Local professional golfers Darren Swan and Brian Morris have been appointed as the Island?s first-ever national youth coaches.

The two long-time friends ? both head professionals at Belmont Hills Golf Club ? were chosen to spearhead a joint junior golf initiative between the Bermuda Professional Golf and Bermuda Junior Golf Associations.

Swan and Morris now head a national junior programme boasting over 30 kids that places specific emphasis on producing ?productive, competitive and well-rounded golfers and citizens for years to come?.

?Our ultimate goal is to make these kids world champions and good adults. And part of achieving this is to be a good influence in their lives and help direct them along the way,? explained Swan, 40.

Swan, brother of UBP senator and top local pro golfer Kim Swan, has been a pro since 1986 and has in the past worked with the likes of Michael Sims and Jarryd Dillas at St.George?s, Riddell?s Bay and Belmont Hills.

The former Somerset Eagles striker studied his trade under Leadbetter Golf Academy head instructor Blake Shew and top US PGA master pro Bob Intrieri.

?It?s a joy to be working with the kids and to see them excited about the game,? Swan continued. ?And basically my duty is to make the kids enjoy the game of golf which in turn can help them in the future.

?Being a supportive figure for the kids is important because sometimes they struggle off the course. So this is a good opportunity for me to give back some of the experiences that I have been through and to help these kids.?

Swan is responsible for teaching youngsters from ages nine to 20 the fundamentals of the game at the Bermuda Golf Academy in Southampton while Morris takes care of the physical and mental side of things at Belmont Hills.

?Our jobs are to outline a structured programme as far as teaching junior golfers all the basics of the game,? Swan added. ?And I am very excited because this opportunity also gives me a chance to broaden my horizons.

?I have worked with a lot of the kids in the past but I think that in order to produce a future champion it?s going to have to start from the grassroots.

?So being a national coach provides me an opportunity to give something back to these kids because I think a lot of them do have the potential to become great players.

?I think I have a lot to offer as far as showing the kids a structured life as well. Kids really have to understand the importance of having a life that is structured and I think golf offers this as far as discipline is concerned.?

Morris, 38, is the current BPGA president, 2004 Azores Pro Am champion and holder of the course record at Belmont (63) set in late 2004.

?Darren and I have been close friends for a long time and we are not afraid to share knowledge between each other,? the San Diego Golf Academy graduate told .

?But unlike Darren who teaches, I prefer the physical and mental conditioning aspects of the game. My goal is to provide the kids with the necessary ammunition to be fit and mentally tough so that when they go away they can compete on a more even keel.?

Morris, who turned pro in 2000, remains optimistic the new junior golf initiative will reap huge dividends for generations to come.

?It?s definitely a boost for the BPGA because it is the first time we have been involved in a joint venture with the BJGA,? he added.

The Belmont Hills pro puts junior golfers through their paces once a week at the Warwick course.

?We have various stretching routines and then go on three to four mile jogs,? Morris explained. ?And overall I think we do have the talent in Bermuda. But my job is to keep that talent focused on golf and channel all of their energy into the game. And this is one of the areas where I think our kids fall short today.?