Sports can create so much character in an individual. The earlier they start, the more they can build that.”
Bradley also used his time with the kids to expand on that point; how working hard to become better at any chosen sport or hobby can have positive affects on other aspects of their lives.
“Sports has a way of treating this like life,” Bradley explained. “Sometimes you feel like you’re making the appropriate swing or decision and things might not go your way. Being able to teach them resilience and determination to help them get better, either at golf or at life.”
“This is an important reach into communities that are under resourced and underserved,” Branch continued. “These kids generally don’t have an opportunity like this. This might give them the opportunity to find something within themselves.”
Bradley has spent the past two weeks in his hometown. Last fall, he was the first pick in the inaugural Banana Ball draft by the Indianapolis Clowns. He got to play as a professional in his hometown for the first time at CarMax Park when it hosted a pair of Banana Ball games.
“It was special,” Bradley admitted. “My [hometown] support system has always been the best. Being able to come back for that and this clinic is a slam dunk. Why wouldn’t I want to be here to support the kids and my community?”
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