December 26, 2024 • 51 mins
Jonathan Sessa, founder and CEO of Warrior Golf Academy, joins Rich to discuss how the program helps our veterans and first responders, his time in the military, and more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Rich com Weal Golf Show.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It is on today's date is well, the nineteenth of
December twenty twenty four, so we're pushing forwards Christmas and
hope everybody's got all their purchases done.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
I of course have.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
None done, so that's gonna work out really well for me.
So I have to look really hard at a at
the next day off. But this week, I am honored,
literally honored to have Jonathan Sessa with us this week.
And I'm going to tell you that as we go
through this, you're gonna this is a this is a
great golf story. This is absolutely the reason this is
(00:39):
just a great golf course. This is the reason for
a lot of things this time of year and every
day of this year, for a lot of reasons.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
But Jonathan, thanks for coming on with me.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Oh Rich, Well, like you said, it's an honor to
be here. Thank you so much for the invite, especially
with the holiday season coming, this is a very special time,
especially for for all of us service members. Holidays are
always very tough.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Right right, So why don't we start. I always start
with the beginning, So talk to me about about your
childhood and your growing up I know was to put
it lightly nomadic, but go ahead and go ahead and
talk to me about that if you don't mind.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Sure, of course. So the way I put it as
nomadic is is I guess every two years. I ended
up moving. My father was in sales and taking promotions.
You always said, you don't want to stay with the
company too long when they offer you advancement, and take
it and go. So that's what we did, and I
ended up moving around a lot in my childhood, which
(01:40):
gave me the availability then to make new friends all
the time. Of course, so I've never had the problem
with approaching people and being able to kind of communicate
with them and just telling my story. So I ended
up joining the military in two thousand and thirteen. I
graduated high school in two thousand and six, so I
(02:00):
gave a few years there. I went to college and
just saw no upward movement in my life and needed
to just really get out of where I was in
Los Angeles, so I enlisted and a year later with
some waivers and things like that, it was a hard
time to actually get through to get into the military.
But once I got all of that and got sworn in,
(02:21):
went out to basic training, I served as field artillery
and six and a half years I got out as
a staff sergeant and I had two deployments. I guess
one of them you could say, was to Korea. That
was my initial duty station, so it's a considered a
deployment now, but that was a different way and a
(02:42):
kind of like, I guess, a throw into the deep
end of the military community. They said the best way
in Korea to make rank of sergeant like an E
five is to go there as a staff sergeant like
an E six, So kind of like a little hinting
at that you're going to get in trouble while you're
out there. So with that, that kind of tilted off
(03:04):
my military career, and that that led down just a
bad line. I had a lot of substance abuse, a
lot of PTSD, I had a lot of survivor guilt.
The hardest thing for me is not the things that
happened over downrange, where the things that were happening to
our own soldiers. Right, So being a staff sergeant, I
(03:26):
took the oaths to protect those underneath me and look
out for my soldiers as if they were my own.
And that's what we did. So coming out and transferring
into the civilian world makes that a lot different. Yeah,
it's not looked at the same way from your boss
to your workers. So that's where a lot of the
disconnect comes, of course. But back into the military, it
(03:46):
was a tough spot being through there and seeing those
things through not only deployment but coming back and people's
terror stories. I had a couple soldiers that ended up
committing suicide, and with that happening, you always think what
more could I have done? Right, you don't ever lose
(04:07):
those images, those things that you ever saw. There's a
lot of people that had a lot of things worse
happen in their life than what I've experienced. But what
I like to hone in on is that feeling of despair. Right,
everybody knows that, just the helplessness, that the fact that
there should have been something more you could have done.
Was it something you said, something you did that guilt? Right,
(04:28):
everybody knows and feels that at some point in their life.
So that's relatable and it just eats you up. I
went through a lot of counseling and a lot of,
like I said, substance abuse and getting through that, I
got out of the military. In twenty nineteen, I fractured
my cervical spine two places had like I said, oh
(04:50):
tbi's PTSD, A lot of other stuff going on, So
I got out. I have one hundred percent raiding through
the VA now so that they are taking care of me,
but it leads to believe, what more could we be doing? Right?
So when I transitioned here to South Florida, I was
in well actually before that, excuse me. I got out
(05:12):
twenty nineteen and when COVID hit, I moved down to
Costa Rica. I needed a reset, something therapeutic for my life, right,
and that's where I picked golf back up. So golf
was always a moment in my life that brought me joy.
I would go out as a kid and just hit
buckets of balls until I couldn't feel my arms and
(05:33):
legs anymore. When I would visit my grandparents, he was
an avid golfer, and now he's got COPD and he's
not able to make it out on the course anymore.
I God bless him, but he's a legacy that you
leave right. So that's the important thing, and I want
to do that. Moving forward to the community. All the
things today are built to kind of bring us apart,
(05:55):
separate us, remind us of why we're different, but nothing
to really unite. So when I was in Costa Rica,
I spent three and a half years there playing golf
every single day. I got involved in the community, taught English.
I met my now wife when I was there, and
it changed my life. It was like a reboot on
(06:15):
a computer when it's malfunctioning, right. I needed that piece,
and I think being during COVID too, and golf being
one of the things that's not closed down and you
were able to continue to do it allowed me to
get out on the course and work through therapeutically and
mentally the things that were holding me back in my journey. Right.
(06:38):
So I utilized that, started feeling better, and we decided
to move to South Florida. I got in the PGA Association,
started my classes, and now I'm a Level two in
the PGA Association, hoping to get my teaching degree through there.
I think that would be fantastic if I could become
a full member to all my pats and required testing
(07:02):
as a disabled human as well. I think, just for
my personal goal, that would be something I want to
accomplish as well as everything I can learn from all
the other professionals in the business. Right, So I started
Warrior Golf Academy to just offer my services to other
disabled veterans and first responders that have been through trauma
(07:22):
like myself and need a reset. Right. You need a community,
you need a bond, you need like minded people that
are here to help. So I offer free lessons. I
offer free club repair. I teach you how to regrip, reshaft, repaint,
regroove golf clubs. We have local shops that we work with.
We have local golf clubs that we work with. We
(07:45):
do I guess you could call them play dates, right
where we get some guys together and we just go
out and play. And you don't even have to be
good at golf. I offer caddy programs as well. I
think caddying is fantistic for the veteran community because the
stories and the dedication and the commitment that it takes
to be a caddy, I think is it's awesome and
(08:09):
the connections that you make out there. You don't have
to be good at golf to be a caddy. You
just have to be a likable person and and help
somebody relax, Right, that's really what it's about. You're there
to facilitate the best time possible on the golf course
for somebody else. And I think that's magical, right, Having
that opportunity and being a caddy now is I think
(08:32):
sadly becoming a dying art. Yes, with all of the
electronics and everything in today's it's falling, it's falling apart.
But having somebody extra there that goes into bunkers and
rakes and cleans up and helps you out, make sure
that your water's there and your clubs are clean, making
sure that everything and gives you that extra set of
eyes to bounce ideas like it's I just can't say
(08:54):
how instrumental it is. Not only does a golfer, but
as a caddy. I find it very rewarding. So I
offer all of those services, plus employment offering for our
veterans and first responders that come through. Maybe you just
want to go out and become a ranger for a day,
or our gronomy is becoming a new thing as well.
(09:16):
I want to start a program to get people into
Maybe you just want to go out and punch some
some holes, you know, you want to cut some cups
in the morning, set up some teas. A lot of
people here in South Florida, the golf courses need that help.
So allowing that and that's such a relaxing job man
there in the morning, with that morning do on the ground,
(09:38):
a little bit of fog, and it's just you, your thoughts,
a little bit of music. You know. I think it's magical.
And in the military you're used to waking up that early.
It's it's just a part of life. Sleeping in and well,
getting a whole night sleep for me doesn't happen anymore,
but I know for many that being up early and
(10:00):
having something done, uh, you feel like you've already accomplished
something in your day, right.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Right, So so lets let me let me let me
jump backwards her a little bit, because I think it's
very very important. Okay, So you were you were deployed
twice once the Korea.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Where was your second deployment.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
My second apployment was out to Kuwait and we did
stints in different parts of Iraq, uh, based on different platoons.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, so, so and then so and and I'm and
I'm gonna tell you this because you know, you don't
know this, but I'm a recovering alcoholics, so I I
tuned into the whole substance abuse thing. But so you're okay, right,
I mean you're you're, you're every day we're doing okay right?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh well, every every day I'm watching my feet, if
you know what I mean. Especially being in the golf business.
I think it's it's it's kind of sad looking. I
was out there in Arizona and looking at the wasted
tournament and as it is now. You know, I think
putting I think putting a mental health and a rehab
(11:06):
facility right outside would be fantastic. I can't tell you
how many times I go to golf tournaments and people
are just sloshed and and feel free to just leave,
no problem. And I think I think just bringing some
awareness around that, uh not like in your face type
of a thing, but just let people know that, you know,
(11:27):
there's there's better ways to having some fun. Yeah, exactly,
that exactly. I was looking at different programs we could
set up with, like Mothers against Drunk Driving, how there
is those, and maybe we could offer like on every
military post they offer a fantastic excuse me, fantastic program
where they will come and literally drive your car for
(11:51):
you back to your home and give you a ride.
So it's a partner program to two by two. One
car drives out there with a passenger and that person
drives your car with you back to your home, so
that way you have your vehicle in the morning, you
got back safe and all it is is a phone
call and it's free. Right. Imagine what that could do
at the end of these golf tournaments and offering things
(12:11):
like that, even for local charities. I mean, I think
there's a big opening for us to do more to
facilitate the things that are causing the issues to the
community and especially those involved.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
So you basically have just made it your life's work
to improve other people's lives through golf.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yes, sir, yes, sir. I mean it quite literally saved
my life. Rich I don't know what else to tell you.
I've had suicidal thoughts and tendencies in the past and
ideations and attempts, right, and with that, the two things
that have saved me, well, three has been God, golf
and my wife. Right. So having I think the three
(12:59):
things that people need to continue going on is you
need you need a purpose, right, you need a purpose
in life, and you need to feel like you actually
belong somewhere. You need that true sense of belonging and
not only does that give you life, but that gives
you the willingness to continue to want to live right.
(13:19):
And I think that's what's important, is reminding people that,
you know, especially in adaptive golf, I think it's it's
amazing to see some of these guys out there that
are seventy five eighty years old, been in Vietnam and
lost the use of their legs and they're in a
solo rider now getting in and out at hitting bunker shots.
But you know what that takes. That takes a caddy
(13:40):
to be there with them to take care of that
that bunker afterwards and to help facilitate and assist. So
Warrior Golf Academy. I'm definitely interested in anything I can
into the adaptive community when it comes to the special
Olympic side of it, anything that we can do to
to help and bring awareness that there's there's this technology
(14:04):
out there that could be.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Utilized right right I I I think I think it's
and we're gonna we have we have you know, we
have forty more minutes to talk about all the really
cool things that we're gonna do with golf, and you're
gonna do.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
With golf, and you do do with golf.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
But you know, I I I I have to tell
you that that it's really really really cool to hear
the way you just said.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You know, there's three things.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
You know, there's there's there's God, the Higher power and
there and there's my wife, and then there's there's golf.
And I don't, I don't, I don't advocate, you know,
I golf is not penicillin for everybody.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I'm not saying that.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
But the purpose is is the penaicillin for everybody?
Speaker 1 (14:40):
That is? That is? That is the purpose.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And you know I I share freely that you know,
numerous times a year, I I do tell my wife
thank you for saving my life because if she hadn't
been there, I wouldn't be here. And I can appreciate.
I can just hear in your in your voice, what
how people and things can actually make all the difference
(15:07):
when you're in a kind of a dark space.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Oh well, absolutely, I mean I think it's just a
simple gesture. How many times have you just been having
like such a rotten day or something just ticks you,
and you go off and your mood just changes right
for whatever reason, and you're not feeling it. But then
you go to a cash out counter or something and
the person cashing you out just has a smile and
just says, you know, I don't know what happened today,
(15:32):
but you know, I hope that you have a great
day and the rest of it works out. It's just
something so simple like that, and then you're just like, wow,
Like the human connection is amazing. And I'm not a
psychologist by any means. I mean, I've definitely seen enough
of them, but it's helped me realize that that you
need to feel grounded, you need to feel like you're
(15:54):
a part of this. And with technology and things today,
we're so pushed apart from I mean even right now
we're doing this over a podcast, and this used to
be sitting face to face and personal, and even before that,
it would be speeches or people would be giving you know,
the soapboxes in the middle of a community and standing
(16:15):
there and that unites because people and then everyone's shaking
their head together and looking at each other in agreement.
It builds that camaraderie and I think that's what we're missing,
you know, and being able to bring that to golf
is what I can do. I mean, I can't change
the world, but I could change maybe one or two people,
and those two people could change a couple of people,
(16:37):
and who knows what happens, right, So it's all about
what I can control each and every day, and that's
what I look at. I just look at how I
can be the best version of me every day.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
All right, So this is this is segment, but this
is Jonathan says that we're talking with today.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
We finished this segment.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Now Jonathan, when we come back, we're going to talk
a lot more about your Warrior of Golf Academy and
a lot more about you, and a lot more about
how I can help and how everybody can help, because
this is actually a real reason to do a lot
of things in this world, and this is why golf
is so important in this world. This is the Rich
(17:19):
Combo Golf Show. Welcome back to Rich Comboll Golf Show.
We're joined by Jonathan Sasa.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Today. Jonathan has a.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Great story and it's golf weaves through it, but it's
just a great story. So so Jonathan, now you get
back from deployment and to use your words, yet it
get a little bit of a reset. So you head
off to Costa Rica, right, So talk to me a
little bit about first of all, what led to that decision.
(17:48):
I mean, just wake up one day and just go
I'm going or but you just kind of like, I
need to figure out something here.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
So when I got out of the military twenty nineteen,
I was searching for something. I was going through divorce
at the time. I had just ended, my military career
had just ended. I was still seeking through the VA
for my my disability ratings. Then we had the scare
of COVID happening and all that, and when I got out,
(18:18):
I wasn't like everyone, You're not sure what you're gonna do.
That transition is scary. So I fell back on what
I know and I work with my hands. I'm a worker,
right and door. So with that, I went and worked
the oil fields in North Dakota. So I worked for
a year as a basically a diesel mechanic, but we
(18:40):
worked on cranes and rigs and oil equipment out there,
repairing hydraulic lines fluid and I've always been I wanted
to go to school for engineering until I found out
that it's all on the computer, right, and I'm definitely
an outside person, like, I can't I can't be stuck
in staring at it screen. So I went through I'm
schooling for that, but I fell back on my cat
(19:03):
work to be able to help them out as well.
So we manufactured a bunch of different parts and I
would draw them up and design them to be able
to I guess, create whatever type of machinery they needed
to adapt to the job that they were doing, right,
So it was it was pretty neat through that oil
boom and everything happening. Then I was in Williston, North Dakota,
(19:25):
and it's cold. Yeah. My last duty station was Fort
Drum in New York, so upstate New York, it's freezing there.
And then I started working in Williston and it was
freezing there. Your feeder cold all the time. Hydraulic fluid
in oils, they don't freeze, so that's like even colder.
(19:48):
It was just it was it was an experience and
I made a lot of money doing it, so I
stacked that away right, and with that, I was like,
I need to go somewhere. My father I lived in
Vietnam for the past like fifteen years teaching English out there,
just loved it. He would come back every once in
a while, but he was back because he had some
(20:11):
heart problems that needed some stints and things put in.
So I was thinking he wanted to go back to
Vietnam and all this other stuff, and I go, well,
I feel better about him going somewhere with me if
he's thinking about going somewhere. So I looked up someplace
that's going to be a little bit more reasonable for
us to afford to live with our ratings and his
(20:35):
social security and everything else, and wanted to make sure
that medical was okay, and you know, crime and violence
and all that other stuff. So I did a lot
of research and Costa Rica was the place, and it
was fantastic. It changed my life, I mean going there.
During the Hopes to Heights of COVID, I played at
(20:59):
Carrie Ai Gulf Club right there in Bilen in Costa Rica.
I was a member there and it was like two
hundred bucks a month for a family plan, unlimited golf.
They have a gym, they have a pool, they have everything.
It was it was like the best deal I could
I mean I could live there forever. Right, It was incredible.
(21:21):
So I would go out and play golf every single day.
I got to know everybody really well. Their club pro
there was awesome. He was playing in tournaments here, he
was looking for sponsorships. It was it just the community
just was amazing. And I mean I went there not
knowing anybody, right, I went just with my dad and
me and the hopes that things are going to get
(21:43):
better because I needed I needed something different. I was like,
I can't, I can't just keep working and grinding every
single day. And I was kept thinking for what, for
what right at the end of the day, so I
could have a bigger house or a nicer car and
not be able to enjoy anything in my life, Like
it just doesn't make sense. So I was rattling my
head and I just couldn't get past like what I'm
(22:07):
doing with my life and then everybody else that had
sacrificed so much for me, what I'm doing and I
and being in this pit of despair, I owed it
to other people, like what to live my life? And
that's what I came to the realization that for everybody
else is not to be depressed and live inside a
(22:28):
hole and take medications and and I mean I was
the VA was sending me pills and stuff I had.
You know, I was on opiates for like eight years straight.
It was crazy and you're just like, there's no way
to live. I just I just couldn't. I just couldn't
do it. And that helped me realize that becoming a
(22:49):
part of a smaller community and impacting people was what
I needed to do. So that helped changing me. And
when I got changed, I was like, don was a
prime candidate for a therapy around this. You know, there's
like Project Healing Waters out there, there's equestrian, there's art
(23:10):
therapy for so much and even now PGA Hope has
the MOI with the VA using it as a therapy,
and it should be utilized more. I don't understand why
these referrals are not coming in left and right, because
I was a prime advocate for a program like this.
I had all the triggers, and I had the past history,
(23:31):
and then I also had, you know, golf as a
good spot in my life. And I think that's what
you need is use it as a moment of happiness, right,
So it's not about going out there and how bad,
it could be. It's about bringing that camaraderie and that
group together, and that it doesn't matter if you hit
(23:51):
the ball ten feet or a thousand feet, right, It's
about just getting out there. And everybody's perception and expectation
is different. So especially when you come to like adaptive golf,
going through that PGA Hope certification and actually being able
to hit a golf ball from a seated position or
blindfolded has taught me that, you know, I'm I'm happy
(24:15):
just to hit it straight right, you know, right, but
I have I'm happy to fifty yards down the middle
hooping and hollering and screaming, and everybody else was, and
and it's those moments that you can't recreate, those cherished
memories that people look back on, and those are the highlights,
(24:36):
Like those are those are your movie cinematic trailers that
need to be run to keep you inspired in those
dark moments.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Yeah, it's interesting you say that, because I I I do.
I do Hope programs at work, and and I've done
I've done two sessions of them, and I've worked some
other hope programs.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
But long before that, my sister.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Was born and spina bifida and she was paraplegic, and
I would go do I would go do clinics for
the Spina Biffeita Association of Western Pennsylvania. And my promise
to those kids was, everybody would hit a golf ball.
I don't care if it goes six inches sixty yards,
I don't care. And I would tell you the joy.
(25:23):
The joy because they because their entire life, it never
occurred to them they could do this, or they may
have been told they can't.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Do it.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And I was like, all right, look, you know what,
we're removing the word can't from this.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
And and and I got I got hurt.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
I mean, I got hit, and it was okay, I
got hit. I mean I'm I'm okay, but but you know,
and then then I, you know, try and go fast forward.
You know, I get involved in the whole program. I
went through the same training you did. And I'm telling
you it is I opening what you can do with
golf to help people that really don't think there's any
(26:00):
need help out there. It's just fascinating to me because
I had a couple of guys that are just like
you know, I'm never going to be able to do this,
I can't do this, and they get off in the
corner by themselves and they don't talk, and then all
of a sudden, it's like wow, they realize that the
expectations are their own, not ours.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Whatever you can get out of this, I will give.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I will give to you whatever you can get out
of this. And that's exactly what is exactly what you're doing.
And that's just incredible. So I mean and and the
other thing is and I and I say this, and
I say this to everybody I talked to you about hope programs.
I I can't tell you that I don't care what
(26:48):
kind of day I've had. When I had a whole program,
it was the best day of work ever, only exceeded
by the next one, you.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Know, because it's just it's just it's just it's just
this sense.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
That people look at you and like, wow, you're gonna
help me, Like of course, I'm gonna help you.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
We'll see. That's that's it, And that's my selfish reason
for doing it, really is it's my therapy, man, like
you you know it, and because you've been through and
you've done it, that's my therapy. Having a bad day
turn into a good day, just by helping somebody else, right,
And that's all it's about, is just encouraging people not
(27:28):
even to play golf, just get out of the house
and join the community, come together. So even if there's
volunteer opportunities, I try to come up with programs for
other veterans to just come out to the golf club.
Maybe you can find some golf clubs that are there.
And I came up with Operation Reclaim, and we go
back and those that were left behind still have a story, right,
(27:51):
So we'll go back and we'll find that nine iron
that was left there for three years, and we'll put
a new shaft on it, regroove it, repaint it, and
then we can give it to somebody. Right. So just
by doing things like that there, that's teaching not only skills,
but then helping out with all that other and upcycling it.
Actually not even just repurposing, right, because there's so much
(28:15):
I mean, how many how many golf clubs are left at.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
A golf There's there's a million of them back, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Exactly, and they could be they could be used. There's
nothing wrong like the set of clubs. I'm still playing.
I'm playing some t and eighty sevens. Those Mizunos, those
are what forty years old, when like as old as
I am, those are I was born in eighty eight,
so they're the year before I was born. The golf
clubs haven't changed much. Like you just got to just
(28:43):
hit the ball right. You're only your perception is your reality, right,
so you're playing against yourself and when you come to
terms with that, then the game is fun.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I had my first Hope training was was outside of Columbus, Ohio,
and and we had a uh a female trainer, and
she was telling us that that the stories of of
going to people's homes to to get them because they
would they would they live in a nice three story,
(29:15):
two bedroom home and you know, the wife and kids
were gone because he was just he'd sleep in the
whole way right by the bathroom because that's what he
could trust, you know, that's where that's where he was,
That's that's where he was safe. And and and then
then you get and they're like, you know, we get
him out, and then of course he'd go to the
(29:36):
corner of the room because that's the next safest place.
And then all of a sudden, it's like Hey, I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I'm okay.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
I'm not perfect because I'm not going to be perfect.
I might never be perfect, but I'm gonna be okay.
I'm gonna be okay. You know, I'm gonna be okay.
And there's people out here that that are not dangerous
to me. And and and she said at this why
she goes, You know, the thing of it is is
you have to understand with some of the people that
you might meet doing hope programs, is they truly believe
(30:07):
that everybody they meet is dangerous to them. And it
took me and that one that one resonated with me
for about two days. I'm like, I couldn't even imagine
like walking into a grocery store and thinking that everybody
in that store is dangerous. And I applaud anybody that
(30:29):
actually has to. It's courage, I would think, because I
have been through it you have, but I would think
it would be courage to be able to say, Okay,
you know what.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
I have to trust somebody.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I have to connect somewhere, because if I don't, it's dark,
really dark.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
And I just everybody has that though right, it's not
it's not just for what I've been through, or what
a law enforcement office there has been through, or what
you know, she's like an er doctor's been through. You know.
Can you only imagine some of these things, like in
the conversations you have to have with children's parents and stuff,
(31:13):
or it would just be I couldn't even imagine what
some people have to go through. So everybody needs a
way to just get away, right. And I have a
friend who runs a program out here called greens Guild
and every weekend he goes out and plays around of
(31:36):
golf on a Saturday, different locations. And she's a Navy
veteran but came up with this program and I helped
him promote it to get people to join it. And
it's great. It's just a community of people that go
out and play every Saturday, and they put little games together,
little clinics, little giveaways and side bets if you want
(31:57):
to do that. But it's a fantastic community for people.
And the whole point is what he told me. What
really stuck with me was that he wants it to
be like a vacation every time someone comes out, because
he goes, that's what we can do, he goes. Most
people don't do this seriously and stuff, but he goes
what everyone goes through all week long. We owe it
(32:19):
to take this, you know, fifty dollars for their tea
time or one hundred dollars for their tea time, which
is a lot.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Of money to a lot of people, Yes it is,
and make it really worth it. If you're gonna spend
five hours out there on a weekend, five hours on
a lot of these golf courses right when it's low.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
So if you're gonna spend that much time out there,
you may as well really be enjoying it. So that's
what it's about. It's about community. It's about meeting up
with people and engaging and having some food afterwards and
some laughs and some talks and some camaraderie and competition
and make it fun, right like, that's what it should
(32:56):
be about. And everybody that goes out with their foursomes
and everyone's intention to go out and play golf. And
that's why I love being out there, is everyone's there
to have a good time. Right now, you may leave upset,
right everybody gets there and he's off at whole number
one with happy thoughts everyone. Maybe you're thinking about the
(33:16):
ball going in the water or something off your first
t shot. But when you pull up, you're you're in,
You're in a fantastic mood.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
That's the great expect the level of great expectations right there,
right exactly there, all right. When we come back from
this commercial break, we were going to talk about what's
next with Jonathan Sessa. This is the Rich Combwoll Golf Show.
This is welcome back to the rich Komboll Golf Show.
We are having a really, really, really dynamic conversation with
(33:44):
Jonathan Sasa today.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Jonathan is a has a great golf story, has a
great story.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
But but you know when we were we left off
last commercial with with just how we can use golf
for a greater good and how we can increase connection
and a couple of things that Jonathan has said over
the last forty minutes or so, but one of them is,
you know, I worked at a facility in western New
(34:13):
York one time and right through COVID, and I asked
somebody for sponsorship dollars because I was trying to make
it less expensive for kids because there was nothing else
for them to do. And he just said to me, goes, Okay,
what's it look like when your imagination runs away with you.
So I told him what it was, and then we
actually did that. We had one hundred and sixty five
(34:35):
kids in a junior program. But one of the things
that you said, Jonathan a little while ago, is you
know how society or technology seems to be pulling us apart.
And it's interesting because I watched college golf tournaments and
high school golf tournaments, and I coach college golf, and
(34:55):
they they score electronically, and it's like, okay, So we're
promoting a society where kids don't talk to each other
and they're always on their phones. But then when they
go play golf, they tell them, oh, by the way,
use your phone.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
So I guess that's kind of ironical.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
But I guess my question to you would be, with
all the things you're trying to do, whether it be
the Cadty program, we're golf, you know, adaptive golf, all
this stuff, if you let your imagination run away with it,
where would it go?
Speaker 3 (35:28):
You know, the ultimate dream what I would love to
do is be able to retire, right, So of course
that's everybody's dream. But what that looks like to me
is our daughter who's fifteen so we've got a few
years when she goes off to college. The dream is
that me and the wife would have like a mobile
(35:50):
golf setup, right, kind of like you would have like
a fitting station, and then I could just tour the
country as like a hint hint, PGA Reach ambassador or
something and just go to like children's hospitals, VA clinics,
outreach centers, community centers and set up a virtual like
(36:12):
you ever saw those. They have them, like I think
it's called like drive box an now or something, but
they're like one hundred thousand dollars for these. They're crazy.
I don't have money like that, but if I could,
that's that's what I would do. I would just buy
one of those, drive it around and I would literally
bring golf to people in their hospital bed and say
there's no reason why you can't do this even right now,
(36:34):
right and that's it. But not like oh, come, just
hit the ball or put it on the ground. No, no, no,
we're gonna bring you down, We're gonna roll you out,
and we're gonna put you in a simulator. You're gonna
be there and it's gonna look like a TGL type experience, right,
like that's what it could be like. Think of the
the reach you could have using like a TGL type
(36:55):
setup where it's immersive like that for somebody that doesn't
have the ability to go play any of these golf
courses because they can't walk. Right. Some of the most
inspirational stories like this, this is the point where we're
going to talk things to make people happy after we
had those loan notes before. Right. So one of my
favorite inspirational stories is seeing one of these gentlemen get
(37:17):
into a solo writer for the first time, right, And
he gets in there and is able to stand up,
and not only is he able to stand up, and
then you see the look on his face. You know,
the first thing that he does is gives his wife
a huger Oh yeah, yeah. Can you imagine that, Like
it's not even about golf anymore at that time. Could
(37:39):
you imagine not being able to give your loved one
a hug from a standing position in maybe thirty forty
years and then being able to give somebody that like
just I know you have success stories too, and it's
like those moments and they're captured on film. People can
YouTube stuff like this. This is what makes it so
great is that we have the ability now to bring
(38:01):
people together. But technology is driving us apart because everything's
forcing us to do it that way instead of bringing
us together. So why not use technology to bring us together.
Create more golf groups and leagues, create more immersive experiences
for those that aren't able to access different parts of
(38:21):
the country, different golf courses because they're too expensive. But
you could still get the feeling of it even just
like people are big haters on like top golf and stuff.
But I think it's awesome because I can go in there.
If I was handy, capable in a wheelchair, I could
go right in there. I could bring my service animal
in there, no questions asked. I could take care of
(38:42):
all of this. And let me tell you, my best
caddie is Mojo, my service animal. He will find the
ball in the thickest of leagues and underneath all of
the bushes, and when I turn my back, it's in
the fair way, you know, So I mean there is.
It's amazing. So I would That's what I would like
(39:04):
to do is be able to bring golf to others personally.
And with that, of course, there's more I would like
to see. The PGA one day run its own facility
like it has Frisco. But imagine if they had their
own eighteen whole golf course there and they like in
North Carolina. I put a thing at Post out about
(39:25):
it saying that even though the number of veterans reached
are great, I mean, everyone talks about the number, but
look at the actual percentage of all the veterans, all
the wartime service members, the current service members, the current Guard,
the current reservists. Like there's four hundred thousand people in
just North Carolina. I think if you had a golf
(39:46):
club that employed PGA members throughout the whole thing to
take care of everything, gave them full staff jobs, and
you just ran clinics and PGA programs and veteran services
throughout a golf course and opened it up just to
the armed forces, and you would be your numbers would
(40:06):
be much higher at a much lower cost, right, and
you would be making a much larger impact. And then
you could open up a few of those just around
military locations, and then you could start even doing it
for lawn for I mean, just the reach is incredible,
But then they would you would have a public place
that people wouldn't feel scared to go to because I
have a lot of times even I get social anxiety.
(40:28):
Like you were saying, you don't know what it's like
to go into a place and know that I walk
into a restaurant and there's thirty two people in here,
and eighteen of them have hats on, and fourteen of
them are women. You know, like, how are you supposed
to know? Well? Because you get hyper detailed and you
just get stuck on everything and it's a drain. It's
(40:52):
such a drain. So I can't be in those so
I get terrible social anxiety even going up to golf clubs.
And I recommend everyone looking at things a different way.
Going through the PGA program has been even eye opening
for me because it as you go through those programs
to see what can a golf course do different? Right,
(41:13):
what are your deficiencies around here and what could you do?
Signage is always a big one. I got lost the
other day going into a golf club because I had
no idea where to go. I was just a guest.
I wasn't a member or anything, but I needed disabled
parking and all this other stuff where it was a
bad drop and like just sign stuff, right, So that's
an easy one. But then you also think that like
(41:37):
pitching areas and chipping greens and putting greens, and anytime
that somebody steps in front of your ball or your
line and maybe starts hitting the balls that you were hitting,
like that stuff gives me such bad anxiety, like I
have to either approach that person and have a conflict
with them, or like somebody hitting up on you is
the same thing, Like just those small acts like to me,
(42:01):
I just I almost won't even revisit those golf courses
because it's just such a bad taste. And trying to
get people to look at it from someone else's perspective
like that, uh, you know, is very hard. But once
you get people to kind of see that, then it's
very interesting, uh, the way that everyone else kind of
(42:25):
kind of responds and they're receptive to it.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Yeah, I think I think it's I think it's just
a it's not even you know, it's almost like a
lack of lack of it's not even a lack of knowledge,
lack of understanding.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
You just don't.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
People just don't understand, like like I don't, and and
you would obviously know way better than I would, but
I don't know what that is like, but it is
real for a lot of people, and and to to
be able to alleviate that or even eliminate that would
(42:58):
be massive. That's a really, really, really interesting dream you have.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
I think that's that's a.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Little mobile, little mobile, little mobile golf program that is
really neat man.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Yeah, so I would, and I mean that would that
would bring me so much joy being able to go
do that. You know, you stop in at like the
Nicholas Hospital, the Children's hospital down here in Miami, the
cancer centers, I mean, all these different places that you
could spread it out because everyone talks about all these
other you know, accessibility for golf and have to be
(43:35):
inclusive and then like Dee, I was a whole thing
and then it turned into a race thing and all
this other stuff instead. But you know, the biggest demographic
of people is disabled, right, or over a billion people
in the world that are considered disabled. And nobody is
looking at the disabled population and say how can we
reach them? Right? How many times do you look through
(43:57):
Like I guarantee anyone listen to this. If you have
any type of disability or any of that, do you
put it down on your job applications or do you
feel like people are going to look at you differently?
Speaker 1 (44:08):
Right?
Speaker 3 (44:08):
Does it make you feel uncomfortable to talk about somebody
that got his arm blown off? Right? Like, does it
make people comfortable or uncomfortable in this conversation if I
talked about the story where I knew somebody who tried
to eat a bullet and it didn't kill them, right, right,
and the effect that that has on some people, Like
(44:31):
these stories are traumatic, and people shy away from that, right,
They don't want to talk about the difficult things that
need to be talked about. Tech, I guess actually inspire change,
and those are the hard and the difficult conversations that
I believe leaders need to be having to make this
(44:52):
stuff happen, And especially as golf is starting to go
in a new direction. Right all these other sports I
think golf is not. Golf has definitely been left behind.
Other sports I think are much more out front when
it comes to accessibility and inclusion and and getting behind
(45:12):
that than it is with golf. But I was super excited.
I visited Pinehurst the other day and I saw the
us AGA, the Adaptive Golf Association US Open trophies in there.
Yes it is, and I was, I was, I was
golfing with my I was picture of holding it and
I said, look, this is probably the closest I'll ever
(45:32):
be hold. Like but like, that's that's awesome, and that's
the stuff that we need to be encouraging. We need
to be encouraging more of this. Or has anybody ever
watched like the Blind Open Oh my gosh, these athletes
are incredible. How you could be blind and and play
as well as they do. It's it's incredible. It's like that.
(45:56):
Like and then not only that, but then think the
inspiration that this has on children. Now that's the biggest thing.
I want to concentrate more towards people that have been
through a lot and not only use it as a therapy,
but like you said, that can do attitude, So children,
not what you can't do, I don't want to ever
hear people say that, but what you can do. So
(46:19):
it doesn't matter that you have no arms, no feet,
like I got you, you can still play golf. Where
there's a will, there's a way, and through adaptive means,
there's a way to be able to do it. And
a lot of the golf facilities now are coming up
with ways of manufacturers are coming up with adaptive ways
to play the game right. And I think by getting
(46:44):
more people involved and associated and just being comfortable around
golf and letting people know that, hey, it's not about
you know, tucking my shirt in every single time and
you have to wear pants here. Well, well if I
you know, there's a lot of stuff like I'm sorry,
maybe I can't do some of those things, but it's
(47:06):
still looked at as you know, a high entry fee
to get into and through Warrior Golf, we're trying to
eliminate that. You know, I could take thirty year old clubs,
revamp them, make them nice again, and give them away
to somebody, and not only give them away, not so
they could sell them or something, but I build it
with them and give them the skills that they need
(47:28):
to maintain and do this in the future. So now
you have a little bit of sentimental value in this.
So this fifty dollars set of Facebook rusty golf clubs
is now become you know, a five hundred dollars sentimental
value to you, right, and even if you don't use them,
maybe you found therapy just hanging out and talking with
(47:50):
another person that you're and and maybe I could help
you in something else. It's just about connecting people at
the end of the day, right, facilitating how I can
help you to somebody else that you just and I
feel that by genuinely believing and being nice and about
(48:11):
this because this is what changed my life, I feel
that it'll just take off just like it is here.
I mean, I'm getting invited on the podcast, I can
talk about it, I can inspire other people, whatever I
can do to help motivate. And like I say, at
the end of the day, if I can even change
one person's life, if I could save one life, then
it's all worth it. Right that the headache that I
(48:32):
went through my life experience is here for other people
to learn off of. And it shouldn't be other people
to make the mistakes. Right there They have that saying
of you know, learn by your mistakes. Well, I would
rather not learn by my mistakes. I would rather learn
by somebody else's mistakes, right right. And that's what's so
hard to understand, man, is even when I was young,
(48:54):
You're like, oh, I just life goes so fast and
you don't believe half of the stuff you hear and
then and it finally hits you when you believe it
and you go, I shouldn't have been stubborn or I
should have done this. So my advice to everyone is
just hone in on that that advice that you were, like, Man,
I can't believe, like I should have just listened. Take
a moment and just think how you can help others
(49:16):
around people. Right, That's really just what it's about. Just
take a moment, don't be so involved in what you
got to do, and take a moment maybe help somebody else,
and I guarantee it's going to come back to you tenfold.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
Yeah, that's that's that is true. I mean, if you
go home at the end of the day and just
help one person, just one, if everybody had just one
person they helped, imagine how much better life would be,
let alone, one hundred and fifty thirty ten, whatever it
might be. So, Jonathan, I'm going to tell you this
(49:51):
right now. What's going to happen next is is I
told you this wouldn't take very long, So we're.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
Done for today.
Speaker 2 (49:57):
But I'm going to reach out to some people that
I know and I'm going to see if we can't
you get you closer to that dream, because I think
that's really, really, really admirable and beneficial and very worthwhile,
because I think we could use golf to make a
major impact in this society.
Speaker 1 (50:17):
I've always said that, but I.
Speaker 2 (50:19):
Just I can Your energy is palpable and your ideas
are real, and let's see.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
Let me see what I can pull off here.
Speaker 2 (50:26):
And I'll be in touch after the first of the
year and we'll see what direction we had in Okay,
of course.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Well, Rich, I definitely appreciate everything I say. I mean,
time is the one thing we never get back in
this world, and I just really sincerely want to thank
you for spending your time here with me and listening
to my story. I mean, it's it's nice to have
people listen, right, So even to your viewers, if you
(50:56):
chump this in there and put it in there, tell
everyone thank you, thank you for the time to just listen.
It's awesome that there's people in this world that are
taking the moment to help other people.
Speaker 1 (51:11):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (51:12):
Jonathan Sessa, thank you very very much.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
And this has been the Rich Comwell Golf Show.
Welcome to the Rich com Weal Golf Show.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It is on today's date is well, the nineteenth of
December twenty twenty four, so we're pushing forwards Christmas and
hope everybody's got all their purchases done.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
I of course have.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
None done, so that's gonna work out really well for me.
So I have to look really hard at a at
the next day off. But this week, I am honored,
literally honored to have Jonathan Sessa with us this week.
And I'm going to tell you that as we go
through this, you're gonna this is a this is a
great golf story. This is absolutely the reason this is
(00:39):
just a great golf course. This is the reason for
a lot of things this time of year and every
day of this year, for a lot of reasons.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
But Jonathan, thanks for coming on with me.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Oh Rich, Well, like you said, it's an honor to
be here. Thank you so much for the invite, especially
with the holiday season coming, this is a very special time,
especially for for all of us service members. Holidays are
always very tough.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Right right, So why don't we start. I always start
with the beginning, So talk to me about about your
childhood and your growing up I know was to put
it lightly nomadic, but go ahead and go ahead and
talk to me about that if you don't mind.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Sure, of course. So the way I put it as
nomadic is is I guess every two years. I ended
up moving. My father was in sales and taking promotions.
You always said, you don't want to stay with the
company too long when they offer you advancement, and take
it and go. So that's what we did, and I
ended up moving around a lot in my childhood, which
(01:40):
gave me the availability then to make new friends all
the time. Of course, so I've never had the problem
with approaching people and being able to kind of communicate
with them and just telling my story. So I ended
up joining the military in two thousand and thirteen. I
graduated high school in two thousand and six, so I
(02:00):
gave a few years there. I went to college and
just saw no upward movement in my life and needed
to just really get out of where I was in
Los Angeles, so I enlisted and a year later with
some waivers and things like that, it was a hard
time to actually get through to get into the military.
But once I got all of that and got sworn in,
(02:21):
went out to basic training, I served as field artillery
and six and a half years I got out as
a staff sergeant and I had two deployments. I guess
one of them you could say, was to Korea. That
was my initial duty station, so it's a considered a
deployment now, but that was a different way and a
(02:42):
kind of like, I guess, a throw into the deep
end of the military community. They said the best way
in Korea to make rank of sergeant like an E
five is to go there as a staff sergeant like
an E six, So kind of like a little hinting
at that you're going to get in trouble while you're
out there. So with that, that kind of tilted off
(03:04):
my military career, and that that led down just a
bad line. I had a lot of substance abuse, a
lot of PTSD, I had a lot of survivor guilt.
The hardest thing for me is not the things that
happened over downrange, where the things that were happening to
our own soldiers. Right, So being a staff sergeant, I
(03:26):
took the oaths to protect those underneath me and look
out for my soldiers as if they were my own.
And that's what we did. So coming out and transferring
into the civilian world makes that a lot different. Yeah,
it's not looked at the same way from your boss
to your workers. So that's where a lot of the
disconnect comes, of course. But back into the military, it
(03:46):
was a tough spot being through there and seeing those
things through not only deployment but coming back and people's
terror stories. I had a couple soldiers that ended up
committing suicide, and with that happening, you always think what
more could I have done? Right, you don't ever lose
(04:07):
those images, those things that you ever saw. There's a
lot of people that had a lot of things worse
happen in their life than what I've experienced. But what
I like to hone in on is that feeling of despair. Right,
everybody knows that, just the helplessness, that the fact that
there should have been something more you could have done.
Was it something you said, something you did that guilt? Right,
(04:28):
everybody knows and feels that at some point in their life.
So that's relatable and it just eats you up. I
went through a lot of counseling and a lot of,
like I said, substance abuse and getting through that, I
got out of the military. In twenty nineteen, I fractured
my cervical spine two places had like I said, oh
(04:50):
tbi's PTSD, A lot of other stuff going on, So
I got out. I have one hundred percent raiding through
the VA now so that they are taking care of me,
but it leads to believe, what more could we be doing? Right?
So when I transitioned here to South Florida, I was
in well actually before that, excuse me. I got out
(05:12):
twenty nineteen and when COVID hit, I moved down to
Costa Rica. I needed a reset, something therapeutic for my life, right,
and that's where I picked golf back up. So golf
was always a moment in my life that brought me joy.
I would go out as a kid and just hit
buckets of balls until I couldn't feel my arms and
(05:33):
legs anymore. When I would visit my grandparents, he was
an avid golfer, and now he's got COPD and he's
not able to make it out on the course anymore.
I God bless him, but he's a legacy that you
leave right. So that's the important thing, and I want
to do that. Moving forward to the community. All the
things today are built to kind of bring us apart,
(05:55):
separate us, remind us of why we're different, but nothing
to really unite. So when I was in Costa Rica,
I spent three and a half years there playing golf
every single day. I got involved in the community, taught English.
I met my now wife when I was there, and
it changed my life. It was like a reboot on
(06:15):
a computer when it's malfunctioning, right. I needed that piece,
and I think being during COVID too, and golf being
one of the things that's not closed down and you
were able to continue to do it allowed me to
get out on the course and work through therapeutically and
mentally the things that were holding me back in my journey. Right.
(06:38):
So I utilized that, started feeling better, and we decided
to move to South Florida. I got in the PGA Association,
started my classes, and now I'm a Level two in
the PGA Association, hoping to get my teaching degree through there.
I think that would be fantastic if I could become
a full member to all my pats and required testing
(07:02):
as a disabled human as well. I think, just for
my personal goal, that would be something I want to
accomplish as well as everything I can learn from all
the other professionals in the business. Right, So I started
Warrior Golf Academy to just offer my services to other
disabled veterans and first responders that have been through trauma
(07:22):
like myself and need a reset. Right. You need a community,
you need a bond, you need like minded people that
are here to help. So I offer free lessons. I
offer free club repair. I teach you how to regrip, reshaft, repaint,
regroove golf clubs. We have local shops that we work with.
We have local golf clubs that we work with. We
(07:45):
do I guess you could call them play dates, right
where we get some guys together and we just go
out and play. And you don't even have to be
good at golf. I offer caddy programs as well. I
think caddying is fantistic for the veteran community because the
stories and the dedication and the commitment that it takes
to be a caddy, I think is it's awesome and
(08:09):
the connections that you make out there. You don't have
to be good at golf to be a caddy. You
just have to be a likable person and and help
somebody relax, Right, that's really what it's about. You're there
to facilitate the best time possible on the golf course
for somebody else. And I think that's magical, right, Having
that opportunity and being a caddy now is I think
(08:32):
sadly becoming a dying art. Yes, with all of the
electronics and everything in today's it's falling, it's falling apart.
But having somebody extra there that goes into bunkers and
rakes and cleans up and helps you out, make sure
that your water's there and your clubs are clean, making
sure that everything and gives you that extra set of
eyes to bounce ideas like it's I just can't say
(08:54):
how instrumental it is. Not only does a golfer, but
as a caddy. I find it very rewarding. So I
offer all of those services, plus employment offering for our
veterans and first responders that come through. Maybe you just
want to go out and become a ranger for a day,
or our gronomy is becoming a new thing as well.
(09:16):
I want to start a program to get people into
Maybe you just want to go out and punch some
some holes, you know, you want to cut some cups
in the morning, set up some teas. A lot of
people here in South Florida, the golf courses need that help.
So allowing that and that's such a relaxing job man
there in the morning, with that morning do on the ground,
(09:38):
a little bit of fog, and it's just you, your thoughts,
a little bit of music. You know. I think it's magical.
And in the military you're used to waking up that early.
It's it's just a part of life. Sleeping in and well,
getting a whole night sleep for me doesn't happen anymore,
but I know for many that being up early and
(10:00):
having something done, uh, you feel like you've already accomplished
something in your day, right.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Right, So so lets let me let me let me
jump backwards her a little bit, because I think it's
very very important. Okay, So you were you were deployed
twice once the Korea.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Where was your second deployment.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
My second apployment was out to Kuwait and we did
stints in different parts of Iraq, uh, based on different platoons.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, so, so and then so and and I'm and
I'm gonna tell you this because you know, you don't
know this, but I'm a recovering alcoholics, so I I
tuned into the whole substance abuse thing. But so you're okay, right,
I mean you're you're, you're every day we're doing okay right?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh well, every every day I'm watching my feet, if
you know what I mean. Especially being in the golf business.
I think it's it's it's kind of sad looking. I
was out there in Arizona and looking at the wasted
tournament and as it is now. You know, I think
putting I think putting a mental health and a rehab
(11:06):
facility right outside would be fantastic. I can't tell you
how many times I go to golf tournaments and people
are just sloshed and and feel free to just leave,
no problem. And I think I think just bringing some
awareness around that, uh not like in your face type
of a thing, but just let people know that, you know,
(11:27):
there's there's better ways to having some fun. Yeah, exactly,
that exactly. I was looking at different programs we could
set up with, like Mothers against Drunk Driving, how there
is those, and maybe we could offer like on every
military post they offer a fantastic excuse me, fantastic program
where they will come and literally drive your car for
(11:51):
you back to your home and give you a ride.
So it's a partner program to two by two. One
car drives out there with a passenger and that person
drives your car with you back to your home, so
that way you have your vehicle in the morning, you
got back safe and all it is is a phone
call and it's free. Right. Imagine what that could do
at the end of these golf tournaments and offering things
(12:11):
like that, even for local charities. I mean, I think
there's a big opening for us to do more to
facilitate the things that are causing the issues to the
community and especially those involved.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
So you basically have just made it your life's work
to improve other people's lives through golf.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yes, sir, yes, sir. I mean it quite literally saved
my life. Rich I don't know what else to tell you.
I've had suicidal thoughts and tendencies in the past and
ideations and attempts, right, and with that, the two things
that have saved me, well, three has been God, golf
and my wife. Right. So having I think the three
(12:59):
things that people need to continue going on is you
need you need a purpose, right, you need a purpose
in life, and you need to feel like you actually
belong somewhere. You need that true sense of belonging and
not only does that give you life, but that gives
you the willingness to continue to want to live right.
(13:19):
And I think that's what's important, is reminding people that,
you know, especially in adaptive golf, I think it's it's
amazing to see some of these guys out there that
are seventy five eighty years old, been in Vietnam and
lost the use of their legs and they're in a
solo rider now getting in and out at hitting bunker shots.
But you know what that takes. That takes a caddy
(13:40):
to be there with them to take care of that
that bunker afterwards and to help facilitate and assist. So
Warrior Golf Academy. I'm definitely interested in anything I can
into the adaptive community when it comes to the special
Olympic side of it, anything that we can do to
to help and bring awareness that there's there's this technology
(14:04):
out there that could be.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Utilized right right I I I think I think it's
and we're gonna we have we have you know, we
have forty more minutes to talk about all the really
cool things that we're gonna do with golf, and you're
gonna do.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
With golf, and you do do with golf.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
But you know, I I I I have to tell
you that that it's really really really cool to hear
the way you just said.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You know, there's three things.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
You know, there's there's there's God, the Higher power and
there and there's my wife, and then there's there's golf.
And I don't, I don't, I don't advocate, you know,
I golf is not penicillin for everybody.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
I'm not saying that.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
But the purpose is is the penaicillin for everybody?
Speaker 1 (14:40):
That is? That is? That is the purpose.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And you know I I share freely that you know,
numerous times a year, I I do tell my wife
thank you for saving my life because if she hadn't
been there, I wouldn't be here. And I can appreciate.
I can just hear in your in your voice, what
how people and things can actually make all the difference
(15:07):
when you're in a kind of a dark space.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Oh well, absolutely, I mean I think it's just a
simple gesture. How many times have you just been having
like such a rotten day or something just ticks you,
and you go off and your mood just changes right
for whatever reason, and you're not feeling it. But then
you go to a cash out counter or something and
the person cashing you out just has a smile and
just says, you know, I don't know what happened today,
(15:32):
but you know, I hope that you have a great
day and the rest of it works out. It's just
something so simple like that, and then you're just like, wow,
Like the human connection is amazing. And I'm not a
psychologist by any means. I mean, I've definitely seen enough
of them, but it's helped me realize that that you
need to feel grounded, you need to feel like you're
(15:54):
a part of this. And with technology and things today,
we're so pushed apart from I mean even right now
we're doing this over a podcast, and this used to
be sitting face to face and personal, and even before that,
it would be speeches or people would be giving you know,
the soapboxes in the middle of a community and standing
(16:15):
there and that unites because people and then everyone's shaking
their head together and looking at each other in agreement.
It builds that camaraderie and I think that's what we're missing,
you know, and being able to bring that to golf
is what I can do. I mean, I can't change
the world, but I could change maybe one or two people,
and those two people could change a couple of people,
(16:37):
and who knows what happens, right, So it's all about
what I can control each and every day, and that's
what I look at. I just look at how I
can be the best version of me every day.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
All right, So this is this is segment, but this
is Jonathan says that we're talking with today.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
We finished this segment.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Now Jonathan, when we come back, we're going to talk
a lot more about your Warrior of Golf Academy and
a lot more about you, and a lot more about
how I can help and how everybody can help, because
this is actually a real reason to do a lot
of things in this world, and this is why golf
is so important in this world. This is the Rich
(17:19):
Combo Golf Show. Welcome back to Rich Comboll Golf Show.
We're joined by Jonathan Sasa.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Today. Jonathan has a.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Great story and it's golf weaves through it, but it's
just a great story. So so Jonathan, now you get
back from deployment and to use your words, yet it
get a little bit of a reset. So you head
off to Costa Rica, right, So talk to me a
little bit about first of all, what led to that decision.
(17:48):
I mean, just wake up one day and just go
I'm going or but you just kind of like, I
need to figure out something here.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
So when I got out of the military twenty nineteen,
I was searching for something. I was going through divorce
at the time. I had just ended, my military career
had just ended. I was still seeking through the VA
for my my disability ratings. Then we had the scare
of COVID happening and all that, and when I got out,
(18:18):
I wasn't like everyone, You're not sure what you're gonna do.
That transition is scary. So I fell back on what
I know and I work with my hands. I'm a worker,
right and door. So with that, I went and worked
the oil fields in North Dakota. So I worked for
a year as a basically a diesel mechanic, but we
(18:40):
worked on cranes and rigs and oil equipment out there,
repairing hydraulic lines fluid and I've always been I wanted
to go to school for engineering until I found out
that it's all on the computer, right, and I'm definitely
an outside person, like, I can't I can't be stuck
in staring at it screen. So I went through I'm
schooling for that, but I fell back on my cat
(19:03):
work to be able to help them out as well.
So we manufactured a bunch of different parts and I
would draw them up and design them to be able
to I guess, create whatever type of machinery they needed
to adapt to the job that they were doing, right,
So it was it was pretty neat through that oil
boom and everything happening. Then I was in Williston, North Dakota,
(19:25):
and it's cold. Yeah. My last duty station was Fort
Drum in New York, so upstate New York, it's freezing there.
And then I started working in Williston and it was
freezing there. Your feeder cold all the time. Hydraulic fluid
in oils, they don't freeze, so that's like even colder.
(19:48):
It was just it was it was an experience and
I made a lot of money doing it, so I
stacked that away right, and with that, I was like,
I need to go somewhere. My father I lived in
Vietnam for the past like fifteen years teaching English out there,
just loved it. He would come back every once in
a while, but he was back because he had some
(20:11):
heart problems that needed some stints and things put in.
So I was thinking he wanted to go back to
Vietnam and all this other stuff, and I go, well,
I feel better about him going somewhere with me if
he's thinking about going somewhere. So I looked up someplace
that's going to be a little bit more reasonable for
us to afford to live with our ratings and his
(20:35):
social security and everything else, and wanted to make sure
that medical was okay, and you know, crime and violence
and all that other stuff. So I did a lot
of research and Costa Rica was the place, and it
was fantastic. It changed my life, I mean going there.
During the Hopes to Heights of COVID, I played at
(20:59):
Carrie Ai Gulf Club right there in Bilen in Costa Rica.
I was a member there and it was like two
hundred bucks a month for a family plan, unlimited golf.
They have a gym, they have a pool, they have everything.
It was it was like the best deal I could
I mean I could live there forever. Right, It was incredible.
(21:21):
So I would go out and play golf every single day.
I got to know everybody really well. Their club pro
there was awesome. He was playing in tournaments here, he
was looking for sponsorships. It was it just the community
just was amazing. And I mean I went there not
knowing anybody, right, I went just with my dad and
me and the hopes that things are going to get
(21:43):
better because I needed I needed something different. I was like,
I can't, I can't just keep working and grinding every
single day. And I was kept thinking for what, for
what right at the end of the day, so I
could have a bigger house or a nicer car and
not be able to enjoy anything in my life, Like
it just doesn't make sense. So I was rattling my
head and I just couldn't get past like what I'm
(22:07):
doing with my life and then everybody else that had
sacrificed so much for me, what I'm doing and I
and being in this pit of despair, I owed it
to other people, like what to live my life? And
that's what I came to the realization that for everybody
else is not to be depressed and live inside a
(22:28):
hole and take medications and and I mean I was
the VA was sending me pills and stuff I had.
You know, I was on opiates for like eight years straight.
It was crazy and you're just like, there's no way
to live. I just I just couldn't. I just couldn't
do it. And that helped me realize that becoming a
(22:49):
part of a smaller community and impacting people was what
I needed to do. So that helped changing me. And
when I got changed, I was like, don was a
prime candidate for a therapy around this. You know, there's
like Project Healing Waters out there, there's equestrian, there's art
(23:10):
therapy for so much and even now PGA Hope has
the MOI with the VA using it as a therapy,
and it should be utilized more. I don't understand why
these referrals are not coming in left and right, because
I was a prime advocate for a program like this.
I had all the triggers, and I had the past history,
(23:31):
and then I also had, you know, golf as a
good spot in my life. And I think that's what
you need is use it as a moment of happiness, right,
So it's not about going out there and how bad,
it could be. It's about bringing that camaraderie and that
group together, and that it doesn't matter if you hit
(23:51):
the ball ten feet or a thousand feet, right, It's
about just getting out there. And everybody's perception and expectation
is different. So especially when you come to like adaptive golf,
going through that PGA Hope certification and actually being able
to hit a golf ball from a seated position or
blindfolded has taught me that, you know, I'm I'm happy
(24:15):
just to hit it straight right, you know, right, but
I have I'm happy to fifty yards down the middle
hooping and hollering and screaming, and everybody else was, and
and it's those moments that you can't recreate, those cherished
memories that people look back on, and those are the highlights,
(24:36):
Like those are those are your movie cinematic trailers that
need to be run to keep you inspired in those
dark moments.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Yeah, it's interesting you say that, because I I I do.
I do Hope programs at work, and and I've done
I've done two sessions of them, and I've worked some
other hope programs.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
But long before that, my sister.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Was born and spina bifida and she was paraplegic, and
I would go do I would go do clinics for
the Spina Biffeita Association of Western Pennsylvania. And my promise
to those kids was, everybody would hit a golf ball.
I don't care if it goes six inches sixty yards,
I don't care. And I would tell you the joy.
(25:23):
The joy because they because their entire life, it never
occurred to them they could do this, or they may
have been told they can't.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Do it.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And I was like, all right, look, you know what,
we're removing the word can't from this.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
And and and I got I got hurt.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
I mean, I got hit, and it was okay, I
got hit. I mean I'm I'm okay, but but you know,
and then then I, you know, try and go fast forward.
You know, I get involved in the whole program. I
went through the same training you did. And I'm telling
you it is I opening what you can do with
golf to help people that really don't think there's any
(26:00):
need help out there. It's just fascinating to me because
I had a couple of guys that are just like
you know, I'm never going to be able to do this,
I can't do this, and they get off in the
corner by themselves and they don't talk, and then all
of a sudden, it's like wow, they realize that the
expectations are their own, not ours.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Whatever you can get out of this, I will give.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
I will give to you whatever you can get out
of this. And that's exactly what is exactly what you're doing.
And that's just incredible. So I mean and and the
other thing is and I and I say this, and
I say this to everybody I talked to you about hope programs.
I I can't tell you that I don't care what
(26:48):
kind of day I've had. When I had a whole program,
it was the best day of work ever, only exceeded
by the next one, you.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Know, because it's just it's just it's just it's just
this sense.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
That people look at you and like, wow, you're gonna
help me, Like of course, I'm gonna help you.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
We'll see. That's that's it, And that's my selfish reason
for doing it, really is it's my therapy, man, like
you you know it, and because you've been through and
you've done it, that's my therapy. Having a bad day
turn into a good day, just by helping somebody else, right,
And that's all it's about, is just encouraging people not
(27:28):
even to play golf, just get out of the house
and join the community, come together. So even if there's
volunteer opportunities, I try to come up with programs for
other veterans to just come out to the golf club.
Maybe you can find some golf clubs that are there.
And I came up with Operation Reclaim, and we go
back and those that were left behind still have a story, right,
(27:51):
So we'll go back and we'll find that nine iron
that was left there for three years, and we'll put
a new shaft on it, regroove it, repaint it, and
then we can give it to somebody. Right. So just
by doing things like that there, that's teaching not only skills,
but then helping out with all that other and upcycling it.
Actually not even just repurposing, right, because there's so much
(28:15):
I mean, how many how many golf clubs are left at.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
A golf There's there's a million of them back, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Exactly, and they could be they could be used. There's
nothing wrong like the set of clubs. I'm still playing.
I'm playing some t and eighty sevens. Those Mizunos, those
are what forty years old, when like as old as
I am, those are I was born in eighty eight,
so they're the year before I was born. The golf
clubs haven't changed much. Like you just got to just
(28:43):
hit the ball right. You're only your perception is your reality, right,
so you're playing against yourself and when you come to
terms with that, then the game is fun.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I had my first Hope training was was outside of Columbus, Ohio,
and and we had a uh a female trainer, and
she was telling us that that the stories of of
going to people's homes to to get them because they
would they would they live in a nice three story,
(29:15):
two bedroom home and you know, the wife and kids
were gone because he was just he'd sleep in the
whole way right by the bathroom because that's what he
could trust, you know, that's where that's where he was,
That's that's where he was safe. And and and then
then you get and they're like, you know, we get
him out, and then of course he'd go to the
(29:36):
corner of the room because that's the next safest place.
And then all of a sudden, it's like Hey, I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I'm okay.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
I'm not perfect because I'm not going to be perfect.
I might never be perfect, but I'm gonna be okay.
I'm gonna be okay. You know, I'm gonna be okay.
And there's people out here that that are not dangerous
to me. And and and she said at this why
she goes, You know, the thing of it is is
you have to understand with some of the people that
you might meet doing hope programs, is they truly believe
(30:07):
that everybody they meet is dangerous to them. And it
took me and that one that one resonated with me
for about two days. I'm like, I couldn't even imagine
like walking into a grocery store and thinking that everybody
in that store is dangerous. And I applaud anybody that
(30:29):
actually has to. It's courage, I would think, because I
have been through it you have, but I would think
it would be courage to be able to say, Okay,
you know what.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
I have to trust somebody.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I have to connect somewhere, because if I don't, it's dark,
really dark.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
And I just everybody has that though right, it's not
it's not just for what I've been through, or what
a law enforcement office there has been through, or what
you know, she's like an er doctor's been through. You know.
Can you only imagine some of these things, like in
the conversations you have to have with children's parents and stuff,
(31:13):
or it would just be I couldn't even imagine what
some people have to go through. So everybody needs a
way to just get away, right. And I have a
friend who runs a program out here called greens Guild
and every weekend he goes out and plays around of
(31:36):
golf on a Saturday, different locations. And she's a Navy
veteran but came up with this program and I helped
him promote it to get people to join it. And
it's great. It's just a community of people that go
out and play every Saturday, and they put little games together,
little clinics, little giveaways and side bets if you want
(31:57):
to do that. But it's a fantastic community for people.
And the whole point is what he told me. What
really stuck with me was that he wants it to
be like a vacation every time someone comes out, because
he goes, that's what we can do, he goes. Most
people don't do this seriously and stuff, but he goes
what everyone goes through all week long. We owe it
(32:19):
to take this, you know, fifty dollars for their tea
time or one hundred dollars for their tea time, which
is a lot.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Of money to a lot of people, Yes it is,
and make it really worth it. If you're gonna spend
five hours out there on a weekend, five hours on
a lot of these golf courses right when it's low.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
So if you're gonna spend that much time out there,
you may as well really be enjoying it. So that's
what it's about. It's about community. It's about meeting up
with people and engaging and having some food afterwards and
some laughs and some talks and some camaraderie and competition
and make it fun, right like, that's what it should
(32:56):
be about. And everybody that goes out with their foursomes
and everyone's intention to go out and play golf. And
that's why I love being out there, is everyone's there
to have a good time. Right now, you may leave upset,
right everybody gets there and he's off at whole number
one with happy thoughts everyone. Maybe you're thinking about the
(33:16):
ball going in the water or something off your first
t shot. But when you pull up, you're you're in,
You're in a fantastic mood.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
That's the great expect the level of great expectations right there,
right exactly there, all right. When we come back from
this commercial break, we were going to talk about what's
next with Jonathan Sessa. This is the Rich Combwoll Golf Show.
This is welcome back to the rich Komboll Golf Show.
We are having a really, really, really dynamic conversation with
(33:44):
Jonathan Sasa today.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Jonathan is a has a great golf story, has a
great story.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
But but you know when we were we left off
last commercial with with just how we can use golf
for a greater good and how we can increase connection
and a couple of things that Jonathan has said over
the last forty minutes or so, but one of them is,
you know, I worked at a facility in western New
(34:13):
York one time and right through COVID, and I asked
somebody for sponsorship dollars because I was trying to make
it less expensive for kids because there was nothing else
for them to do. And he just said to me, goes, Okay,
what's it look like when your imagination runs away with you.
So I told him what it was, and then we
actually did that. We had one hundred and sixty five
(34:35):
kids in a junior program. But one of the things
that you said, Jonathan a little while ago, is you
know how society or technology seems to be pulling us apart.
And it's interesting because I watched college golf tournaments and
high school golf tournaments, and I coach college golf, and
(34:55):
they they score electronically, and it's like, okay, So we're
promoting a society where kids don't talk to each other
and they're always on their phones. But then when they
go play golf, they tell them, oh, by the way,
use your phone.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
So I guess that's kind of ironical.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
But I guess my question to you would be, with
all the things you're trying to do, whether it be
the Cadty program, we're golf, you know, adaptive golf, all
this stuff, if you let your imagination run away with it,
where would it go?
Speaker 3 (35:28):
You know, the ultimate dream what I would love to
do is be able to retire, right, So of course
that's everybody's dream. But what that looks like to me
is our daughter who's fifteen so we've got a few
years when she goes off to college. The dream is
that me and the wife would have like a mobile
(35:50):
golf setup, right, kind of like you would have like
a fitting station, and then I could just tour the
country as like a hint hint, PGA Reach ambassador or
something and just go to like children's hospitals, VA clinics,
outreach centers, community centers and set up a virtual like
(36:12):
you ever saw those. They have them, like I think
it's called like drive box an now or something, but
they're like one hundred thousand dollars for these. They're crazy.
I don't have money like that, but if I could,
that's that's what I would do. I would just buy
one of those, drive it around and I would literally
bring golf to people in their hospital bed and say
there's no reason why you can't do this even right now,
(36:34):
right and that's it. But not like oh, come, just
hit the ball or put it on the ground. No, no, no,
we're gonna bring you down, We're gonna roll you out,
and we're gonna put you in a simulator. You're gonna
be there and it's gonna look like a TGL type experience, right,
like that's what it could be like. Think of the
the reach you could have using like a TGL type
(36:55):
setup where it's immersive like that for somebody that doesn't
have the ability to go play any of these golf
courses because they can't walk. Right. Some of the most
inspirational stories like this, this is the point where we're
going to talk things to make people happy after we
had those loan notes before. Right. So one of my
favorite inspirational stories is seeing one of these gentlemen get
(37:17):
into a solo writer for the first time, right, And
he gets in there and is able to stand up,
and not only is he able to stand up, and
then you see the look on his face. You know,
the first thing that he does is gives his wife
a huger Oh yeah, yeah. Can you imagine that, Like
it's not even about golf anymore at that time. Could
(37:39):
you imagine not being able to give your loved one
a hug from a standing position in maybe thirty forty
years and then being able to give somebody that like
just I know you have success stories too, and it's
like those moments and they're captured on film. People can
YouTube stuff like this. This is what makes it so
great is that we have the ability now to bring
(38:01):
people together. But technology is driving us apart because everything's
forcing us to do it that way instead of bringing
us together. So why not use technology to bring us together.
Create more golf groups and leagues, create more immersive experiences
for those that aren't able to access different parts of
(38:21):
the country, different golf courses because they're too expensive. But
you could still get the feeling of it even just
like people are big haters on like top golf and stuff.
But I think it's awesome because I can go in there.
If I was handy, capable in a wheelchair, I could
go right in there. I could bring my service animal
in there, no questions asked. I could take care of
(38:42):
all of this. And let me tell you, my best
caddie is Mojo, my service animal. He will find the
ball in the thickest of leagues and underneath all of
the bushes, and when I turn my back, it's in
the fair way, you know, So I mean there is.
It's amazing. So I would That's what I would like
(39:04):
to do is be able to bring golf to others personally.
And with that, of course, there's more I would like
to see. The PGA one day run its own facility
like it has Frisco. But imagine if they had their
own eighteen whole golf course there and they like in
North Carolina. I put a thing at Post out about
(39:25):
it saying that even though the number of veterans reached
are great, I mean, everyone talks about the number, but
look at the actual percentage of all the veterans, all
the wartime service members, the current service members, the current Guard,
the current reservists. Like there's four hundred thousand people in
just North Carolina. I think if you had a golf
(39:46):
club that employed PGA members throughout the whole thing to
take care of everything, gave them full staff jobs, and
you just ran clinics and PGA programs and veteran services
throughout a golf course and opened it up just to
the armed forces, and you would be your numbers would
(40:06):
be much higher at a much lower cost, right, and
you would be making a much larger impact. And then
you could open up a few of those just around
military locations, and then you could start even doing it
for lawn for I mean, just the reach is incredible,
But then they would you would have a public place
that people wouldn't feel scared to go to because I
have a lot of times even I get social anxiety.
(40:28):
Like you were saying, you don't know what it's like
to go into a place and know that I walk
into a restaurant and there's thirty two people in here,
and eighteen of them have hats on, and fourteen of
them are women. You know, like, how are you supposed
to know? Well? Because you get hyper detailed and you
just get stuck on everything and it's a drain. It's
(40:52):
such a drain. So I can't be in those so
I get terrible social anxiety even going up to golf clubs.
And I recommend everyone looking at things a different way.
Going through the PGA program has been even eye opening
for me because it as you go through those programs
to see what can a golf course do different? Right,
(41:13):
what are your deficiencies around here and what could you do?
Signage is always a big one. I got lost the
other day going into a golf club because I had
no idea where to go. I was just a guest.
I wasn't a member or anything, but I needed disabled
parking and all this other stuff where it was a
bad drop and like just sign stuff, right, So that's
an easy one. But then you also think that like
(41:37):
pitching areas and chipping greens and putting greens, and anytime
that somebody steps in front of your ball or your
line and maybe starts hitting the balls that you were hitting,
like that stuff gives me such bad anxiety, like I
have to either approach that person and have a conflict
with them, or like somebody hitting up on you is
the same thing, Like just those small acts like to me,
(42:01):
I just I almost won't even revisit those golf courses
because it's just such a bad taste. And trying to
get people to look at it from someone else's perspective
like that, uh, you know, is very hard. But once
you get people to kind of see that, then it's
very interesting, uh, the way that everyone else kind of
(42:25):
kind of responds and they're receptive to it.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Yeah, I think I think it's I think it's just
a it's not even you know, it's almost like a
lack of lack of it's not even a lack of knowledge,
lack of understanding.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
You just don't.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
People just don't understand, like like I don't, and and
you would obviously know way better than I would, but
I don't know what that is like, but it is
real for a lot of people, and and to to
be able to alleviate that or even eliminate that would
(42:58):
be massive. That's a really, really, really interesting dream you have.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
I think that's that's a.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Little mobile, little mobile, little mobile golf program that is
really neat man.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Yeah, so I would, and I mean that would that
would bring me so much joy being able to go
do that. You know, you stop in at like the
Nicholas Hospital, the Children's hospital down here in Miami, the
cancer centers, I mean, all these different places that you
could spread it out because everyone talks about all these
other you know, accessibility for golf and have to be
(43:35):
inclusive and then like Dee, I was a whole thing
and then it turned into a race thing and all
this other stuff instead. But you know, the biggest demographic
of people is disabled, right, or over a billion people
in the world that are considered disabled. And nobody is
looking at the disabled population and say how can we
reach them? Right? How many times do you look through
(43:57):
Like I guarantee anyone listen to this. If you have
any type of disability or any of that, do you
put it down on your job applications or do you
feel like people are going to look at you differently?
Speaker 1 (44:08):
Right?
Speaker 3 (44:08):
Does it make you feel uncomfortable to talk about somebody
that got his arm blown off? Right? Like, does it
make people comfortable or uncomfortable in this conversation if I
talked about the story where I knew somebody who tried
to eat a bullet and it didn't kill them, right, right,
and the effect that that has on some people, Like
(44:31):
these stories are traumatic, and people shy away from that, right,
They don't want to talk about the difficult things that
need to be talked about. Tech, I guess actually inspire change,
and those are the hard and the difficult conversations that
I believe leaders need to be having to make this
(44:52):
stuff happen, And especially as golf is starting to go
in a new direction. Right all these other sports I
think golf is not. Golf has definitely been left behind.
Other sports I think are much more out front when
it comes to accessibility and inclusion and and getting behind
(45:12):
that than it is with golf. But I was super excited.
I visited Pinehurst the other day and I saw the
us AGA, the Adaptive Golf Association US Open trophies in there.
Yes it is, and I was, I was, I was
golfing with my I was picture of holding it and
I said, look, this is probably the closest I'll ever
(45:32):
be hold. Like but like, that's that's awesome, and that's
the stuff that we need to be encouraging. We need
to be encouraging more of this. Or has anybody ever
watched like the Blind Open Oh my gosh, these athletes
are incredible. How you could be blind and and play
as well as they do. It's it's incredible. It's like that.
(45:56):
Like and then not only that, but then think the
inspiration that this has on children. Now that's the biggest thing.
I want to concentrate more towards people that have been
through a lot and not only use it as a therapy,
but like you said, that can do attitude, So children,
not what you can't do, I don't want to ever
hear people say that, but what you can do. So
(46:19):
it doesn't matter that you have no arms, no feet,
like I got you, you can still play golf. Where
there's a will, there's a way, and through adaptive means,
there's a way to be able to do it. And
a lot of the golf facilities now are coming up
with ways of manufacturers are coming up with adaptive ways
to play the game right. And I think by getting
(46:44):
more people involved and associated and just being comfortable around
golf and letting people know that, hey, it's not about
you know, tucking my shirt in every single time and
you have to wear pants here. Well, well if I
you know, there's a lot of stuff like I'm sorry,
maybe I can't do some of those things, but it's
(47:06):
still looked at as you know, a high entry fee
to get into and through Warrior Golf, we're trying to
eliminate that. You know, I could take thirty year old clubs,
revamp them, make them nice again, and give them away
to somebody, and not only give them away, not so
they could sell them or something, but I build it
with them and give them the skills that they need
(47:28):
to maintain and do this in the future. So now
you have a little bit of sentimental value in this.
So this fifty dollars set of Facebook rusty golf clubs
is now become you know, a five hundred dollars sentimental
value to you, right, and even if you don't use them,
maybe you found therapy just hanging out and talking with
(47:50):
another person that you're and and maybe I could help
you in something else. It's just about connecting people at
the end of the day, right, facilitating how I can
help you to somebody else that you just and I
feel that by genuinely believing and being nice and about
(48:11):
this because this is what changed my life, I feel
that it'll just take off just like it is here.
I mean, I'm getting invited on the podcast, I can
talk about it, I can inspire other people, whatever I
can do to help motivate. And like I say, at
the end of the day, if I can even change
one person's life, if I could save one life, then
it's all worth it. Right that the headache that I
(48:32):
went through my life experience is here for other people
to learn off of. And it shouldn't be other people
to make the mistakes. Right there They have that saying
of you know, learn by your mistakes. Well, I would
rather not learn by my mistakes. I would rather learn
by somebody else's mistakes, right right. And that's what's so
hard to understand, man, is even when I was young,
(48:54):
You're like, oh, I just life goes so fast and
you don't believe half of the stuff you hear and
then and it finally hits you when you believe it
and you go, I shouldn't have been stubborn or I
should have done this. So my advice to everyone is
just hone in on that that advice that you were, like, Man,
I can't believe, like I should have just listened. Take
a moment and just think how you can help others
(49:16):
around people. Right, That's really just what it's about. Just
take a moment, don't be so involved in what you
got to do, and take a moment maybe help somebody else,
and I guarantee it's going to come back to you tenfold.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
Yeah, that's that's that is true. I mean, if you
go home at the end of the day and just
help one person, just one, if everybody had just one
person they helped, imagine how much better life would be,
let alone, one hundred and fifty thirty ten, whatever it
might be. So, Jonathan, I'm going to tell you this
(49:51):
right now. What's going to happen next is is I
told you this wouldn't take very long, So we're.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
Done for today.
Speaker 2 (49:57):
But I'm going to reach out to some people that
I know and I'm going to see if we can't
you get you closer to that dream, because I think
that's really, really, really admirable and beneficial and very worthwhile,
because I think we could use golf to make a
major impact in this society.
Speaker 1 (50:17):
I've always said that, but I.
Speaker 2 (50:19):
Just I can Your energy is palpable and your ideas
are real, and let's see.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
Let me see what I can pull off here.
Speaker 2 (50:26):
And I'll be in touch after the first of the
year and we'll see what direction we had in Okay,
of course.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Well, Rich, I definitely appreciate everything I say. I mean,
time is the one thing we never get back in
this world, and I just really sincerely want to thank
you for spending your time here with me and listening
to my story. I mean, it's it's nice to have
people listen, right, So even to your viewers, if you
(50:56):
chump this in there and put it in there, tell
everyone thank you, thank you for the time to just listen.
It's awesome that there's people in this world that are
taking the moment to help other people.
Speaker 1 (51:11):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (51:12):
Jonathan Sessa, thank you very very much.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
And this has been the Rich Comwell Golf Show.
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