GEN NEXT

How was the organization created?

On April 17th, 2020, during the peak of the pandemic worldwide shutdown, Robert Jones Black’s business partner suffered an unimaginable tragedy. 12 year-old, Hayden Hunstable, a multi-sport athlete and exceptional student, took his own life after making a modest mistake that many kids his age have made. As Robert was processing this loss and also having to reinvent a business impacted by the shutdown, he began reading some of his great-grandfather’s written words about the lessons of life and golf and how the sport reflects our journey of life.

• Robert saw a correlation between the up-and-coming generation’s disconnect of purpose-driven and thriving life versus the words he was reading. One in particular stood out. Bobby Jones wrote, “The main idea in golf as in life, I suppose is to learn to accept what cannot be altered and to keep on doing one's own reasoned and resolute best whether the prospect be bleak or rosy.” Robert saw this and reflected on the common denominator that seemed to rest within the mental and emotional development disruptions of our young generation: resilience.

• Six months later, in May of 2021, Robert announced the creation of the Generation Next Project, which would focus on the youth mental health crisis. He spent the next two years working with the organization’s co-founder and President, Dr. Karla Steingraber, a licensed Sport Psychologist on a program that could use the words of Jones and the game of golf to teach kids how to “think intentionally.”

• With over a year of discussions and planning, the Change Your Course program was created. The program has been designed to draw from experiences on the golf course to illustrate mental and emotional control techniques that can significantly enhance your off-the-course life experience and performance.

What is Generation Next Project doing today?

• Change Your Course Programs: 1 and 2-day programs built to learn valuable lessons on the golf course and apply those learnings to real-life scenarios.

• In 2024, we are hosting programs customized to age groups, as well as team and parent/ child formats. Programs are held at golf venues, country clubs, resorts, and schools.

• We have launched a “lunch-and-learn,” where organizations host either Robert Jones Black or Dr. Karla Steingraber to provide the participants a glimpse into the program. They will walk away with valuable take-aways for both themselves and their children.

• We will launch a yearlong partnership with jewelry manufacturer, Kendra Scott, including product for participants and a nationwide fundraising program in their Kendra Give Back campaign during the month of March.

• We will invest in experiential infrastructure including simulator technology, signage and branding, digital access and interaction, and a continued education platform.

What is the vision for the future?

• Our long-term vision and efforts are focused on transitioning from a live-experience model to a hybrid of live events and a digital curriculum/ program that would be built for individuals, parent/ child, or teams to be able to impact their off-course lives through our practices and messaging.

• At present, we are exploring the pros and cons of transitioning the program to other sports. Different sports can provide different areas of focus for real-life lessons. There is certain value in this expansion, but the earliest we would expect to engage in another sport would be 2025.

• With the organization’s growth, and funding reflecting that growth, we would like to invest in content creation that could be long-form produced stories reinforcing the message and importance of exposing young adults to “experiential learning” to close the gap of mental and emotional development that has been disrupted in the past decade.

Generation Next Project Milestones to date:

2023

• We held our first Change Your Course program in Greensboro, NC. We hosted 6 junior golfers ranging from 12-19 years-old for two days and educated them on topics like performance anxiety, adversity and elation, pressure, and risk vs. reward.

• In October, Woodberry Forest Prep School (Virginia) invited us to run a 2-day program with their golf team. This year (2024), the team won the VISAA Division I state championship.

• We hosted 32 adults for a sneak-peek event at Champions Retreat, introducing the participants to our program and how it educates youth on intentional thinking.

2024

• We secured Kendra Scott as both an event and 2024 sponsor of the Change Your Course program.

• In March, just two weeks before the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, we hosted 12 junior girl golfers at the host course of the first two rounds of the most popular women’s amateur tournament in the world. We provided the participants an unforgettable experience at Champions Retreat. The participants included members from the Georgia 5A State Championship team, the NC Individual Player of the Year, an 8th-grade phenom, and member of the First Tee program.

• We were notified in May that the Golf Channel will be doing a story on the charity in the August/ September timeframe highlighting our work in addressing the youth mental health crisis.

• We are working with the Annika Foundation, started by the best women’s golfer to play the game, to partner with us for the 2025 event at Champions Retreat which the Golf Channel will also cover.

MEDIA