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On the top platform of the Camden County Driving Range, Jeffrey Whiteside swung his club and launched a golf ball high into the air, over the waters of the Cooper River.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “That was great.”
Behind him a group of men watched.
“It’s all Wii Golf, right?” one person joked, laughing.
“But it’s true,” Whiteside said as he hurriedly teeed up the next ball.
This fun outing was about much more than hitting a few golf balls: Whiteside and others in the group that night are also in recovery from drug use and addiction.
The weekly gatherings are part of Camden County’s REAL Sports program, which uses physical activity as a way to foster a community of support and encouragement for people learning to break addiction and stay sober.
For some, golf outings are seen as a support gathering. Whiteside, who has been in recovery from drug addiction for more than six years and now works as a behavioral health technician at Epiphany Wellness Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center, said golf outings offer a chance to unwind from the daily grind of counseling and therapy sessions.
“You get to find someone to talk to, but at the same time, you get to have fun and do something competitive, get a little sweaty and wake up a little sore the next morning,” he said. “Sometimes it feels good.”
The county started its REAL Sports program about 10 years ago with golf, then added softball, cornhole and bocce ball, and plans to soon add other activities like pickleball and gardening and horticulture.
But Patty DiRenzo, who works with the Camden County Department of Mental Health and Addiction, said the essence of the program is to create a safe space for people in recovery to socialize and incorporate new skills into their daily lives.
Some participants use it to show family and friends their progress in recovery, she said.
“To show your kids, ‘Hey, look, Mom! Look! Look, Dad, brothers, sisters, look at me. I’m doing great, I’m part of the recovery community, I’m happy, I’m getting healthier, I’m doing all sorts of things,'” DiRenzo said. “I think that means a lot to them.”
Many of the participants come from sober living facilities, a typical residential model for people in the early stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. It can be a difficult time for people adjusting to new habits and ongoing treatment plans.