Category: Newsletter

TFTSV’S Summer class registration is the highest ever topping 500! Here’s how we did it. On Saturday, May 11th, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted a free golf introduction class for students interested in trying out golf and learning about TFTSV classes. Students learned how to apply Perseverance through two of our golf games and worked on our Golf Fundamentals. TFTSV will host two additional golf introduction classes, one before each 9-week season.  Our next golf introduction class will take place on Saturday, August 10^th from 10am-12pm at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course followed by Saturday, November 9^th. TFTSV also coordinates field trips at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course for our current DRIVE schools where students experience their first on-golf course exposure and a typical TFTSV class. DCP Alum Rock, and Franklin Elementary recently completed their field trips while Cesar Chavez Elementary, and Washington Elementary will have their field trip later this month. TFTSV’s school program will reach >6,000 youth in 2019. Our golf introduction classes and field trips have been a highlight for our coaches. Each class or field trip we have seen the participants find joy and excitement. For some, the excitement comes from playing our games with their friends, to hitting a ball further than they thought they could, while for others the excitement comes from simply being in a new environment and trying something they originally did not think was open to them. One of our golf intro participants said to one of his coaches, “I have to be honest with you, I didn’t think I was going to like this sport or be any good, but I have to say, I’m actually pretty good at this!” Our response was “you never know what you will like or be good at unless you try it.” That is the point of our classes, try it out and see if it clicks. TFTSV’s Golf Intro Classes and Field Trips are part of our concerted effort to meet the high, growing demand for classes while showcasing Rancho as a community gathering place. For more information on our golf introduction classes or our school field trips please contact us at 408-508-4884.

On May 18^th, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted our Girls Golf Spring Play Day.  With 23 Girls Golf members, we enjoyed nine holes of team scramble golf.  With the theme being Nine Core Values, the girls were given a scavenger hunt scorecard where they would check off various acts of golf etiquette, a form of courtesy and respect.  These acts ranged from encouraging peers to raking random footprints in the sand. The day concluded with brunch and carnival games with a golf twist.  Thank you to all our female participants and volunteers for participating and playing fast, safe, and courteous! Girls Golf Play Days are beneficial events where our female participants enjoy an all-female environment.  Our participants experience a day of empowerment, healthy habits, and activities to promote positive self-esteem and friendship.

On May 18^th, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted our annual Chapter Championship tournament.  With a full field of 36 players, The First Tee participants competed in a nine-hole stroke play format including long drive and closest to the pin.  The theme of day was the Nine Core Values.  Every participant put their core values to the test in the wet conditions. “I had to use perseverance the most because how rainy it was.  Not every student has played in the rain before.  It was tough, but a fun day.” – Isabella Herrera The 2019 TFTSV Chapter Championship is a valuable event where the students learn to compete while utilizing the Nine Core Values.  The individual format is a great way for our students to learn how to deal with competition while using sportsmanship.  We hope these tournaments help our students feel more confident in engaging conversation with others in a tournament setting.

Thanks to corporate partners and generous donors, The First Tee is able to offer a variety of educational and leadership opportunities for participants each year. These events often become life-changing experiences for our participants as they further develop an awareness of possibilities that surround them. Rishi Ajjarapu and Thai Hoang have been selected to attend the 2019 Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills and Leadership Academy held July 24-30, 2019 in Boise, Idaho. The purpose is to develop and educate our participants in multiple aspects such as life skill development through engaging golf activities, college preparatory and dorm living, and career exploration, all while having the opportunity to play championship golf and develop lifelong friendships. Through the week they are inspired to consider how they can return to their communities and be a leader and role model for other participants. Rishi said, “I am thrilled to be accepted and I look forward to making new friends and meeting people from across the nation. I am also excited to be given a glimpse of college life at Boise State, I think that this will help me especially when I am applying to colleges in the fall. I hope to learn skills that will make me a better junior coach and leader in my community!” Thai said, “This opportunity is a chance for me to explore new ways to be a leader. I hope to learn new ways to communicate with others while improving my leadership skills.” Rachana Ajjarapu was one of 24 girls selected for the John Deere Drive Your Future Academy held June 24-28, 2019.  She shared, “I’m really excited and grateful to be able to attend this event. I can’t wait to interact with and learn from First Tee girls and professionals outside of Silicon Valley.” This all-girls event will focus on leadership development, remaining active in the game of golf, learning the value/impact of volunteerism, and recognizing the importance of teamwork.  Applicants will be asked to define the people or circumstances that ‘drive’ them to take on a position of leadership and describe how they plan to apply those principles in their life. The academy will take place in the city of San Francisco, where participants will be immersed in both its historic and modern culture. TPC Harding Park, site of the 2020 PGA Championship and 2025 President’s Cup, will serve as the host venue. Coach Matt exclaimed, “We are very proud of our local participants for putting in the hard work to be accepted to these wonderful national opportunities. It will be a great chance for them to advance their interpersonal and self-management skills. We are pleased to have these participants represent The First Tee of Silicon Valley!”

The First Tee of Silicon Valley owes a sincere thank you to SAGA Foundation led by President, David Bartoshuk for their generous $100K donation to further develop TFTSV program in the Palo Alto-Redwood City area and participation at Baylands Golf Links. The SAGA Foundation assists nonprofits to work smarter, reach further, and have a lasting impact. David Bartoshuk, President – SAGA Foundation, says, “SAGA Foundation was established to carry out and promote the charitable activities and values of our founder, Bill Laughlin… a visionary who believed critical problems require bold actions through collaboration, open communication, teamwork and entrepreneurship.” SAGA Foundation and David Bartoshuk stand out in their unique approach as both supporter and partner. Expanding TFTSV’s reach into Redwood City and other cities of southern San Mateo County requires solving some key problems and overcoming some notable challenges. In parallel to their donation, SAGA Foundation made strategic introductions for TFTSV in Redwood City, including to Parks & Rec, Sheriff’s Activities League, and Police Activities League. These new community partnerships with youth-serving organizations have laid the foundation for TFTSV’s program expansion at Baylands Golf Links to ultimately teach life skills to over 1,000 youth there annually. In addition, such partnerships will lead to TFTSV’s programs reaching at least 5,000 more youth beyond the golf course in school and after school. “David and the SAGA Foundation clearly understand the importance of not just throwing money at a problem.” said TFTSV President & CEO, George Maxe. “They are wrapping their minds around the challenges that we face to reach many more children and are rolling up their sleeves to help TFTSV take specific steps to be successful.” In addition, SAGA Foundation is helping TFTSV’s new youth-serving partners to insure a seamless integration of programs. Most noteworthy is their underwriting of two vans for Redwood City Police Activities League to transport youth to TFTSV programs (e.g., at Baylands Golf Links). TFTSV is very grateful to SAGA Foundation and looks forward to a long and fruitful partnership.

This Spring, The First Tee of Silicon Valley partnered with Solorsano Middle School in Gilroy to deliver our DRIVE program to over 800 students, 6^th through 8^th grade. Our Nine Core Values and Golf Fundamentals will be delivered in their P.E. curriculum. TFTSV Chris Moreno-Hunt says, “On behalf of our TFTSV team, we want to send a big thank you to Larry Moody, former Program Director for San Mateo Country Sheriff’s Activities League, and the Principals of Clifford, Garfield and Connect for partnering with us and bringing golf and our Life Skill curriculum to their students. We look forward to our partnership with S.A.L and serving the local schools in Redwood City area.”

The First Tee of Silicon Valley recently added a new Director and an Ambassador to our Board. Joe Talley was a 20-year Senior Audit Partner with Deloitte from 1998-2018.  Over the past year he was an independent contractor and recently joined SOAProjects, Inc in April, 2019. Joe’s focus was in the area of Technology at Deloitte and he is currently working with Tech CEO’s in his new position. He is passionate about golf and was drawn to the TFTSV Director role because of the non-profit’s focus on youth development, core values and positive mentoring. He has been a member at Silver Creek Valley Country Club for 10 years. Jeffy Chang is currently an Engineering Project Manager at Apple. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University – Tepper School of Bus MBA, Production/Operations Management & IT and has undergrad BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Quantitative Economics. He has been a Parent Volunteer for TFTSV since 2017 and both his children are taking classes. Jeffy is looking forward to getting more involved as an Ambassador, especially to advise on the STEM classes/program. He endorses the program because it offers a safe environment, positive coaching, sense of family/community, and offers consistency and structure. Board Directors vote, provide planning, performance, legal and financial oversight and raise sufficient funds to ensure TFTSV’s success. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand TFTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Dixon if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.

We are thrilled that our very own TFTSV participant Borina Sutikto has been accepted for Congaree Foundation’s 2019 Congaree Global Golf Initiative (CGGI) to be held in June at Congaree in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Borina is in the 10^th grade at Connecting Waters Charter School with a 4.o GPA and +2.0 USGA Golf Handicap Index. She started with The First Tee of Silicon Valley at age 8 in January 2012 and is currently in the ACE level program and volunteering as a Junior Coach. When asked if attending college and playing collegiate golf is something she would like to do, Borina shared how learning about The First Tee Core Value: Perseverance has impacted her growth and goal setting. She said, “Attending college and playing collegiate golf has been my dream since I started my golf lessons with The First Tee of Silicon Valley in 2012. Through the years, I have developed a love for competition, and an understanding of what it means to be disciplined, goal oriented, and the value of hard work. I play golf because it embodies those life-enhancing core values. A college education opens the doors to opportunities I would not have otherwise; it helps me gain new knowledge and gives me a competitive edge, which will benefit me lifetime. Playing college golf will be a wonderful experience to me because I can play golf with teammates and accumulate more experience in the game. I have been playing music with different symphonies for six years and understanding how to work together with teammates to ‘transform the jangling discords into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.’ Through higher education studies plus collegiate golf competition, I can grow professionally in both areas.” This year’s CGGI will host 30 participants from across the globe over the course of three one-week sessions.  Participants will work with academic advisors, fitness counselors and golf professionals to prepare for the college admissions process and future success on the golf course and in the classroom at a four-year college or university.  All instruction and training is administered by carefully selected and skilled professionals who provide a structured learning experience for participants through both individual and group-based training.  Participants were selected competitively.  There is no cost for transportation, lodging, meals, equipment or instruction. CGGI was founded by golf enthusiasts Dan Friedkin and Bob McNair as a world class golf club with a philanthropic purpose.  Mr. Friedkin and Mr. McNair, along with Congaree Ambassadors around the world, are committed to providing life-changing experiences for deserving high school students with limited opportunities through Congaree Foundation.  Its signature program is the Congaree Global Golf Initiative (CGGI), which is an intensive athletic and academic college preparatory program committed to helping motivated young men and women prepare for their future. You may find additional information about Congaree and the CGGI by visiting the Congaree website at www.Friedkin.com/Congaree. In addition, Click Here to an article about Congaree that appeared on Forbes.com.  

The First Tee of Silicon Valley participated in an Open House at San Antonio Elementary School in the Alum Rock Union School District on April 16^th, 2019. The Open House showcased local community opportunities that enrich the student’s character development. TFTSV set up golf activities and an information table for participants and parents/guardians to learn about our program. Over 50 youth participated in the golf clinic. The students learned about respect and responsibility, and how to grip the club. The participants had fun playing our golf games and were taught how to show respect to others and themselves when meeting someone for the first time, “It was heart-warming to see the participants properly meet and greet Lina, our Operations Assistant, with a firm handshake, eye contact, and a big smile!”, shared Matt Sheppard, Program Manager. The students who enjoyed the golf clinic were encouraged to sign up for our Free Golf Intro event on May 11^th  10am-12pm at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. This event gives participants an opportunity to experience golf games through hitting real golf balls and to see if The First Tee of Silicon Valley’s 9-week session is the right fit for them. Consider registering your child in a class, becoming a volunteer or supporting our non-profit youth development organization.

Please join us in congratulating Rhea, Noah, and Varsha for being designated as The First Tee Scholars for 2018-19! All three participants are Ace certified and have been heavily involved in The First Tee of Silicon Valley for over five years! The First Tee Scholars Program is a distinction awarded to teen participants who excel in academics, leadership, character development, and community involvement. Accepted Scholars are eligible for scholarship opportunities. Named Scholarships are funds received either in honor or memory of someone, or have been donated by individuals or corporations.  Most of these scholarships are worth $2,500 per year and are renewable for four years ($10,000 total) assuming the student continues to meet the school’s criteria for merit scholarships.  The funds are paid directly to the institution of the recipient’s choice. Rhea Advani joined TFTSV in 2014 and is currently an Ace certified participant! Rhea attended the Life Skills and Leadership Academy and the NorCal Life Skills and Leadership Academy. She also volunteers as a junior coach and has helped teach our participants STEM concepts during our STEM Stomp event. Rhea is currently a senior at Circle of Independent Learning Charter School in Fremont. She plans to attend Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL as a Public Health major under the Dual Admission 8-year medical program.  Noah Covarrubias joined TFTSV in 2011 and is currently an Ace certified participant! Noah has volunteered as a junior coach, attended the NorCal Leadership Academy, and volunteered at our fundraisers. He is currently a senior at Saint Francis High School and plans to attend Arizona State studying Chemical Engineering. Varsha Nekkanti joined TFTSV in 2011 and is currently an Ace certified participant! Varsha was the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Participant Award and the 2018 John Deere Power for Good Scholarship. She also volunteers as a junior coach and implemented a program called “Dig Deeper” in which she teaches participants STEM concepts and she provides assistance with the Life Skills materials. She is currently a senior at Notre Dame high school. She has been accepted to UC Berkeley and plans to study Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology.

Meet Diego Ortiz, Food and Agriculture Program Coordinator at SPUR. Diego started his first season with us a volunteer coach. However, this season is not his first experience with TFTSV. From 2002-2007, Diego was a student of Eagles – a program TFTSV started at Rancho Del Pueblo before we became a licensed chapter of The First Tee. He came Eagles as a high school student on a school field trip and immediately developed a strong bond to golf and to his coaches. One of his coaches was John Jasso, a current TFTSV Instructor and one of the founders of the Eagles Program at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course. Coach John would go house to house and school to school in East San Jose to promote the soon-to-be TFTSV program. Diego attended one of those schools and had the chance to experience a new opportunity with supportive coaches. According to Diego, “Coach John was a coach I always remembered as warm and welcoming to me. He made it easier to connect.” Now 12 years later Diego has joined Coach John as a TFTSV volunteer coach, hoping to give back to the same East San Jose community he grew up in. Diego shared, “I believe this program is important for students in underserved communities. Golf provides an outlet for those facing tough times and a chance for students to branch out and explore experiences outside of their comfort zone.” In his short time back to our program, Coach Diego has found it rewarding to build positive connections with students, similar to the connections he experienced years ago. TFTSV would like to thank Coach Diego and Coach John as well as the many other volunteers that make it possible for us to grow our program as the need for positive and caring life and golf skill volunteer coaches increases. “Developing interpersonal communication, self-management skills and our Nine Core Values with our participants can only be done through the support of positive and engaged coaches. We feel fortunate to have an outstanding team of committed coaches, and need many more to maintain the ratio we feel is critical to continuing our impact and reach throughout Silicon Valley,” says Program Manger Matt Sheppard. Click here to learn more about becoming a volunteer life and golf skill coach or contact Julie Donnellan- 408-508-4882 or [email protected] to start the application process.