"I beat his butt again," she said, describing her newest victory against the golf pro teaching her group.

"Is that what you're supposed to say in golf terms?" Cynthia Baker asked her daughter. Nia nodded her head and grinned.

Described by her mom as a "take charge" young person, Nia is one of 30 children participating in a specialized golf program at Olney Golf Park in Maryland through the CHADD Youth Golf Initiative for Children with AD/HD.

Designed to provide children who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with the social, physical, cognitive, and other skills inherent in the values of golf, the program simultaneously provides their parents with information on the management of their children's diagnosis in their daily lives.Funding was provided by the United States Golf Association, the Professional Golfers Association, golf professional Jim Estes, and CHADD National.

The program was initially devised over an impromptu lunch conversation between Laura DeShano, CHADD's development and foundation relations manager and mother of a child with AD/HD, and PGA professional Jim Estes.

Addressing focus and self-esteem

As an adult with AD/HD and a professional golf instructor, Estes is uniquely qualified to work with kids affected by AD/HD. Parents could not say enough about the efforts of Estes and additional instructor Dayne Bulloch. "They just seem to `get' my kids," one parent mentioned. "It's never been negative and it's okay when the kids cannot pay attention."

Estes took the framework from an existing junior golf curriculum and modified it to suit the needs and attention spans of children with AD/HD. More specifically, Estes kept his instruction fresh by teaching a different aspect of the game at each session. Additionally, he built a safety valve into his curriculum that would allow any child the ability to leave the instruction portion of the lesson and just go and hit a bucket of balls.

"I'm learning how to grip and how to aim the ball," Nia said. "How to learn to have manners when people are hitting the ball. They can't concentrate when you're joking around." Nia grinned again and pointed across the putting range at the island green in the distance. "I hit it in the water once."

Learning to focus is a big part of the program. It is also an important and difficult skill for young people with AD/HD to acquire.

"We have to focus to aim," Nia explained.

"I think all around, it has definitely helped her be more focused because she has to concentrate on one thing," Baker said. "She's been learning these skills gradually." Baker smiled proudly. "She's been teaching me. She's been coaching me on what I need to do to play golf."

The literature and research suggest that focused sports is one way to help kids affected by AD/HD to improve their concentration and learn to feel good about their accomplishments.

"One of the key factors of this program is it improves your self-esteem," Baker added. "That, and transitioning from one thing to another and feeling accomplished is priceless. Sports are a focusing factor for her." Nia, who is eager to show a visitor how far she can hit the golf ball, glows with the confidence and self-esteem she earned in the program.

"Nia's game has been amazing," DeShano said. "She's become really good. She really did beat our pro today."

"It's funny and fun at the same time," Nia described beating the golf pro. "You expect them to beat you."

"I guess I better start playing golf," Baker said to her daughter.

"I'll beat you, too," Nia told her mom.

A family program

In addition to the golf instruction DeShano wanted the program to offer something to the parents, for while the children face the challenges of AD/HD on a daily basis, so do their parents. While Estes worked with the children, guest speakers provided meaningful presentations about issues such as special education law, advocacy, public policy, additional resources and statistical information about AD/HD. Delivering cutting-edge techniques, strategies, and information, the guest speakers-all volunteers-included members of CHADD's board of directors and staff, as well as information specialists from the National Resource Center on AD/HD.

The program, according to Nia's mother, "was full of information. The speakers were phenomenal. Every week it was something different and useful. It was a good opportunity for parents to get together and discuss our kids. I really appreciated it." Several parents asked if they can come back next year.

Based on the success of this program, CHADD is interested in continuing this type of initiative over the years to come. Program availability is always dependent on program funding, however.

Anyone interested in beginning a sports program to aid children with AD/HD may contact CHADD. Robert Tudisco, a CHADD board member and guest speaker at the Golf Initiative, has already taken CHADD up on that offer. Tudisco, an avid runner, recruited the support of a corporate sports equipment foundation and his local runners club to put together a youth running program for children with AD/HD in New York over the next year.

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Laura DeShano, MS W, is CHADD's development and foundation relations manager and program manager of the CHADD Youth Golf Initiative.

Karen Sampson, MA , is CHADD's communications manager and Attention magazine's assistant editor.