We’ve got a client who helps teenagers find sporting scholarships to schools and colleges in the US. For the past 30 years, youths from the UK and other parts of Europe have looked to find their dreams and aspirations through the North American varsity system.
America is aimed at sporting excellence. They have the optimal weather, the facilities, the coaches and the infrastructure to give sportsmen every chance of success.
I know. I have been on a golf scholarship myself. But that was over twenty-five years and much has changed in that time.
First off golfing ability has significantly increased. The golfing children of today have lower handicaps, trained better and at early age, have better equipment and now have a wider career path in golf than was ever envisaged.
But with these advancements comes larger travel and greater responsibilities. Kids are travelling all around Europe and the world as the amateur golf circuit goes worldwide.
Only last week, the UK Newbie Golf Championship had competitors from US, Australia, India, Slovakia, Austria and so on.
I chatted with some of the Australians and they announced that they were travelling to the States after completing this British competition. These golfers are specially selected by their golfing organisation at a very early age and then placed on a golf elite trail whereby their travel, accommodation, competition schedule and coaching is completely provided by their amateur golf body.
A golfer can’t stand losing or misplace her kit and so these golfers need a type of student travel insurance to cover the possibility of lost kit, lost luggage or lost clothing if the eventuality pop up. Simply they cannot arrive at a competition without immediate access to replacements.
Golf scholars, schools and golfing governing bodies should prepare themselves and seek out travel related insurance to cover these possible circumstances.
You would not wish the aspirations of a teenager to be removed because lost kit was not covered.
Paul Godin writes for InsureDirect who provide expert travel insurance for students and golfing travel insurance of all abilities.