I did not make it to the PGA Tour. I was not a successful college player. I didn’t reach my goals with the game of golf. So what did golf do for me? Everything!
- Taught me how to work hard for what I wanted.
- Taught me that life is not easy
- Taught me how to handle adversity
- Taught me how to interact with all kinds of personalities
- Taught me to be disciplined
- Taught me to be creative
- Taught me to think outside the box
I hope families, players and coaches know that it’s very hard to become a professional. It is very hard to become a Division 1 College Golfer. But let’s look at it this way. Is that the real goal? Or is the goal to become a better person? Is the goal that golf teaches you at a young age how to handle hard times? Is the goal that golf tournaments teach you lessons you will use for life and are taught so much better in the game of golf than any other sport? I see people losing site of what this game can really do for you and I hope my story is refreshing and viewed as another side of success from this great game.
Playing the game of golf taught me a formula of how to succeed in life. Playing golf gave me 
confidence I never had as a younger person. I was able to build one of the largest junior golf programs in the world because of what the game of golf taught me about life. Therefore, I owe everything to the game of golf and I thank my family for introducing me to the game and being a support system for my passion. I was never forced to play golf but I was given the opportunity. My passion for golf was driven by me. I took my mistakes on the course very hard but my parents talked me out of that negative self-talk and taught me to be less hard on myself. My dad taught me how to keep golf simple. At Future Champions Golf, we are here to provide the experiences that 
make your childhood better, make your family experience at tournaments better and teach you lessons when you’re disqualified for doing the wrong thing. I want the kids to experience everything as a junior golfer, not protect them from what is out there. I want to teach them how to handle a rules official putting them on the clock at the end of the tournament. Because you know what, they are playing TOO SLOW. I want the players to deal with slow play sometimes. Why? Because every big time tournament is not played fast. In fact, some events are so slow that those who can’t handle it, fail. Let’s teach the kids lessons in life.
Written By:
Chris Smeal, PGA
Founder and President of Future Champions Golf
chris@futurechampionsgolf.com