The Foundation - My Story
Fred Brattain
I am a disabled veteran. I was hurt during the Vietnam War. Since then, I have received the majority of my medical care through the Veteran's Administration Medical System. These are marvelous people, dedicated to doing what they can for our brothers and sisters who have given so much to this country.
After one of my reconstructive surgeries several years ago, I spent some time in a wheelchair. What I saw appalled me. When you are in a wheelchair, people won't look at your face. Instead, they are looking for what is wrong, what is broken. It's as though society is saying, "You are less than human now, you are a broken THING."
I was walking through the VA hospital a few months ago with a friend of mine who lost his right arm in combat. He has a mechanical hook/prosthesis instead, saying that he finds it more adaptable than the prosthetic hands. As we walked down the hallway, we were met by a young woman and her small child. The child took one look at Bill and became terrified. The child's reaction was to hide behind his mother. Instead of dealing with the situation, pulling the child around and introducing him to Bill so that the child could see that there was nothing wrong, the young mother supported her child's fear by not confronting the issue. Again the message is that somehow, because this person has lost a limb, they are less than human. I was really angry about this, but Bill insisted that I just let it go. He laughed, but I could see the hurt behind the laughter.
In 2002, because of the injuries to my knees, my back went out with a vengeance. I was unable to get out of the chair in which I sat for 12 days. However, I vowed that somehow I would continue to play golf, the game I had loved for almost 50 years. In the process of researching ways to play golf pain free, I formed the idea of using golf as a vehicle for helping others with disabilities find a renewed sense of self-worth through this most challenging of games.
Thus were formed the roots of the Disabled Golfer's Learning Foundation.
It is not just for veterans although my fellow vets were the inspiration for this quest. It is for anyone who either wants to return to the game of golf, or wants to expand their horizons and perhaps find a renewal of their spirit by learning to play the game. I don't care if you have a bad back, bad knees, fused vertebrae, are wheelchair bound or are an amputee. I can teach you this marvelous game.
If you are challenged physically, and have learned that traditional golf instruction is not going to help you (which it won't), PLEASE contact me. That is why I am here.
I can promise you that you will learn this marvelous game in a way that will allow you play pain free, and if you are returning to the game, quite possibly play better than you ever thought possible. I welcome the opportunity to work with you.
Fred Brattain Certified Teaching Professional
The Disabled Golfer's Learning Foundation
www.YourBrainOnGolf.com
www.SingleAxisGolf.com
www.VeteransGolfPro.com
809 Redriver Way
Corona, CA 92882
530-400-4675
Fred@DisabilityGolfer.com
After one of my reconstructive surgeries several years ago, I spent some time in a wheelchair. What I saw appalled me. When you are in a wheelchair, people won't look at your face. Instead, they are looking for what is wrong, what is broken. It's as though society is saying, "You are less than human now, you are a broken THING."
I was walking through the VA hospital a few months ago with a friend of mine who lost his right arm in combat. He has a mechanical hook/prosthesis instead, saying that he finds it more adaptable than the prosthetic hands. As we walked down the hallway, we were met by a young woman and her small child. The child took one look at Bill and became terrified. The child's reaction was to hide behind his mother. Instead of dealing with the situation, pulling the child around and introducing him to Bill so that the child could see that there was nothing wrong, the young mother supported her child's fear by not confronting the issue. Again the message is that somehow, because this person has lost a limb, they are less than human. I was really angry about this, but Bill insisted that I just let it go. He laughed, but I could see the hurt behind the laughter.
In 2002, because of the injuries to my knees, my back went out with a vengeance. I was unable to get out of the chair in which I sat for 12 days. However, I vowed that somehow I would continue to play golf, the game I had loved for almost 50 years. In the process of researching ways to play golf pain free, I formed the idea of using golf as a vehicle for helping others with disabilities find a renewed sense of self-worth through this most challenging of games.
Thus were formed the roots of the Disabled Golfer's Learning Foundation.
It is not just for veterans although my fellow vets were the inspiration for this quest. It is for anyone who either wants to return to the game of golf, or wants to expand their horizons and perhaps find a renewal of their spirit by learning to play the game. I don't care if you have a bad back, bad knees, fused vertebrae, are wheelchair bound or are an amputee. I can teach you this marvelous game.
If you are challenged physically, and have learned that traditional golf instruction is not going to help you (which it won't), PLEASE contact me. That is why I am here.
I can promise you that you will learn this marvelous game in a way that will allow you play pain free, and if you are returning to the game, quite possibly play better than you ever thought possible. I welcome the opportunity to work with you.
Fred Brattain Certified Teaching Professional
The Disabled Golfer's Learning Foundation
www.YourBrainOnGolf.com
www.SingleAxisGolf.com
www.VeteransGolfPro.com
809 Redriver Way
Corona, CA 92882
530-400-4675
Fred@DisabilityGolfer.com