EL CERRITO, CA - With the 2011-12 season complete, the Academy of Art University men's and women's golf teams made their way to the Mira Vista Golf & Country Club at the end of April for the 2012 American Junior Golf Association Preseason Junior.

Assisting with the production of this IMG Golf Academy Preseason Series event at a golf club where they regularly practice, the Urban Knights gladly donated their time.

"It's always a tremendous thing," head coach Cheryl Lala said. "It's big to get the chance to be outside of being an artist, or an athlete, that gets them exposed to something different. It was a great opportunity to give back and see what it's like to help out a country club. Although its a country club, and you might not think of them as being in need, they're still helping out young kids get their golf game going."

In an event that included boys and girls ages 12-18, the Art U golfers were assigned responsibilities that included timing the juniors, spotting them, and helping find balls that may have gone into the rough.

Familiar around the environment at Mira Vista, one of the Urban Knights' regular practice courses, the Academy of Art teams contributed to a successful event that brought together more than 90 aspiring youngsters.

"Watching a younger generation play golf is truly inspiring," women's golfer Sierra Sanchez said. "It makes you fall in love with the game again because you can see how simple it all is. It is definitely something that we should do more often."

Academy of Art University and Lala would like to extend a special thank you to the Mira Vista Country Club and PGA Head Golf Professional Thomas Fong for their support at this event and throughout the season. For more information, please visit www.miravista.org.

"They've helped us out a lot in the past, and are always really nice and welcoming when we play there," she said.