Golf apprentices live Europro dream

Solihull College - 01/05/08

Sam Hufton and Adam Norman were in the first group of athletes to complete the high profile Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) at Solihull College.  Since graduating from the programme in 2006, Hufton and Norman have been successfully competing on the elite amateur golf circuit.      

Norman, who won the Berkhamsted Trophy and the Midland Amateur Order of Merit in 2006, said: “I’m delighted to have gained a place on the Europro Tour and I hope to be the first of many Solihull College graduates to play on a professional golf tour.  The apprenticeship I served at Solihull College enabled me to develop a much more structured approach to my golf and I think that this has had a major impact on the improvement to my game.  I’m also extremely grateful to the members of Moseley Golf Club who have given me great support over the last few years.”

Hufton, who is currently sponsored by Montpelier and finished in joint fifth place at the Europro Qualifying School, is equally indebted to the support he received whilst at Solihull College.  He said:” I was probably playing the worst golf of my career when I joined the AASE programme.  I had no real direction with my game and couldn’t see how I was going to get out of the rut I was in.  Fortunately, at Solihull College, they had a dedicated team of experts in various fields who helped me plan a strategy for my development.  I was able to approach my training with the confidence that what I was doing was right.”

The AASE scheme is a cutting edge programme designed to develop elite sports performers of the future and Solihull College is one of only a handful of College’s nationwide to offer the scheme in golf.  In addition to providing a comprehensive golf development package, the scheme also enables the apprentices to develop their academic skills and gain qualifications that will open up opportunities for progression to university.  Andy Schneider, England Golf AASE Academies Manager, said: “AASE provides an unrivalled opportunity for this country’s most talented young athletes to develop their potential to achieve excellence in their sport without compromising their long term career prospects.  Before the AASE scheme was launched in 2004, athletes invariably had to choose between their education and their sport.  Now they have the opportunity to pursue both without having to compromise one or the other.”   

Solihull College is hosting an AASE Golf Information Evening on Thursday 15th May between 6.00pm and 8.00pm for interested young golfers, with a handicap of 8 or lower, and their parents/guardians.  Anyone interested in attending this Information Evening should register their interest with the College by calling the Admissions Team on 0121 678 7006 or 7009.       

For more information the AASE programme click here.