0110대 골퍼들의 성장을 도운 리더십 멘토십 10년의 결실
LPGA와 미국골프협회(USGA)가 협력해 운영하는 유소년 골프 육성 프로그램 'LPGA*USGA 걸스 골프(Girls Golf)'가 10대 청소년 회원들의 역량 강화를 위해 마련된 'e리더(eLeader) 프로그램'의 10주년을 공식 축하했다.
e리더 프로그램은 10대 청소년 회원들이 리더십 기술을 개발하고 골프 현장 및 지역사회 봉사활동에 참여할 수 있도록 기회를 제공해 온 대표적인 멘토십 지원책이다. 지난 10년 동안 수많은 참가자들이 이 프로그램을 통해 주도성과 책임감을 배우며 필드 안팎에서 성장해 왔다.
걸스 골프는 e리더 프로그램 10주년을 기념하며 앞으로도 더 많은 여성 청소년들이 골프를 매개로 리더십을 발휘하고 차세대 여성 리더로 자리매김할 수 있도록 지속적인 지원을 이어갈 방침이다.
02Original (English) — LPGA
Phil Poupore is a Pittsburgh native and Integrated Content Manager for the LPGA Foundation. Prior to the LPGA, Phil worked for the American Junior Golf Association.
Girls benefit from extensive leadership opportunities at their local sites and at LPGA tournaments across the country
Since 1989, more than one million girls around the world have been introduced to the game through LPGA*USGA Girls Golf.
This storied program has not only provided girls with opportunities to learn and play golf in a supportive environment, but it has also afforded them the chance to attend LPGA tournaments, meet players and create lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories.
Golf might be what gets these girls into the door, but this program is about so much more than just making connections through the game. Girls Golf prides itself on using the game as a catalyst for helping these young ladies develop into leaders on and off the course.
That’s why in 2016, Girls Golf shifted its focus to the teenage demographic by creating the eLeader program, which provides volunteer and mentorship opportunities for members both domestically and internationally. Benefits of the eLeader program include webinar opportunities for professional development and college prep sessions with golf coaches.
This elevated membership experience affords eLeaders the ability to affect change at their local chapters by taking on a more engaged role alongside their Site Directors. Additionally, eLeaders receive opportunities to assist the LPGA Foundation team with on-site events at dozens of LPGA tournaments each year.
“The eLeader program is one of the most impactful parts of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, providing a meaningful way to keep girls ages 13–18 engaged, inspired, and connected,” said Stephanie Peareth, Director of Foundation Operations for Girls Golf. “Through leadership opportunities, mentorship roles, collegiate webinars, and access to the incredible resources of the LPGA Foundation, we empower these young women to discover a purpose far greater than their golf game.
“The program helps them build confidence, develop lifelong connections, and gain valuable skills that will shape their futures. One of the most rewarding aspects is watching these girls grow from participants into confident young leaders who are ready to inspire the next generation. The eLeader Program isn't just about keeping girls in golf—it's about helping them discover who they can become.”
The eLeader program has played a pivotal role in helping Girls Golf achieve record growth over the last 10 years. It has also changed the lives of thousands of teenagers in that time. For many of these girls, especially the ones below, being an eLeader was a steppingstone to success in college, careers and life itself.
Sophia Brubaker served as an eLeader in 2021 for Girls Golf of the Main Line outside of Philadelphia. As an eLeader, Sophia was able to apply her passions for event planning and social media into various events for her chapter. Sophia’s most successful event was the “Bring a Friend Day” at White Manor Country Club. She led the planning and outreach for the event in addition to promoting it across her chapter’s social media accounts. The special day brought in dozens of prospective new Girls Golf members and further utilized golf to connect girls throughout the local community who otherwise may have never met.
“The Girls Golf eLeader program helped me strengthen my event planning and social media skills, especially through opportunities such as helping manage social media for the Girls Golf Founders Day event,” Sophia explained. “Building relationships with Girls Golf staff members and fellow eLeaders gave me a strong support system and helped me feel more confident and prepared as I pursued new career opportunities.”
Following high school, Sophia attended Clemson University where she was a student producer for Clemson Athletics. She credits Girls Golf and the eLeader program for providing her with the foundation to work behind-the-scenes in sports. It also prepared her for life on campus, and all the leadership opportunities college provides. For instance, Sophia was one of five students selected to represent Clemson in the ACC Leadership Symposium, where she had the opportunity to further develop her leadership skills and connect with student-athletes across the conference. Sophia has since graduated from college and is now building her own freelance business as a content creator.
“The eLeader program builds valuable skills and relationships that will serve you for a lifetime,” Sophia said. “The collaboration skills, industry insights and friendships I’ve gained through the experience are things I will never take for granted.”
California native Zahra Patel echoed that sentiment. She spent the years of 2021 through 2023 as an eLeader for her local Pleasanton chapter. For Zahra, it was all about using golf to connect with girls of all ages and backgrounds. She prided herself on being a mentor to younger girls and helping them feel more confident on the course and in the classroom.
“Being an eLeader is a great way to build confidence, give back, find opportunities to lead and meet other girls who love golf,” Zahra explained. “Girls Golf gave me experiences I never would have had just playing golf on my own.”
This includes attending an LPGA Leadership Academy, which is an immersive two-day experience where teenage members travel from across the country to participate in various golf activities and leadership sessions. Several academies are held each summer with only a couple hundred girls being selected for the opportunity. Zahra credits the eLeader program for providing her a leg up on other Leadership Academy applicants.
Zahra also spent her final year in the program serving on the eLeader National Board of Directors. The board was established in 2019 to provide the program’s top eLeaders with an opportunity to develop program-wide initiatives and to assist the LPGA Foundation team with on-site activations at various LPGA tournaments. Thirteen girls serve on the board annually. That number was inspired by the LPGA Tour’s 13 founding members and serves as a reminder of what women can do when they come together for a common goal.
“Having the incredible opportunity to serve on the eLeader Board of Directors helped build my confidence and ultimately helped me grow as a leader even outside of Girls Golf,” Zahra added. “Girls Golf showed me the impact I can have when I use my voice. Whether it was serving as Student Body President, completing pediatric research at Stanford, or writing a children’s book, I have always carried that confidence Girls Golf instilled in me.”
Zahra is now entering her first year at the University of Southern California where she plans to follow a pre-med track. Regardless of where life ultimately takes Zahra, she plans to always seek out opportunities to lead and give back to her community.
“Our e-Leader program has truly developed leaders from shy girls who joined our program somewhat reluctantly,” said Marvol Barnard, a nationally recognized golf instructor and the Girls Golf Site Director for Green Valley – Sahuarita. “It has kept our older girls in the program, not only as active participants, but as role models, assistants, and, most importantly, active partners in delivering our program. I have watched our e-Leaders absolutely bloom through this leadership role, and I know, without a doubt, they will go on to lead in their schools, their workplaces, their communities, and in our world.”
From local communities to national initiatives, e-Leaders are the heartbeat of the Girls Golf program. They play a pivotal role in engaging younger girls and encouraging them to use golf to build self-confidence, make friendships, and stay active. These e-Leaders have also been crucial to driving membership in Girls Golf over the past decade. Currently, the Girls Golf program impacts roughly 225,000 girls across the world annually.
“Our eLeaders have become an incredibly valuable extension of our LPGA Foundation team, especially when we bring Girls Golf to life at LPGA Tour events,” said Liz Cooper, Executive Director, LPGA Professionals & Foundation. “Their energy, leadership and willingness to jump in wherever needed helps us execute meaningful activations for girls and families, while giving these young women the opportunity to see firsthand what it takes to deliver an event at the highest level.”
Community impact is one of the hallmarks of Girls Golf and something every eLeader is passionate about. This also extends to many LPGA tournaments, including the first major of the season, The Chevron Championship. Held in Houston, The Chevron Championship hosts several community groups throughout the week, which includes local Girls Golf chapters, scholarship recipients and members of the eLeader Board of Directors. Houston native Gabrielle Hammons is one of the lucky members who has gotten to experience this tournament firsthand and support the team on the ground in bringing it all to life.
“My favorite memory as a Girls Golf eLeader was being invited to The Chevron Championship and getting to experience exclusive behind-the-scenes opportunities,” Gabrielle explained. “Getting to work alongside the Girls Golf and Chevron teams is something I will never forget. It was just so amazing to see everything that goes into hosting a professional tournament. I also could not be more thankful for the inspiring people I got to meet and the lifelong connections I made during that week.”
Gabrielle’s responsibilities included managing the on-site STEM booth, which featured various golf-themed math and science activities. The booth welcomed thousands of fans throughout the week and helped introduce the Girls Golf brand to families from across the country. She also assisted with a golf clinic held on the tournament practice facilities. The clinic featured more than 100 juniors, some of which had never picked up a club before. Lastly, Gabrielle got to experience special behind-the-scenes moments like touring the media center, getting interviewed by the LPGA content team and eating in player dining.
“I think every girl should sign up for the eLeader program because it’s so much more than just golf,” Gabrielle shared. “It gives you the chance to grow as a leader, build confidence and meet amazing girls from different places who share the same passion. The program also opens doors to opportunities you may never have had otherwise, like my experience getting to volunteer at The Chevron Championship.
“The eLeader program has been a meaningful part of my journey. It inspired me to give back to the game by volunteering and mentoring young golfers while continuing to grow myself as both a golfer and leader. I’m grateful for the opportunities, friendships and life lessons the program has given me, and I look forward to carrying those experiences with me throughout college and beyond.”
Whether it is giving back to the next generation of girl golfers or leading national initiatives as part of the board of directors, eLeaders have proven time and time again over the past 10 years that the future will be in good hands with these girls in charge.