FTSV Hosted College Day Tournament

On November 11th, First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) hosted its annual College Day Tournament where our participants partnered up with a member from the Stanford men’s team, Santa Clara men’s team, or Santa Clara women’s team in a fun, supportive, and competitive environment.  Additionally, we invited 6 participants from First Tee – Greater Sacramento to join in the fun.

The players were grouped by age competing in a multi-formatted competition.  Course contests such as closest-to-the-pin and long drive were included as well.  All of our participants displayed honesty, integrity, and other FTSV life skills impressing the collegiate players.  Our participants made the most out this experience by asking for advice about balancing life and higher education.

“Golfing with Meva Schmit from Santa Clara during the college day tournament was such a surreal experience that provided me with a glimpse of how a highly skilled and experienced college golfer approached each and every golf shot. Meva shared with me tips on how she tackled her short game and we delved into deep conversations of balancing sports and academics. Her experience provided me with a unique perspective on how I can personally develop my golf game beyond high school. I am super grateful for the chance to play golf with a college player!” – Natalie

While score is secondary to the experience of playing golf with collegiate players, it’s good to celebrate the winners of this event to recognize their effort.

1st Place

6th-8th Grade:  Ben Hughes (FTSV) and Kush Arora (Stanford) score of 27

9th – 12th Grade:  Joey Jang (FTSV) and Ethan NG (Stanford) score of 22

2nd Place

6th – 8th Grade:  Jayden Aguinaga (FTSV) and Barclay Brown (Stanford) score of 27

9th – 12th Grade:  Jacob Burnett (FTGS) and Sean Karl Dobson (Stanford) score of 23

3rd Place

6th – 8th Grade:  Suri Lau (FTSV) and Will Celiberti (Santa Clara) score of 28

9th – 12th Grade:  Hailey Mac (FTSV) and Muzzy Donohue (Santa Clara) score of 25

Closest to the Pin

Kristen Tang (FTSV) and Rachel Wang (Santa Clara)

Long Drive

Jaiden Aguinaga (FTSV), Joey Jang (FTSV), and Kush Arora (Stanford)

If you’d like to learn more about the opportunities we have for our participants, click here!

First Tee – Silicon Valley’s Winter Pre-Season Girls Golf

First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted our Winter Pre-Season Girls Golf Play Day on November 11th, 2023, at Rancho Del Pueblo.  The theme of the event was Autumn Fun.

20 of FTSV’s youth participants had “fall fun” enjoying games on the practice areas while meeting new friends.  The fall event allowed our girls to build confidence by interacting with their grade peers as well as meeting some of our Ace participants who were in attendance as mentors.

On the green, Coach Gracie challenged the participants to compete in a fall-themed version of tic-tac-toe by chipping golf balls to score 3 in a row.  The girls were tasked in marking their progress with toy corn-on-the-cobs.

On the range, the girls were given a lesson on the full swing by some of our golfers who either progressed to our Ace classes or are currently starting for their local high school team.  Special thanks to Coaches Vian, Elise, Jennifer, Li An, and Natalie!

The event concluded with enjoying snacks, playing fall-themed games, and creating a collage dedicated to Coach Colleen, who is a First Tee master level coach, for all of her support.  We hope this experience of building new friends, meeting our Ace participants, and practicing golf together was memorable for our female participants.  We’re confident our participants will utilize the life skills they learned from this event.

We are always thrilled to have our Girls Golf event, and want to say thank you to all the participants for making it such a success. Everyone made sure to create an inclusive, supportive and respectful atmosphere where all felt comfortable to learn and try new things. If you are interested in making a positive difference and mentoring youth for First Tee – Silicon Valley & Girls Golf, please visit: firstteesiliconvalley.org/about/volunteer/

Join us for the next Girls Golf Event

FTSV participants are welcome in join.  Learn more about our next Girls Golf event on February 24th, 2024 may contact Manny Gallardo at [email protected] or call (408) 508-4887. We will release our next event flyer around mid-January. Stay tuned!

Change the Game for MORE Kids!

Who helped you get to where you are today?

Mentoring is priceless.  If you had a mentor growing up, you know that having someone to listen and give support, encouragement, and guidance to overcome life’s challenges can be transforming. When we look back on the 95,000 kids First Tee – Silicon Valley has worked with, we are filled with pride and joy knowing that our mentors and our youth development program was there for the kids of our community.

Meet Salma and Nancy.  These sisters have progressed and benefitted enormously from our program. Golf was never on their radar but their mom learned about First Tee – Silicon Valley through a family friend. Their mom really liked the life skills we were teaching and the girls felt included and enjoyed the community that they developed with their First Tee peers and coaches. Salma and Nancy were able to participate for 6 years due to our financial aid program. They are first generation Latinas to graduate high school and go to college in their family due to the character-building skills cultivated by our mentors (See Salma’s impact video at the bottom).

Salma and Nancy
Right: Salma / Left: Nancy

Our kids face a lot of heavy stuff.  The pressures of social media, loneliness, mental health struggles, family dynamics, inequities of living in Silicon Valley and devasting world events are all adversely affecting youth. We create time and space for our kids to share what’s going on in their lives so they reach out and connect with us.

We have long-term mentoring impact.  Our intentional focus on the recruitment, retention and progression of our participants teaching a proven curriculum by high quality mentors has a big impact. 100% of our long-term kids graduate high school and 100% attend college while learning life skills that make them good citizens! 

Help us Mentor MORE Kids!

We are thrilled to share that we have new 25-year agreement for expanded access at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course which doubles the number of kids and we can serve. Help us grow our program and help us mentor more kids.

Your $500 donation will underwrite one low-income course participant and one Title 1 student to experience our program. That is less than $1.50 a day for authentic, one-on-one mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference. On behalf of kids like Salma, we thank you! 

We are here, and have been every day since 2005 changing the game for MORE kids.

Thank You for helping to make that happen!

*Click on the Donate button to make an online credit card donation or make a pledge to mail us a check.

Create a positive impact on the world – Volunteer Coaches

Doing things for others simply to do something positive is one of the most rewarding things a person can do. There is a tremendous gratification that comes from using your time to create a positive impact on the world. When people volunteer with First Tee – Silicon Valley, they become part of a community of helpers, a community of kind, caring individuals wanting to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Make a difference for others… make a difference for yourself!

Not only are our coaches making a huge difference in the lives of our young participants, they are also greatly benefiting themselves as well. The fun, supportive and interesting folks who volunteer with FTSV end up becoming friends with each other, looking forward to spending their class time alongside their fellow coaches. From golfing buddies to friends to role models, our coaches and volunteers develop strong relationships with one another as they work together to help kids. Our coaches also make large personal gains in their own skill sets, including mentorship, communication, patience, planning and facilitation. All of these skills are helpful in and outside the workplace, making our coaches very well rounded and capable individuals.

Interested in making a positive impact?

If these benefits sound like something you would be interested in, please fill out our volunteer form to learn more about how you can get involved! From coaching to administrative support and even one-off event day help, there are many ways to join the FTSV team.

Email [email protected] with any questions or interest.

Let’s hear directly from some of our awesome coaches about some of the great parts of working with First Tee…

How has working/volunteering with First Tee – Silicon Valley given you a sense of community?

“Working with the kids is always great, but it’s incredibly special to build relationships with students across multiple seasons. Building that consistency and experience together really creates a space where you can dive beyond what you normally would be able to in a single season.”

– Coach Trevor

“FTSV has provided me with the most positive and engaging sense of community. It is something that I take pride in being a part of. It is more than just a golf program. It gives our participants, families, volunteers, coaches, core staff, and everyone a safe place to be welcomed and encouraged to be themselves. Building the relationships with everyone is really impactful to a positive environment.”  

– Coach Kyle

“Everyone who works at the First Tee and all the participants are so friendly and welcoming. We plan fun events outside of coaching like Taco Tuesdays.”

– Coach John

What kinds of skills have you yourself developed and/or improved through your coaching?

“Through coaching at First Tee, I have improved my communication skills, teaching children has enhanced my ability to break down complex ideas in an appropriate way for any audience. Coaching has also helped to further develop my leadership skills by taking leading activities, mentoring participants, and setting a positive example for junior volunteers.”

– Coach Ysabelle

“The skills I’ve developed and improved through First Tee are the different ways to Coach and influence our participants to take something away from class each day. Whether that be a golf cue or a life skill, I get fulfillment out of the participants being able to share something they learned with their family or friends after class.” 

– Coach Tanner

How do you see yourself making a difference?

“I feel like a difference has been made in the student when they feel comfortable enough in their environment to proactively ask and learn a new concept that’s not part of the lesson for the day. It could be a golf skill or a life skill- if a student cares enough to want to learn even when there’s no tangible reward, they’ve reached a mindset that will carry them far beyond the class they’re in now.”

– Coach Trevor

“Seeing the transformation of our participants over the years is when I feel I am making the biggest difference. Seeing the participants social and life skills improve is the most gratifying part of the job. When the kids ask for advice or things not golf related is truly important. We also have value as a mentor. Just listening and having a meaningful conversation will make a difference with everyone.”

– Coach Kyle

“We provide a safe space for the participants to have fun while still learning life lessons. You can tell they all feel welcomed in class by the coaches and other participants and are excited to be there. Throughout the season you can see students become more confident in their golf abilities, and with who they are as people.”

– Coach Megan

Is there anything else you’d like to add about being a First Tee coach?

“I’m honored and proud to be part of the first tee family! These have been the best years of my life. I feel like I have made a positive impact on the community I grew up in. Seeing the diversity in our program is a true reflection of our community. Nothing has been more rewarding than passing on these positive traits and values to the next generation of leaders.”

– Coach Kyle

Pepe Gomez – Thank You for 12 years of Service!

After 12 years of dedicated Board service, FTSV is saying goodbye to Pepe Gomez who is moving to Spain. Pepe first joined our Board of Advisors in 2011 as a graduate of Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley’s Latino Board Leadership Program.  His role changed over the years from Advisor to Director to Ambassador as he helped FTSV in many ways. We are grateful to Pepe for all that he has done for FTSV.

“I want to thank you for the support received from you, the Directors, Ambassadors, Volunteers and Staff for the past 12 years. I had the opportunity to help, enjoyed the events, meetings and interactions with you all. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot and had the opportunity to give back to the Hispanic community. I see how the (FTSV) program has grown and am proud of the level it has reached. I know it will continue to expand and continue to be relevant to increase golf participation for underrepresented communities in Silicon Valley.”

“I had the opportunity to serve as an Advisor, Director and Ambassador which gave me countless opportunities to experience different aspects of the program, it’s needs, challenges and benefits for the participants and their families which is another reason to be thankful.”

“To the First Tee Silicon Valley family, I wish all the best of luck in every dimension of your professional and personal life!”

“I look forward to when First Tee opens operations in Spain!”

— Pepe Gomez email to FTSV President & CEO George Maxe and Board President Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr.

Take the Next Steps to becoming a Board Ambassador

FTSV’s Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community and at events, help raise funds, and expand FTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond.  Click on our Board page to see our current roster and scroll down to the bottom to see the steps to get started if you are interested in giving your time and talents.

Franky Sumcad Represents FTSV in 9-Hole Skins Game at SCVCC

Come watch the best amateur players in the Bay Area compete in a 9-Hole Skins Game on Saturday, November 25th at beautiful Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose and support our FTSV alum Franky Sumcad.

This year’s Skin Players include:

1) Francesca (Franky) Sumcad / University of Colorado, Boulder, former Valley Christian Player and First Tee – Silicon Valley Alum.

2)    Kaleiya Romero / Pepperdine University, WCC First Team, 2022 and 2023 US Amateur participant.

3) Lexi Lowe / Leland High School, +3 handicap, BVAL Champion and team MVP

4) Caleb Shetler / SJSU / Mountain West Freshman of the year, 2021 US Amateur participant at Oakmont, Santa Clara County Champion, Course Record Holder Cinnabar (60) and San Jose Country Club (59) 

Players will play an exhibition 9-hole match and if a player wins a “skin” (lowest score on the hole).  He/She will be able to choose the First Tee – Silicon Valley or Youth on Course as the recipient of the money raised by spectators and club members.

Donations are welcome and can be pledged here https://gofund.me/3e3e50c6 All proceeds will go to support junior golf benefitting First Tee – Silicon Valley and Youth on Course.

Schedule of Events at Silver Creek Valley Country Club:

Saturday November 25, 2023

Free Admission to all spectators.

12:30pm -1:15 pm   Join us for a free clinic at the driving range with SCVCC Pros and Junior Honorary Members.

1:30pm – 4:00pm     Take a stroll through the front 9 holes of the golf course. Shuttles are available from the 7th green to the 8th tee.

4:00pm – 6:00pm      Awards and Pictures with SKINS PLAYERS

READ FAQ and sign up as a guest / spectator

Main Contact: Wayne Kumagai [email protected] for additional information.

Meet Franky

Franky Sumcad was chosen to be a Silver Creek Valley Country Club Junior Honorary Member in July 2021. SCVCC created this program to support young, prominent, local golfers as well as grow the game of golf.  Franky has access to the club to practice, work at junior clinics, and be a role model for the club’s youth. She was a participant in the First Tee – Silicon Valley from 2012 to 2023 and progressed to the Ace level. Additionally, she has been a volunteer coach for several years coaching FTSV’s younger participants.

SCVCC Skins flyer 2023

Thank You to our Coaches – FTSV Appreciation Day

Thank You FTSV Coaches! It is because of your hard work and dedication that we are able to impact as many kids as we do. You are the reason we can provide a life skill program that develops kids and teens into confident, capable, and caring young adults. And with our number of enrolled participants growing yearly, coaches such as yourself are exposing more kids/teens to the great game of golf, and more importantly, to positive and strong role models. Thank you for all that you do!

On Saturday, November 4th, FTSV hosted a Thank You dinner for the coaching staff at the San Jose office.

There was a great turn out, bringing together folks from all three of our golf courses to meet, mingle and celebrate the hard work everyone does. With games, music and food, everyone had fun as they reconnected with friends and welcomed in coaches who are just starting out. Thank you as well to the Tiffany English, Director of Chapter Relations for First Tee HQ, and members of our board who attended, Sarah Beelaard, Alex Wrobel and Victor Arrañaga Jr; it was great seeing you and having you join us. 

Being a coach in First Tee – Silicon Valley is an incredibly impactful thing to do.

Character building is a long-game, a never-ending process, and is developed through mentorship and experiences.  Simply by spending their time coaching and guiding others, our coaches are changing lives for the better. Additionally, not only are they impacting others, they are building a community for themselves full of hard working, kind, growth-minded people who want to spend their free time doing something for others.

We saw that community on full display during the coach’s dinner. If that sounds like something you are interested in and you are not yet a coach or volunteer, please consider joining us! Not only will you be helping others, you will be helping yourself.

Visit our website to learn more about how to get involved. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Phoenix at [email protected]

Free Parent Golf Clinic on Community Day

On Saturday, November 4th, First Tee – Silicon Valley had its first Free Parent Golf Clinic at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. Parents of children in our program were invited to attend a free, beginners level clinic where our FTSV coaches taught the basics of a golf swing. The event was a big success, with parents and coaches having fun, and parents leaving with concrete skills to build on as well as games and ways to practice with their young ones. We are excited to put on another similar event in the future, as well as to explore other engaging ways to get parents involved in golf and help everyone learn! Thank you very much to all who attended.

We here at First Tee – Silicon Valley know that golf can be a difficult, frustrating and intimidating sport to take up.

Anyone who has tried it for the first time has the experience of struggling to just make contact with the golf ball. With the Parent Clinic, our hope was to provide a pressure free, supportive place for parents of budding young golfers to learn the basics of how to swing a golf club, making the sport more approachable and fun for the whole family.

We started our clinic on the driving range, giving everyone a chance to swing the clubs, meet other parents and relax as we warmed up. Soon after, Coach Manny demonstrated a few of the same golf cues that we teach the kids, touching on the aspects of the swing including grip, body position, and backswing. Armed with new information, parents went back to attempting these new skills, with FTSV coaches walking around and providing direct coaching. Swings improved dramatically across the board! Confidence was built as everyone worked together, and folks who had never swung a club before left the range with the skills and belief that they can practice on their own and with their kids.

Moving to the putting green, Coach Joe instructed on the basics of the putting stroke. From there, parents played engaging games, practicing their new skills and having fun with one another. As we began to wrap up, Joe taught a few putting games that parents can easily play with their kids — no special materials required.

Not only were we able to teach helpful skills, during the FTSV Parent Clinic we discussed some of the strategies that we use in class to keep participants engaged and excited.

This includes how we integrate our life skills and our Try, Show, Try, Play structure model. Not only are these important aspects of FTSV effective with the kids, this approach to learning works for all ages and skills and can be implemented as home as well. Going forward, we hope to be able to spend more time talking with parents about our coaching philosophies and finding ways to collaborate!

A huge thank you again to everyone who attended and made this event a success.

We here at First Tee – Silicon Valley are excited to find more opportunities for events like this one. If you are interested in being a part of our next clinic, please email [email protected] for more information and to be contacted with more information in the future.

Future Planning Classes – Education and Volunteer Give Back

First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to share two of our four Future Planning classes. In the fall of each year, we offer an 8-week Education Future Planning class for participants 10th grade and above.

This fall we had 15 high school participants take the Future Planning class where they:

  • Explored different post high school educational options and their respective cost, focus, and benefits.
  • Provided an extensive college research process, where they compared student life/opportunities, fit, cost, student resources, faculty support, majors and classes.
  • Demystified application options like early action versus early decision, the common application, application fees, and fee waivers.
  • Covered essay writing tips and processes.
  • Reviewed the differences between grants, scholarships and loans. Explained how loans work and how compound interest works.
  • Provided options to help pay for college – scholarship sites and resources, FASFA, high yield savings accounts, mutual funds…etc. and practiced making a budget spreadsheet for college.

Participants met as a group every Friday and took part in small and large group activities. Together they applied the class material and related the concepts back to their post high school educational journey.

Throughout the 8-weeks they learned that many of First Tee’s transferable skills — goal setting, exploring their identity (interests, skills, personality), asking for help, stretching themselves, and making informed decisions — are directly related to successfully navigating the college application process.

This winter we will be holding the final Future Planning class of the year

It is called the Give Back (volunteering) class. This class discusses all aspects of volunteering — how to research, apply, interview, gain transferrable skills, develop professional correspondence skills, and go above and beyond. It is open to all high schoolers 9th grade and above, and can be taken in combination with a normal Grades 9-12 class, or on its own.

Completion of the Grades 9-12 classes, plus the four Future Planning classes and their corresponding post class documentation, makes participants eligible to become Ace certified, which is the highest honor for a First Tee participant. Being Ace certified also positions them nicely for the National Opportunities throughout the year.

How to Sign Up

Participants may sign up for the upcoming Give Back class by registering here beginning 11/8 at 11am.  For more information on our four Future Planning classes please email [email protected] or call 408-508-4884.

Coach or Volunteer… Mentor kids

First Tee – Silicon Valley is always looking for people interested in transforming lives through youth development and giving kids and teens a brighter future. By becoming a coach or volunteer, you will contribute the development of core values and life skills in our students, helping to set them up for the future. Through collaboration, coaches and volunteers are able to create a place of safety and growth, allowing our participants to flourish and develop into capable, strong leaders. With just a small amount of your time, you can make a very significant, positive impact on our youth participants.         

Collaborating with other is the best way to make big changes. The only way FTSV is able to reach as many participants as we do is because of the collaboration we have between our coaching staff and the volunteers that make everything possible. By working together, volunteering our time and energy to a bigger cause, serious change and impact becomes possible. Beyond our volunteer coaches, our donors, board members and others who donate their time and energy make FTSV into what it is. We recently expanded our program to reach even more kids, something we were able to do because of the tremendous group effort of those collaborating together.

Importance of Community Members like you

Our coaches and volunteers play a CRUCIAL role in FTSV’s ability to succeed. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on community members determined to make a difference to work with us, delivering the fun life skill curriculum to the kids. It is our goal to maintain a 4 to 1 student to instructor ratio, so every volunteer and coach makes it possible to grow and accomplish our goal. Not only will you be contributing to changing lives and growing character, but you will also continue to develop and hone your own mentorship and leadership skills, all while being a part of something bigger than yourself.

If that sounds like a good fit for you, please visit our volunteer page where you can apply.

When you start, you start building a base for building character and building a supportive environment, and over time and over seasons, you see the big changes and long lasting difference FTSV can make.

Thank you for your support!

Boulder Ridge Ladies Group Supports FTSV’s Girls Golf

Boulder Ridge Ladies Golf Club is held its 2nd Annual Member Guest Tournament on September 23rd. They celebrated with the “Women of Film” as their theme and chose First Tee – Silicon Valley Girls Golf program as the beneficiary of their charity golf event again this year.  Isabella Herrera, FTSV Participant and Junior Coach, spoke (click here for speech) at the lunch program to share the impact donations have made on her and will have on introducing other low-income girls to the game of golf.  Development Director, Judy Deaton was also in attendance and spoke to the ladies about getting involved as volunteer coaches which she has done 2019.

Thank you!

We would like to thank the very generous Presenting Sponsor: Hsing Family Foundation, Boulder Ridge Ladies Group and all the hole sponsors that donated $8,750 directly to FTSV…

  • Material Motion
  • Trifecta Group, Inc.
  • DeMattei Construction
  •  Melissa Thornburg
  • CSI Custom Homes
  • RJ Perez Construction
  • Fremont Fire Department
  • Escobar Diamonds
  • Jessie Blount & Kristen Templeton
  • Sign Shop
  • Bloomster’s Florist
  • Shaheen Real Estate Group

Special thanks to Tournament Chair Candace Caballero for her continued support!

First Tee – Silicon Valley’s Girls Golf Program is an opportunity to appreciate and enjoy the game of golf while empowering participants to feel confident, build self-esteem and make new friends in an all-girl environment. Girls Golf seasonal events are open to FTSV Participants – click here for more info.

PCA Parent Workshops Recap

On September 20TH, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) delivered their “2nd Goal Parent” workshop to our parents/guardians in English and again on the 27th in Spanish. The workshop is the first parent-specific training held for our chapter, but the 3rd time that our two organizations collaborated to deliver a training/workshop. The first instance occurred in 2020, and was the pilot training/collaboration that led to a national partnership between First Tee and PCA.

PCA’s content, training, and resources are now shared nationwide, throughout First Tee‘s network. They provide resources and training that help participants, parents, and coaches build a positive and impactful youth experience. Their mission is to change the culture of youth sports so that every child, regardless of social or economic circumstance, has access to a positive youth sports experience.

Both First Tee – Silicon Valley and PCA share common coach and learning philosophies centered around process-focused coaching, participant empowerment, and a positive and supportive team culture.

In the hour-long workshop the trainers helped FTSV parent/guardians:

  • Assess their children’s goals and desires in youth sports in comparison with their own.
  • Provide suggestions on how to talk with their child about practices, and what their child is learning (other than outcomes) through the sport.
  • Enact and reinforce PCA’s main principles: Mastery of Sport (Not Just Scoreboard Results), which values effort, learning and bouncing back from mistakes and adversity; and Filling Emotional Tanks, with the correct mix of truthful, specific praise and constructive criticism.

“Non-profits are more effective when they work together to reinforce their values,” says First Tee – Silicon Valley Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “We are grateful to PCA for delivering their workshop in English and in Spanish to our parents/guardians. When parents and coaches are in alignment with their learning goals, and work together to deliver a supportive learning environment, we notice the participants are more likely to enjoy sport and more likely to absorb the key life lessons that build character.”

In addition to the workshop, we have PCA articles and resources for parents/guardians and coaches on the private side of our web site.

In a world with rising mental health concerns, we all need to work together to build supportive environments for youth. Thank you PCA, and thank you parents/guardians for taking the workshop and being committed to reinforcing life lessons that build a positive youth sports experience.