JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Players Championship held its annual “Training U Education Forum” on Wednesday, where 50 Jacksonville-area high school student-athletes were introduced to career opportunities beyond the sports they play.
Students in the forum got to hear from stars including pro golfer Harold Varner, Olympic medalist Shannon Miller and Wimbleton finalist MaliVai Washington.
The Training U Forum was an open panel discussion where students learned about other job opportunities in the sports industry.
“When you think about playing sports, you have a lot of high school kids who aspire to do it professionally, whether it’s NFL athletes, basketball, golfers, and so while these are great dreams, we also want them to recognize there are other options,” said Marsha Oliver, with the PGA.
The PGA also gave these student athletes the opportunity to go behind the scenes of their flagship event, The Players.
Raines High School golfer Darionna May says this exposure to athletes, general managers and sports correspondents, really opened her eyes to other opportunities.
″I didn’t think golf was so much about about business, numbers, and I got the opportunity to get educated,” May said. “They are giving me encouragement and a lot of things to think about.”