(This is the second and last part of Dino Datu’s column from last Thursday which delved on up-and-coming junior golfer Aerin Chan and the whole-hearted support of her dad, basketball star Jeff Chan).
Dino (to Jeff): Being a pro basketball player, is there a tendency to be overly competitive? Do you and Aerin fight sometimes?
Jeff (laughing while Aerin pauses to listen to his answer): I don’t want to push her but honestly sometimes I do, maybe a little too much. We don’t fight and I don’t scold her, I just make “reminders.” I really can’t help it. Hahaha. Sometimes in tournaments, when she gets frustrated, I signal from afar to calm down. But I know it’s easier said than done.
Both laugh and Aerin continues hitting wedges to 40, 50 and 60 yards.
Jeff: Sometimes I need to “gently” remind Aerin to focus, to not forget details like pre-shot routine, to not let her temper affect her game. She can also have a tendency to “cruise,” not to be “diesel” (slow starter), or worse, not to lower her game if she feels she can easily beat her opponents. I need to reminder her to “step on the gas.” The pressure to win doesn’t come from us (parents). On the contrary, I sometimes tell Aerin to not expect good results every time she tees it up. Especially in tournaments where she is unfamiliar with the course or is stepping up to more difficult divisions, I tell her to just enjoy and learn. But the desire and expectation to win comes from her.
While Aerin was busy getting her clubs, I privately asked Jeff a question that I didn’t want Aerin to hear:
D: Jeff, in case Aerin suddenly says “Dad, I wanna quit golf,” with all the time and resources you and Donna have put into her golf, would you allow her to stop playing?
J: Yes, but we will first need to find out why. Donna and I am not pushing Aerin to go pro eventually. It was never our intention. But with Aerin showing promise, we are hoping that she reaches a level where she can get scholarship offers from colleges in the US. Education is more important for us. It can set her up for life, beyond golf. If Aerin really keeps improving and she gets to go pro and compete in the LPGA, why not? But that’ll just be a bonus. We’d be more than happy just to see Aerin get into top schools in the US. That’s more than enough for us.
After an hour and a half of full and controlled wedge shots, we head to the chipping area for a “cool down.” Jeff places a hula hoop on the green around 25 yards away and Aerin proceeds to hit crisp pitch after crisp pitch.
Once in a while she’d hit a less than perfect one and Jeff would tease Aerin with “chukoy” or fat shot. Aerin would argue that it wasn’t fat and they would continue to tease and playfully rib each other. Jeff has been playing golf as long as Aerin has and admittedly, hasn’t been on the same level as his daughter.
Jeff is an athlete so he has really good coordination. He has a nice, natural swing and has plenty of distance. But compared to Aerin, he isn’t winning any championships on the greens just yet. Aerin being sweet and jolly can also dish out some trash talk.
It was actually hilarious listening to the father and daughter banter, equally funny as it was competitive. But golf aside, I also noticed how Aerin was with her coach Bong Lopez, the staff at Southwoods, and how she spoke with me.
Aside from hitting accurate wedges and 200-yard drives, this 11-year-old girl was a kind, respectful and jolly kid who just happened to discover her talent at golf and is having fun doing what she loves.
More than trophies, scholarships and accolades, seeing parents and their kids bond over golf is I think, the most precious gift the game has to offer.
Aside from values such as honesty and integrity, golf is a game that can be equally enjoyed by an eight-year-old or an 80-year-old. Raising golfers gives us parents a chance to spend hours and hours of quality and fun time with our kids. Having a child excel at golf is just icing on the cake.
Wherever golf takes Aerin, I am sure Jeff, Donna and her Ate Amara are behind her all the way. Whatever the result, I hope they enjoy every minute of their journey.
