Golfing, for Federico Alba, is far more than just a game: it’s a life’s passion.
For almost 40 years, Alba has been a worldwide golfer. He now works as a golf coach, although once upon a time, the 66-year-old had it tough.
“I was a street kid,” Alba told FoxNews.com. “No education, never going to school or coaching, until someone told me about golf and that was it.”
But Alba didn’t just land a job: he used the course as a stepping stone to a career.
“I actually worked as a pro as a caddy,” Alba said. “I was a PGA pro.”
But like many first-generation Sicilians, Alba’s career wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t discovered golf at a young age.
“I grew up with my family, in the same city, first-generation Sicilians,” Alba said. “I was the only one to have become a pro, but it is not like that today.”
Alba is one of the legends of the game who are still working in the industry today. “I am still the only Sicilian on the PGA tour,” Alba said.
Another great of the game is Paul Azinger, who became the eighth-youngest player to win a major championship, doing so in 1997 at the U.S. Open.
When Azinger won the U.S. Open, he was the second-youngest player to win a major championship. But Azinger isn’t just a champion on the course; he is also a champion off the course.
“I’m the leader of an organization called Players for Toxics,” Azinger said. “I teach a lot of kids golf, get them involved in sport, get them excited. That helps. It’s really important.”
Azinger is passionate about his work to help clean up the environment, and so are his players.
“I have several children that play golf. I have 14 grandchildren,” Azinger said. “I can go door to door to schools. I’m always setting up clinics and teaching.”
Azinger considers his work with Toxics to be his “dream job,” but he also knows that it’s something that his players will take up as they become more independent.
“I’ve got four daughters,” Azinger said. “They’re all married. Three of them have their own families. The one who’s kind of passed the torch is my wife, and I love her to death and I support everything she does. At the same time, they know that I’m there to support them. I take a lot of pride in being a role model for my kids, my son-in-law and the grandchildren.”
Alba is still active in Sicilian life, acting as a spiritual guide to his female students.
But Alba also uses his knowledge of golf to help others. As part of his golf training program, Alba will assist his students in the industry.
“The good thing is that I help people prepare for a corporate match,” Alba said. “Companies like USIU. They sponsor the players from the US IT’s of Asia. They send them here to train these guys and train them for the market in Japan. It’s a very good hobby for me. It’s a great hobby. I enjoy it a lot. I help the companies that sponsor me at the USIU.
“I’m a golf life coach. My responsibility, I provide clients with real strategies for promotion. They cannot be told what to do. These guys are professionals. They have a great strategy. It’s more about me helping them do it in a particular style of golf. It’s different for different players. They tell me what to do for that personality. Maybe I should give them to one of my students. I have five students with my company. I teach them a strategic plan for their business. A daily plan. They are ready for the market when it comes to the real.
In addition to his basketball and soccer, Alba is a very passionate supporter of the San Siro. Alba owns the San Siro, a multi-purpose arena and venue. He created the San Siro Sports University to train professional athletes in soccer, golf, basketball and volleyball. Alba is president of the Calabrian Sports Committee. Alba uses the San Siro as a backdrop for numerous events.
“In San Siro, we have a soccer stadium, a basketball stadium, a soccer and tennis training center for players,” Alba said. “It is for sports.”