Improving the Quality of Life is GCISD’s “Goal!!!!!”

A 12 year-old girl stands on the driving range practice mat, swinging a golf club for the first time. On the mat next to her is an experienced, 15 year-old boy fine-tuning his swing plane. PGA Professional Jeff Ritter stands directly behind the small group of students, giving them professional advice on what to be thinking about before striking the ball. And a 27-hole golf course overlooking the China Sea awaits the group in case they need to get off the range and onto world-class fairways.

Although it looks more like a scene that you might find on Pebble Beach Golf Course, but in fact you don’t have to travel much more than an hour from Shanghai to get to the Nine Dragons Resort. Located in the Zhejiang Province, Nine Dragons is one of China’s premier golf courses, and it is also the new home of the Greater China International Sports Development (GCISD) camps. As the Asian partner of U.S. Nike Sports Camps, GCISD is looking to provide a local alternative to sending kids abroad to participate in sports camps teaching golf, soccer, basketball, and other sports.

Sports culture in China is not the same as it is in the United States, yet there is strong demand from affluent parents to have their children pick up a sport. “As incomes rise, people want a better quality of life, and sports can enhance the quality of life,” says Co-Founder and CEO of GCISD Mike Yang. Mr. Yang was at one time ranked the #2 Badminton player in the United States, and later went on to coach the UC Berkeley badminton team to a National Championship. He contends that parents are finding that sports can help improve study habits and even test scores, but kids also “learn how to deal with setbacks and winning and playing on a team.”

Sports culture in the U.S. is a very important part of life, and sports camps in the United States have been a critical bridge for thousands of students during their summer vacations. Despite the vast difference in sports culture between the two countries, the phenomenon is starting to take hold here in China. As noted in a recent China Daily article, Chinese parents are increasingly paying huge sums of money to send their kids to the U.S. to attend sports camps and learn alongside American youth. Though costs can range from $5,000-$40,000 for these trips, parents see value in having their kids gain experience abroad, practice their English, and stay active during summer.

Expensive trips like these are usually afforded by the more affluent families, but GCISD’s goal is to provide a higher-quality experience for a competitive price.  Yet the best part about it is that their facilities are right here in Shanghai. GCISD’s first soccer camp (October 2-4), for example, will be held at the SMIC International School in Pudong. And although the golf camp (October 4-7) is in Zhejiang province, it is still MUCH closer (i.e., less expensive) than Pebble Beach in Monterey, California.

One of the difficulties that programs like this have had in the past is recruiting professionals to coach the camps. For professional golfers and soccer players, teaching kids who have never picked up a golf club or kicked a soccer ball is something they would happily do in their home country. It’s the same dilemma faced by many expats, and employers who need to attract top talent here in China. But with PGA professional Jeff Ritter, named one of Golf Digest’s Best Young Teachers of 2010-11, and Doug Parra, an internationally-renowned soccer coach, GCISD is bringing top-tier coaches to Chinese students who want to learn.

The reason these coaches were chosen is because of their ability to teach students at different ability levels, which is critical for success here in China. The small student-to-teacher ratio is what makes this personalized instruction possible.

“It’s not easy to have this caliber of coaches and facility because we hire the very best,” says Mr. Yang, “but we want to make our camps just as good as they are in the U.S., and give Chinese kids the opportunity to learn a new sport right here in Shanghai.”

*GCISD has recently announced that their golf classes have been opened up to people of all ages!! Adults are welcome to register for the upcoming camps that start on October 4. GCISD is currently offering a 40% discount for those who register by September 25. You can register here.

Mike Finstad is the Editor for ShanghaiExpat. He has picked up many golf clubs in his life, only to throw them as far as he possibly can moments later. If you have any comments or questions, you can reach Mike by sending him an email at: mike.finstad@shanghaiexpat.com