Last spring, I volunteered to help with a golf clinic for two of our local middle schools. The annual spring program is designed to spark young peoples' interest in the game, and to scout possible talent for the local high school's fall golf teams -- boys and girls. With the clinic being held some 25 miles from my workplace, it proved a challenge to make it on time each day for the three days a week it was held. I managed, burned up quite a bit of gas in the process, and loved every minute of it.

My goal at this stage in my life is to work for another decade, retire early from my current career, get a part time job somewhere -- hopefully one that has some insurance benefits -- and start a First Tee program in my community. I've been a Boy Scout leader for about eight years and I enjoy working with young people -- have no idea why or where the desire originated, I just know it's there and I feel it's become my calling of sorts. Although it seems many of them lack much ambition in life, kids today do seem more lighthearted, and generally more fun to be around. I've also discovered they need direction, and positive adult role models that can continue to give them encouragement and real self-esteem (not the feel-good stuff they're getting at school -- you know, the "everybody's a winner" routine).

From just seeing the TV commercials and viewing their website, I like the principles the First Tee program teaches. Of all the facets they focus on -- honesty, perseverance, trust, etc. -- the most important one of all, I believe, is perspective. It's easy for young people to develop the attitudes of their parents, and the current generation of parents seem to dwell more on what they don't have than to be thankful for what they do. Kids pick up on that and can come across as never being satisfied. Many times, I've considered taking one (or several) of our whiny-butt Scouts down to the cancer ward of the Children's Hospital in Louisville and have them sit in the waiting room for an hour or so -- don't say a word, don't move, just sit and observe. Then when I pick them up, ask them again what their complaints in life are.

I certainly do my fair share of whining -- some of my blogs and forum responses reveal that truth -- but I do feel as adults our most important role is to instill perspective in our youth. It's the key that starts the car to happiness.

In working with the kids at the clinic, it was rewarding to see when the light bulb goes off and they begin to understand various concepts of the golf swing. It would be easy to write a story about each kid, since each came into the clinic with different interests and expectations. I tried to get to know and treat each as an individual, seeing what made them tick. I studied several golf instruction videos to better understand the swing myself, and to act confidently when teaching.

What I wasn't prepared for was a subject we stumbled onto one afternoon while out on the course. Two of the boys, Gary and David (not their real names) were quite competitive, keeping track of each other's score more closely than their own. Following the third hole, both commenced to arguing about each other's previous score. Gary finally asked me to intervene, stating, "David had a 9 and he wrote down 8. He didn't count that one he hit real fat back there." I asked David if it was true that he didn't count the stoke, and he replied, "Dude, I barely even moved the ball. That shouldn't count."

The incident led to a short spill from me about cheating. The reaction I got stopped me -- literally -- in my tracks.

David said, "My dad told me it ain't cheating if you don't get caught."

I quit walking with the group. I stood still, looking very surprised at David. I said, "Wait a minute. You've got to say that again. What did your dad tell you?" He reiterated, "My dad said it ain't cheating if you don't get caught. He's told me that a bunch."

There are times in life you're caught off guard and feel a bit naive. And for me, this was definitely one of those moments. How was I to respond to this? If a kid's getting this okay from a parent, who am I to contradict?

So, I resorted to a TV show that's become one of my favorites -- My Name is Earl. Karma -- that's what I discussed. You can't go through life doing the wrong thing and expect good things to happen in return. I'm a God-respecting Christian (Catholic) and believe He's watching it all and taking account, but with this clinic being an extended public school function, I was reluctant to invoke God in the instruction. I'm far from perfect, and find it challenging to advise others on right and wrong, but I have a strong belief it's my job to do so in the adult role. The subject of Karma seemed to do the trick.

We went on to discuss specifics on how they had cheated at school. As I've stated before, kids can be brutally honest, and they told me, quite candidly, about cheating on tests by writing answers on their hands, looking off another's paper, sneaking notes into books and on the back of things (like calculators). They really had a system, and most notably, no concept that any of it was wrong. They believe their teachers don't seem to care, and by them turning a blind eye to it, their teachers acknowledge an unstated approval.

For me, the discussion made for an enlightening afternoon, and has reinforced my desire to get involved with kids through golf. I hope to visit some successful First Tee facilities over the next few years to see how things are done -- no sense in re-inventing the wheel. In the meantime, I plan to again help with the golf clinic. Let's see how they'll surprise me this time around.