? ? - ' Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools photo
Shown are some of the about 90 elementary, middle and high school students
participating in the 18th annual Vic Johnson Junior Golf Clinic on July 9.
Golf clinic helps students
learn and have fun
BY KIM UNDERWOOD
WINSTON-SALEM/FORSYTH
COUNTY SCHOOLS
Cameron Adams is still
working on keeping her
head still when she hits a
golf ball.
"The coach says, when
I swing I dance because 1
move my head," said
Cameron, who will be in
the fourth grade at Middle
Fork Elementary School.
Cameron likes to dance
- just talking about danc
ing got her feet going -
but, for the sake of her golf
game, she is working on
not moving her head when
she swings.
On the morning of July
9, Cameron was one of
about 90 elementary, mid
dle and high school stu
dents at the driving range
at Reynolds Park Golf
Course. They were partici
pating in the 18th annual
Vic Johnson Junior Golf
Clinic.
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member of the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
Board of Education and a
retired assistant principal,
started the annual clinic in
1997 because he thought
that golf had a lot to offer
young people. This year, it
has been held on Tuesdays
and Thursdays since the
school year ended. Most
participants go to a school
in the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
school system.
Tai Springs', who will
be in sixth grade at
Clemmons Middle School,
has been enjoying learning
to play golf. "Once you get
the hang of it, it's fun," Tai
said.
"We hit the balls so
they can go far," said
Caman Chaplin, who is 9
and goes to Caleb's Creek
Elementary.
The youngest partici
pant was Cameron
Clement, who will start
kindergarten at Petree
Elementary School this
fall. His favorite part?
"When the golf club makes
it fly."
Young coach
One of the coaches was
Malcolm Gant, a high
school junior who is on the
golf team at Parkland High
School. Gant started partic
ipating in the clinic when
he was S and graduated to
being a coach last year.
"I want the kids to
learn the game of golf," he
said. For one, he thinks it's
a fun game. He also thinks
it's a skill that will serve
them well as adults. Should
anyone ever ask them
whether they want to play a
round, they can say, "Yes."
Jayden Kirby's mother
emphasized the first part
when she sent Jayden, who
will be in the second grade
at Cash Elementary
School, to the clinic. "My
mom sent me here to have
a little fun," Jayden said.
Jaeden Allen's mother
emphasized the making
connections part. "My
mom told me while play
ing golf you can meet a
businessman, and y'all can
both make money togeth
er," said Jaeden who will
be a fifth-grader at Arts
Based School.
This is the first year at
the clinic for Noah
Bowman who is heading to
the sixth grade at Flat Rock
Middle School. Noah has
had big fun. "1 get to hit the
ball really far," he said.
As for what he wants to
do when he grows up, he
said, "I haven't thought on
that yet."
Other participants ]
have. For many of the
boys, becoming a profes
sional football or basket
ball player tops the list. i
Jamil Jeter, who will be
a fourth-grader at Union
Cross Elementary School,
wants to be a point guard in i
the NBA (National
Basketball Association).
As it happens, Derek Jeter,
the now-retired famous
baseball player, is a cousin
of Jamil's father. Jamil
would love to become so
good at basketball that one
day Derek Jeter will be
telling people that they are
related.
Carmen Fleming, who
will be in the third grade at
Sedge Garden Elementary,
is planning to become a
chef when she grows up.
She has already started
acquiring the necessary
skills. "I help my mom and
dad cook," she said.
Imparting life lessons
Along with golf skills,
the coaches work on
imparting such life lessons
as the importance of per
sistence. Amauri Wright,
who will be in the fifth
grade at Moore Elementary
School, said that one thing
he has learned is "when
you grow up, life is not
going to be easy."
Something he has
enjoyed about the clinic is
the chance to be out and
about. "I don't have to stay
at home every day"'
Amauri said.
Kory Campbell, who
will be a sixth-grader at
Southeast Middle School,
has been participating in
the clinic since he was 5. "I
like that I get to learn more
about golf every year,"
Kory said, "and some peo
ple I don't get to see in the
summer I might get to see
here."
In addition to enjoying
hitting the ball and seeing
it go," Bryce Baker, who
will be in the fourth grade
at Caleb's Creek
Elementary, likes to read.
He has read all of the
books in the Diary of a
Wimpy Kid series. He likes
the mysteries in the stories
and "how Rowley always
gets annoyed."
Bryce has a 14-year
old brother so he knows
what it's like to get
annoyed in real life, too.
Today was the final
day, so after hitting balls at
the driving range for about
an hour, everyone moved
to a nearby shelter for a
celebration and a hot dog
lunch, thanks to Aramark
Food Service and the
Chancellor's Office at
Winston-Salem State
University.
Trenton Dozier, who
will be a fifth-grader at
Sedge Garden Elementary
School, received the
Samuel Puryear Sr. Award,
given to a participant who
embodies such positive
traits as obedience,
dependability ana entnusi
astic participation.
This was Trenton's
fifth year participating in
the clinic. "I do this for fun
and I do this for practice ...
It looks easy but it's kind
of harder than it seems."
A sentiment with which
anyone who has ever
played golf would agree.
The speakers at the cel
ebration included:
?Larry D. Little, a pro
fessor at Winston-Salem
State University
*Jim Thorpe, a retired
professional golfer who
went on to win more than
10 tournaments on the
Senior Tour after winning
three tournaments on the
PGA Tour
?Tim Grant, director of
the Winston-Salem
Recreation & Parks
Department
?Gary Lash, a district
supervisor for the City of
Winston-Salem
Little said that, when
he was growing up, he did
not have a father in his life
and that Johnson served as
a positive role model. "I
owe so much to Victor
Johnson," Little said.
Johnson told him that
dressing cool was fine but
"if you really want to be
cool, you have to be
smart."
"He taught me about
reading the dictionary and
studying," Little said.
In addition to focusing
on your education, Little
said, "you have to listen to
your parents and be
dependable."
Grant and Lash held up
Gant as an example of
what staying focused and
working hard can do for
you. The recreation depart
ment hired him this sum
mer.
"I saw something posi
tive in Malcolm," Grant
said.
"We had no choice but
to give Malcolm a job,"
Lash said.
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Everyone got a trophy
and a T-shirt. Johnson said
that Jamie Niederost was
so excited about getting a
T-shirt that, when he found
out his family was going to
be out of town today (July
9), he asked Johnson for
his telephone number so he
could call him up when
they return and make
arrangements to get his
shirt.
Nobody was more
excited about students
receiving trophies than
Shanae Reed, whose son
Mitchell Torain will be in
first grade at Petree
Elementary. It's his first
trophy ever, Reed said,
and, as soon as they got
back home, it was going on
the mantel above the fire
place in the living room.
Johnson's wife. Dr.
Constance Johnson, who
was a professor at
Winston-Salem State
before she retired, helps
him run the clinic along
with volunteers, people
from Winston-Salem
Recreation & Parks
Department and a dedicat
ed group of coaches.
In addition to Gant,
coaches this year included
Hiawatha Bethea, Bobby
Gwyn, Joel Maul, Luther
Miller, Harry Transou,
John Torian and Gene
Williams.
"They have, done so
much for this community,"
Johnson said.
Bethea said his goal
was "to make sure they
have a good time and learn
a few things about golf.
Most of them are well
mannered, and they learn
pretty quick."
"I enjoy working with
kids," said Miller, who has
known Johnson since he
was a kid and who retired
after 41 years as a high
school math teacher.
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NCDOT TO HOLD CITIZENS PROJECT
UPDATE MEETING JULY 23
FOR THE PROPOSED EXTENSION
OF IDOLS ROAD (S JL 3000)
FROM HAMPTON ROAD (S JL 2999) TO U.S. 158
The N. C. Department of Transportation will hold a Citizens Project
Update meeting in July regarding the proposed project to extend Idols
Rd (S.R. 3000) from Hampton Road (S.R. 2999) to U.S. 158. The project
proposes to extend Idols Road on new location a distance of approxi
mately 2.0 miles. Right of way acquisition on the project began in Feb
ruary of 2005 and construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of
2016.
The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 23,2015 at the Village
of Clemmons Village Hall at 3715 Clemmons Rd, from 4 p.m. to
7 pjn. Interested citizens may attend at any time during the meeting
hours. NCDOT representatives will be available to discuss the project,
answer questions and provide an updated schedule for the project. No
formal presentation will be made! Citizens will also have the opportunity
to submit comments and questions in writing.
The public can view maps displaying the location and design of the
project online at http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings.
Anyone desiring additional information may contact Diane Hampton,
Division Planning Engineer at 375 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston Salem,
by phone (336)747-7800 or email dkhampton@ncdot.gov. All comments
must be received no later than Thursday August 13,2015.
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans
with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this
meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Diane Wilson
via e-mail at pdwilsonl@ncdot.gov or by phone (919) 707-6073 as early
as possible so that arrangements can be made.
Aquellas personas que hablan espanol y no hablan ingles, o tienen lim
itaciones para leer, hablar o entender ingles, podrian recibir servicios de
interpretacion si los solicitan antes de la reuni6n llamando al
1-800-481-6494.
The Chronicle July 9,16 and 23,2015
Trabe
Benefit Concert
tO Support sister2sister
Gospel and Contemporary Christian
Musical Artists and Performers
Saturday, July 25 2-5pm
First Presbyterian Church Worship Center
200 N. Cherry Street ? Winston-Salem
Featuring Alfred Clemonts
and Tremayne Blair
Contemporary Christian Artists
Other Artist and Performers Include:
? Matelyn Alicia ? Stanley Johnson
? Martha Bassett and the ? LawandaLash
Roots Revival Choir . New Beginner's Youth Choir
? BronalGary . Providence Quartet and
? Darryl Gordon Providence Gospel Choir
? Greater Vision Youth ? Tiffany Ruchugo
Dance Company . and many more
? Harold Johnson and
Blessed Entertainment
For More Concert Information:
Contact Alfred Clemonts at 336-624-5577
Proceeds benefit the construction of the s2j
Children's Home & School in Ngon$ Kenya
? I (336)655-0347
www.sistersinternationalwomen.org
sisterZlBter
A 501(c)3 iwn-pnAt ow??iHttw