Quincy Leonard is a father of three, all of whom are learning to play the game of golf. A good player himself, he has instructed his kids to be high level golfers at an incredibly young age. One of his children even placed at the 2016 Augusta National Drive, Chip, and Put Championship at eight years old.
But Leonard does not hoard his teaching talents within his family. He founded Leo Golf Academy to help all children be inspired by the game, and he serves as the director of the U.S. Kids Golf Montgomery Tour, which will be held at Lagoon Park on February 25.
Because of his skill playing and instructing, he was hired by Montgomery’s Therapeutic Recreation Center to teach a group of children and young adults with special needs how to play golf. “Golf is a game where you have to have patience,” Leonard said. “Anytime you teach it, it teaches patience.”
The TRC was founded to help teach and encourage normal behavior for people with special needs such as autism, Down Syndrome, and physical disabilities. When they approached Leonard with the idea of teaching the kids golf, he did not hesitate to say yes. “I told them it was a no-brainer; I’m in,” he said.
Although the golf program is relatively new, it is off to a great start. “This is the first year we’ve started golf,” said Coratio Vincent, Adaptive Sports Coordinator for the City of Montgomery. “We’ve already been up to Robert Trent Jones and we’ll actually host a tournament here in May.”
But at the end of the day, the program is all about the kids. “I know that it has been great for them. They have fun, they learn something new, and I’m just excited about being with those guys,” said Leonard.
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