Making a difference in New Orleans
It was a celebrity auction, it was a golf clinic with the world's No. 1 golfer, and it was a place to learn
life skills.
Most importantly, the Tiger Woods Foundation Junior Golf Clinic and Exhibition was a call to action to give inner-city kids the support and resources they need to succeed in life.
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| Tiger fields questions at the TWF Junior Golf Clinic in New Orleans. |
The third TWF Junior Golf Clinic and Exhibition of the year was held July 29-31 in New Orleans, where area junior golfers had the chance to get golf tips, advice and words of encouragement from Tiger Woods himself.
The weekend's events also included free workshops to teach children about job opportunities in golf, a charity auction benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation and local New Orleans charities, and an exhibition featuring golf demonstrations and motivational speeches.
The exhibition, originally scheduled at the Bayou Oaks Golf Course, had to be moved indoors to the New Orleans Municipal Auditiorium due to lightning, but that didn't put a damper on the event which managed to attract nearly 2,000 area kids, foundation supporters and media.
Tiger's dad, Earl Woods kicked off the afternoon with an inspirational and emotional speech that brought the crowd to its feet - and some to tears. He offered parenting tips and advice for success in life, but the message of the day was that Tiger cares about kids.
The goal of the Foundation, and of the golf clinics throughout the country, is to provide opportunities for inner-city youth to appreciate and enjoy all the benefits of society. The hope is to give each child the ability to dream and to dream big, which is the blueprint for success, according to Earl Woods.
Earl went on to compare life to a path that goes everywhere and nowhere, with ups and downs and, of course, the proverbial fork in the road where decisions must be made.
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| Tiger's dad, Earl Woods, captivated the audience with his message of hope. |
"Some people sit at the fork forever, others go in one direction without knowing why. Others will analyze the situation," he said. "Make an intelligent decision based upon the best information available and that time and never look back!
"Life may be a road with turns but it never comes back around and there are no second chances."
Earl concluded the speech with some trademark "Earl-isms" including:
- Don't be a follower, be a leader
- You know what's right and wrong, do the right thing
- A good friend never leads you into trouble
- Share and care
- Respect yourself, trust yourself, like yourself, love yourself
He then led the children in chanting, " I am someone," leaving the entire auditorium shaking as he walked off to a standing ovation.
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