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KidSwing - Munich, Germany

Golf is sometimes wrongly regarded in Germany as a sport for the elite, but not everyone realises that it can also be an extremely successful means of therapy for the handicapped. The coordinated motion of the golf swing can help children in wheelchairs to develop mobility and provides them with an alternative to conventional physiotherapy. Traditionally, their condition improves only through laborious and often painful physical exercises. Golf, however, provides a combination of therapeutic exercises and personal motivation in a sporting context.

KidSwing has been created by Anthony Netto, coach and captain of the German national team of physically challenged golfers who has to use a wheelchair himself. In his attempt to support sick and handicapped children, he has developed a so-called ‘paragolfer', which enables children who are unable to walk or have limited movement to play golf standing up. Since July 2002, Netto has regularly supervised KidSwing clinics at the Velderhof Golf Club near Cologne and at the Duvenhof Golfclub. Reports from these classes show that KidSwing improves the children's skills and abilities and also gives them a lot of pleasure at the same time. Playing golf goes some way to help them forget their diseases and handicaps.

KidSwing can also increase children's self-esteem and offer them a real chance for social integration. Because of its scoring rules based on the handicap system, golf is one sport where players of all levels of ability can play together, so wheelchair and non-wheelchair players can compete in a meaningful way.

The impact that the programme can have is demonstrated by the comments of the head teacher of the Maria-Montessori Special School, Mr Peter Ortling, who says: "The results of the KidSwing programme are very convincing. For instance, I met a student, who I had seen sometime before, sitting in a wheelchair. Because of a tumour in one of his legs, the boy was too scared to walk, although his medical advisors recommended some movement to him. When I met him at the golf class, though, the very same boy was standing up, actively playing golf and even trying to persuade me to participate. By playing golf, the boy had made the step from wheelchair to crutches, and from crutches to walking."

KidSwing is a joint programme of the Deutsche Kinderhilfe Direkt (German Childhelp Direct) and the Behinderten Golf Club (Physically Challenged Golf Club) and it was launched in August 2002 in Berlin at an event which was attended by German heavyweight boxer Axel Schulz and Germany's Olympic, World and European Gymnastic Champion Andreas Wecker, who both support the initiative.

It is the aim of the project to open KidSwing sites all over Germany to provide a regular means of therapy and motivation for handicapped children throughout the country. The ultimate aim is to have 50 clinics in place by 2008. The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation supports the KidSwing project at Aschheim Golf Club in Munich and there are plans to establish programmes in Cologne, Osnabrück, Düsseldorf, Castrop Rauxel and Nuremberg.