By Rick Woelfel
Sportswriter
Meg Young puts in a lot of hours at her job at Chester Valley Golf Club. As an apprentice professional, her days start early and end late. But each Sunday morning she spends time on the lesson tee with 10-year-old Phillip Panella, teaching him the basics
of the game of golf.
Phillip, who has mild cerebral palsy and attention deficit disorder, is Young's "Golf Buddy." The two were matched through the Philadelphia PGA, which lets handicapped children get individualized instruction from local professionals.
For the 26-year-old Young it's been an uplifting experience. "I had a friend who was in a bad accident," she recalled. "After going through that with him I wanted to give something back."
This is Young's second year in the program. "It's been incredible," she said. "It's the best thing I've ever done. Phillip's parents have told me that the program has helped build his self confidence. He plays baseball, but this is different. The one-on-o
ne treatment makes him feel special."
The Golf Buddies program is backed by the Variety Club, the Philadelphia PGA's official charity. Vince Marinello, who chairs the Variety Club Tournament of Champions each year, came up with the idea of introducing disabled children to golf. The program st
arted four years ago with five professionals and five youngsters. Now 30 pros and 30 children are involved.
Rick Osberg, the head professional at Waynesborough Country Club, was one of the original group of five professionals that helped get the program started in 1993.
"When I was first approached about it, I thought the Variety Club wanted me to do a clinic at Waynesborough," recalled Osberg, who was recently named the Variety Club's "Children's Champion" for his work with the program. "Then they explained the Golf Bud
dy concept."
Osberg says the enthusiasm the youngsters bring to the program is contagious. "Any time you're working with children their enthusiasm rubs off on you," he explained. "They're wonderful, bright and eager. It's wonderful being involved with something you'r
e going to feel really good about. I think it's the greatest thing in the world."
Chris Anderson and his buddy, 13-year-old Steven Cope, have seen their relationship grow over the years. Anderson, a teaching pro at Delcastle in Wilmington, is spending most of his summer on the Nike Tour. But he and Steven, who suffers from spina bifida
, still stay in contact with each other, occasionally get together for lunch or ball games, and exchange Christmas gifts. Anderson will also accompany Steven and his father to a Flyers game from time to time.
"I feel honored just to be a part of it," Anderson said. "People come up to me and say it's a great thing that I'm doing, and I feel I should be thanking the Variety Club for letting me be involved."
Steven's road has been rocky as he's undergone more than two dozen operations. His mother, Bette, gives Anderson credit for expediting her son's treatment program.
"At one point Steven was having complications from an operation, and a doctor here (in Berks County) wouldn't see him because Steven wasn't his patient, " she said. "Chris has an uncle who is on the board at the DuPont Institute in Wilmington. He put us i
n touch with the doctors there who told us about the latest programs available. Now we make the trip down to Wilmington for all his treatment."
Bette Cope wondered at first if her son could learn to swing a golf club. "I didn't know if he could do it from a wheelchair. But he leans against his wheelchair so he can hold the club with both hands. If he's chipping or putting he'll lean on a crutch a
nd swing that way. Sometimes he'll fall when he swings because he has trouble with his balance. Chris says his best shots are the ones when he falls down."
As the host professional at White Manor, Doug Hendricks has worked closely with the Variety Club in staging the Tournament of Champions. The first clinic involving Variety Club children and the Philadelphia PGA was staged at White Manor a few years ago. H
endricks hosted the event and has been involved with the Golf Buddy program since its inception.
"They can tell you what it's like," he said, 'but this gives us a chance to see the Variety Club in action. The first clinic we could really see the program up close." Hendricks and his buddy, Russel Ohneck, have developed a warm friendship. "I've had di
nner at his home," Hendricks said, "His sister has been a baby sitter for my 2-year-old."
For now, the pros and their young friends have confined their activities to the range and the practice green. But Hendricks would like the program to take the next step.
"I'd like to stage a two or three hole tournament," he said. "It would let the kids and their professionals get out on the course and play a couple holes from tee to green. I think that would be terrific."
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