When Robert Leblein ’74 leaves his physical education office at West Side High School in Newark, N.J., he typically misses a few phone calls. What is atypical for Leblein — and any other American — is for one of those calls to be from the White House.

Leblein, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in health and physical education from Kean, has been the golf coach at West Side High School for the past 13 years. During that run, his teams have never won a state title, never copped a conference championship and never even recorded a winning season. So why did a White House official place a call on behalf of former President Clinton? Why was a story about Leblein’s golf team featured in The New York Times? Why does Leblein receive the adulation of community members, local students and youth organizations across the country? Because he’s teaching inner-city students that anything in life is possible if you put your mind to it. Rolling hills and majestic vistas can be a reality to those who embrace challenge.

For more than a decade, Leblein has worked tirelessly to teach the sport to those who have never walked a fairway or read a green. “Through no fault of their own, some of the kids who try out for the team don’t know the difference between a putter and a driver,” said Leblein. “They grew up in the city of Newark, just like I did, and had never been introduced to golf. It’s important that they learn there are other walks of life to experience. Playing golf is an activity that may not even seem realistic to them.

“Kids can learn lessons applicable in everyday life through playing golf. It teaches you self-discipline, honesty, responsibility, how to deal with frustration and to control your emotions. It’s a sport that builds character.”
Many students who join the West Side team have never been to a driving range, let alone a golf course. They don’t own equipment and are not acquainted with the sport’s rules. Leblein preaches the laws of golf etiquette, such as whose turn it is to shoot, where to stand when an opponent is teeing-off as well as where not to walk on the putting green.

Part of golf etiquette is dressing in the appropriate attire. To accommodate students, Leblein has actively pursued sponsors for his program. Prudential Financial provides golf apparel for the team, including shirts, windbreakers and golf shoes. “The sponsorship outfits kids with the clothes they need,” Leblein said. “It’s important that they look good. It improves their attitude and, as a result, improves their play.”

Golf equipment was a tremendous hurdle to overcome in Leblein’s initial years at West Side. Students couldn’t afford to purchase golf clubs and balls, nor did they have parents or siblings who played the game and could share equipment. So Leblein, joined forces with Charles Hutchinson and Al Reed, who had established a nonprofit organization called Stix Fore Students, which accepts donations from golf clubs, pro shops, manufacturers and individual golfers. Leblein estimates that Stix Fore Students has distributed more than $1 million dollars in clubs, bags, balls and shoes to young golfers.

Golf instruction at West Side begins at the rudimentary levels and takes place indoors. Students learn proper grip, stance and pre-swing movements. Leblein imparts information and advice he’s gathered through attending clinics, reading instructional manuals and a dozen years of observations. It’s a gradual process, but, with patience, students exhibit vast improvement.

Success is measured differently for West Side golfers than typical athletic programs. They compete in one of the best golf conferences in New Jersey. The Northern Hills Conference is filled with powerhouse golf programs, such as Delbarton, Caldwell and Millburn High Schools, and many of their golfers belong to prestigious country clubs. Leblein sets goals that focus on individual improvement rather than wins and losses.

“Our first conference victory was in 1994, and we’ve only won six conference matches since then,” Leblein noted. “I take pride in the way the kids conduct themselves, how hard they try and their personal progress.”