I've had juniors who came back. Week after week. Rain or shine. They didn't have the perfect swing. They didn't have expensive clubs. But they showed up.
Those are the ones I teach for.
Not the ones who want a quick fix. Not the ones who think they know it all because they watched a YouTube video. The ones who stay. The ones who laugh at a bad shot and ask, "What did I do wrong?"
Those kids are the reason I still teach.
I'm down to four students now. Not ten. Four. Because teachers didn't show up. Also because four is easier to yell at.
Here's a lesson for the youngsters: Stay off the mats with concrete underneath. They hide your mistakes. You'll hit the ground first and still get a decent shot, but on grass that same swing digs a trench. Your wrists and elbows will thank you. Grass tells the truth. It shows you what you actually did. A mat lies. A blade club tells the truth. A mat never does.
It's also great that when you teach, you never have to tell them in the future: "Get your shit together or leave." They either respect what they're doing or they don't. If they don't, they've got to leave.
I've had a few kids leave because they couldn't handle hearing this. That's not on me.
You can't learn the proper way on concrete. You learn to fake it.
So find grass. Find a coach who watches. Find a friend who laughs with you. And keep showing up.
Four students. Sometimes ten. But always the ones who stay.
If you're a junior reading this – keep showing up. I'll keep teaching. That's the proper way.