Category: 2017

Check Out Isabel’s Life Skills Leadership Academy Reflection

Ace Certified Participant and junior coach, Isabel S., traveled to East Lansing, MI from July 26th to August 1st to take part in The First Tee’s Life Skills and Leadership Academy. This opportunity helps develop and educate participants in areas 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 chapters and communities and be a leader and role model for other participants.
To start off, my week at Michigan State University for the Life Skills and Leadership Academy was an invaluable experience that would not have been possible without Coach George and Coach Matt encouraging me to apply for this experience during my Ace interview.  My week started with my first flight alone to the Detroit Michigan Airport. Although it was hard for me to say goodbye to the comfort and familiarity of my parents and hometown, I was both scared, yet eager to embark on a new journey. Our schedule was extremely packed. We rose early in the mornings for breakfast and finished our evening with various activities which included bowling, watching a local baseball game, and playing a putt putt course on real grass. On the first day on the course, I ran into our very own Coach Kuniko! It was a funny experience because I didn’t realize she spent half of the year in the Midwest, so it was cool to talk to Coach Kuniko and compare the difference between her chapter there and Silicon Valley. Throughout the week, we attended seminars addressing leadership. They taught us new ideas about how to actually spark change through utilizing our platform as junior golfers, but also reinforced classic First Tee life skills like Personal Par.   One of the greatest quotes I took away from that trip was a quote by head golf coach at MSU, Casey Lubhan, who preached about being “inefficient with relationships.” He argued that in modern society, we are always trying to get the most out of everything in as little time as possible, but when it comes to relationships, it should be opposite. When we are inefficient with our relationships, we can take the time to build deeper, more meaningful connections with one another. All in all, this experience was an amazing opportunity to get to meet people from all over the U.S. and immerse myself in the various cultures throughout our country. I would definitely recommend this opportunity to anyone because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience college living ahead of time, strengthen your golf skills, and surround yourself with other golfers who are each determined to achieve great things.
  • Isabel S., Ace Certified Participant
   

Our Impact – 2017 Ace Certified Participants

Are you Ace Certified? This year, we’ve seen Rhea A., Isabelle C., Ishaan N., and Anushka S. complete all four projects of the Ace curriculum (Education, Golf, Career, Giving Back) and receive recognition from The First Tee Home Office. Ace is the highest of the five certification levels in The First Tee class curriculum. Participants may start Ace in the 9th grade upon completion of the PLAYer, Par, Birdie, and Eagle levels. They continue through all four projects with requirements such as playing 15 18-hole rounds (Golf), conducting three informational interviews (Career), volunteering 50 hours (Give Back), and researching three different colleges/universities or technical/vocational schools (Education). Before submitting their complete binder, Ace participants need to complete an Ace Exit Interview with a chapter representative and obtain a signed letter of recommendation. The First Tee national office then reviews participants’ project binders for approval. Ace Certified participants receive a special certificate and pin as part of their recognition. We are very proud of these four and ALL Ace Certified participants that we have in our program. They are great representatives of The First Tee of Silicon Valley! Anushka S. Isabelle C. Rhea A.

Our Supporters – PGA TOUR Superstore

Thank you to the PGA TOUR Superstore in East Palo Alto for generously donating $12,500 to The First Tee of Silicon Valley. Their representatives presented the check at our 2017 Open at Cinnabar Hills. We appreciate the ongoing support we receive through giveaways at tournaments, hosting Girls Golf events in-store, and more. Our partnership includes in-store promotions to help boost our registrations for upcoming seasons and special events to complement our classes at golf courses. We invite our participants to take part in putting activities/contests, utilize the hitting bays and simulators, and gathering in the store’s dedicated meeting space. In addition, we enjoying hosting the PGA TOUR Superstore at our events as they assist us with registration and even on course contests. We appreciate all the PGA TOUR Superstore has done for The First Tee nationwide and are very grateful to have the opportunities to work with them here in Silicon Valley.

Our Events – Empower VIP Guests

Have you met our Empower VIP Guests? We are excited to have Pat Hurst, Juli Inkster, and Kathryn Imrie this year. Read more of their bios and explore how they will make an impact on our attendees at Half Moon Bay Golf Links. Pat Hurst Bio Juli Inkster Bio Kathryn Imrie Bio

View Coach Matt’s NorCal Regional Cup Reflection

On Wednesday, July 26th, six of our participants – Isabelle, Kelly, Noah, Ralph, Calvin, and Avery – teamed up to represent The First Tee of Silicon Valley and played in The First Tee Northern California Regional Cup at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore. Using their top four scores, they finished in first place for their gross team score of 300 and runner up for their net team score. Most importantly, these participants were able to take away some key lessons in good sportsmanship and pace of play. Well done, guys!
The NorCal Regional Cup is the gathering of The First Tee Chapters in Northern California to compete annually in a golf tournament at Poppy Ridge Golf Course.  It is a chance for our participants to gain some tournament experience but most importantly, a time for them to interact with other participants in neighboring chapters and use the Life Skills learned at The First Tee. I was fortunate enough to witness four participants form a bond over golf throughout 18 holes. At the beginning there was minimal interaction among the participants, “Could you attend the flag?” or “Do you want to go first?”. By the end of the round, all of their personalities began to shine as they all competed in an impromptu long drive challenge while joking around with each other. I hope the participants were able to see how the Life Skills learned at The First Tee can help them interact with people in a courteous/respectful manner and to experience golf on a deeper level. Golf is not just a game about trying to shoot your lowest score but a time to get to know people, create positive everlasting memories, and get outside! – Coach Matt

Learn How Sports Basement Supports Our Chapter

Become Basementeers! Sports Basement, is spinning the traditional “loyalty” program into a win-win for their loyal customers and our community. Basementeer’s receive 10% and give 10%:
  • 10% off every item every day
  • 10% of profits back to schools and charities including The First Tee of Silicon Valley
There is no fee for school families or customers with previous acceptable partner discounts as long as they mention the school or partner at the register. On your next visit to Sports Basement, register for Basementeers and select The First Tee of Silicon Valley as your beneficiary!

Register for a 2017 Fall class by 8/29

Our registration deadline is quickly approaching. All participants (new and returning) are now able to sign up for a 2017 Fall class. But don’t hesitate as classes are first come, first served. View Fall schedules on our Youth Classes page. Return to our website and click the REGISTER button (in the top right-hand corner) to sign up for a class online or call our Administrative Office at (408) 288-2937 to sign up over the phone.

Read Rhea’s Reflection About the Science of Golf

I’m so grateful to have participated in the first ever Learning Science Through Golf Academy in Far Hills, New Jersey. I was with a group of 23 other high school golfers who are all interested in pursuing a career in STEM. During our time in the USGA Research and Testing facilities, we worked on a group project to see who could design and build the most accurate and precise version of a stimpmeter. Each team was paired up with a USGA engineer so that we could bounce our ideas off and brainstorm. My team was able to utilize our geometry and trigonometry knowledge to find the correct angle that our ramp should have in order for the ball to roll 9 feet each time. To reduce human error, we created a release mechanism for the golf ball so that it started off at the same position every time. Having the opportunity to not only meet and greet with the engineers but work with them for the entire day was incredible. Once the testing process was over, the winning team — whose stimpmeter was the most accurate and precise — used their device on the practice green at the US Women’s Open. While we were there, USGA agronomists spoke to us about how they prepared the course for this year’s championship. Besides learning about the math and engineering behind golf, we were taught a lot about how to care for golf courses and the amount of hard work that is put in to maintain a golf course. At the Rutgers University farm, graduate students part of the agriculture school spoke to us about their projects and their role at the farm. We also learned about various plant diseases, types of grass, and machines used for the maintenance of grass. One of my favorite parts of the academy was the dinner with USGA interns at the US Women’s Open because it helped me open up my career options and explore the vastness of the STEM fields. In addition to the dinner, we were also able to observe a live interview of Brittney Lang in the Media center along with many sports journalists from popular magazines and newspapers. Finally, our evenings at Six Flags and TopGolf were exciting bonding opportunities with participants and staff. This was my first national First Tee academy and I loved being able to meet people from all over the country. …my experience at the Learning Science Through Golf Academy was enlightening, new, and exciting. – Rhea A., Ace Participant

Read Varsha’s Experience at John Deere Academy

This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the John Deere Drive Your Future Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Through hearing the stories of inspiring women such as Marty Evans (background entails being a part of the US Navy and CEO of the Girl Scouts), participants were able to learn the importance of balancing strengths and weaknesses when working on a team, staying true to your values, and being resilient in tough situations. A wide array of women speakers enforced the necessity for girls to be leaders in their community, and to build long lasting professional relationships. Sydnee Mack, an attorney at law, was able to explain the benefits of networking and teach us the basics of building a pitch to effectively introduce ourselves using ALR (Ask-Listen-Respond). Aside from the many speakers I had the privilege to hear, I truly learned the impact of community service and volunteerism when I got to go to an elderly center and run a First Tee lesson with the members of the center. Not only was I able to spend time giving back to the Atlanta community, I was able to get valuable life advice from the strong individuals at the elderly center. From golfing at East Lake Golf Club to learning about the college admission process from Georgia State University, I gained indispensable advice relating to golf, life, and leadership, along with memories and friendships I can carry with me in my future endeavors. This academy was the perfect avenue for me to develop my leadership, collaboration, teamwork, and golf skills, and I am so grateful to have met other young women who are driven to make a difference in their communities just like me! I am so thankful to The First Tee for making these opportunities available for participants! – Varsha N., Ace Participant

Our Supporters – PG&E and HP, Inc.

Thank you to PG&E and HP, Inc. as the primary sponsors of our 2017 Invitational at CordeValle Golf Resort on July 23rd & 24th. PG&E is the long-time underwriter of the Joyce Taylor Eagle Award, which was given to Juan Herrera this year. The First Tee of Silicon Valley is very grateful to have such loyal corporate sponsors! On Sunday, July 23rd, distinguished guests enjoyed our putting contest and bocce ball tournament with oven-fired pizza prior to Juan speaking in acceptance of his award. “…through my experiences in The First Tee as a participant and volunteer, I was able to get out of my comfort zone and explore new things. The partnership between this program and NCGA’s Youth On Course provided an opportunity to be part of the Caddie Academy for multiple years. I became an intern at various country clubs as a caddy and was able to network with those I worked for. This year, the Caddie Academy sponsored me to be a participant in the 2017 Northern California Leadership Academy, which allowed me to do more self-discovery, make new friends, and grow as an individual.” His speech ended with thank you’s including his parents, siblings, various coaches in The First Tee of Silicon Valley, PG&E and the family of Joyce Taylor for all of their support. Afterwards, Victor Arrañaga (TFTSV’s Board Chair), Kent Kauss (PG&E), and others congratulated Juan and his family for their scholarship. The First Tee of Silicon Valley is very grateful to have PG&E as an ongoing sponsor for nine years running!

Our Impact – Thank You, Coach Liam

Join us in thanking Liam for his time and dedication to our organization as a participant and junior coach as he heads off to college. Liam set two records with us since 2013 — first, he completed our entire life skills certification program in just three years, and second, he logged more hours as a volunteer than anyone else — over 2,000! In just a few weeks, Liam will take off to the University of Nevada Las Vegas to begin his journey to complete the PGA Management and Hospitality program. He has been a great asset to our program and volunteer team. Thanks to our Club Partner, San Jose Country Club, and the Big D Tournament held in memory of Dennis Kettmann, we are pleased to honor Liam with a $3,000 college scholarship. Thanks, Liam! Coach Armando, Coach Matt, and Coach Khristine reflect on their time spent with Liam:
The man, the myth, the legend who is Liam Hunt… I first met this awkward individual about four years ago and quickly realized that we are kindred spirits that needed to prepare for many fun times together. I have seen Liam grow as a leader and become an amazing mentor to our participants. He has been a shining example of the type of dedication we would like our junior volunteers to achieve. We are so lucky to have someone devote over 2,000 hours of his time to this organization in such a short amount of time. I have leaned on Coach Liam to help run portions of my classes because I know I can rely on him to deliver The First Tee Life Skills curriculum effectively. I am so happy to know he will be striving for a career in golf, an area he has a great passion for. It is exciting to see someone I mentored become a wonderful young man chasing his dreams. The First Tee of Silicon Valley will not be the same without Liam. So, watch out UNLV. Here comes the man, the myth, the legend.. Here comes Liam Hunt. – Coach Armando
The Eagle Part 1 putting assessment is the first memory I have of Liam using his core values on a deeper level. His demonstration of perseverance was remarkable for a young person. He completely devoted himself to passing the putting assessment and despite a few setbacks, he successfully completed the assessment. You could visibly see the sense of accomplishment on his face as he let out a big sigh of relief and exclaimed, “Finally!”. It was a truly memorable and inspirational moment to witness. Liam has been an inspiration to us all. Not only as a participant but as a committed volunteer and coach. He volunteers for virtually every opportunity possible. He has proven himself as a person we can trust to put 100% of his effort into helping the staff and participants succeed. I believe Liam gives his all because he philosophically gets the importance of the Life Skills. If you’ve interacted with Liam, you can clearly see that he is a shining example of a respectful young man who uses The First Tee Nine Core Values daily. His Nine Core Values have been exhibited for many seasons during our tradition of playing golf with Lionel, his father and my good friend, after coaching classes and then going out to dinner to one of our favorite spots. We’ve had many conversations about life/golf and consequently formed a strong bond. He has become like a little brother to me. I’m very proud of the direction he is heading at UNLV. I will miss him a lot at The First Tee of Silicon Valley. – Coach Matt
I doubt that I will ever experience having a junior volunteer dedicate so much time and passion into a program as much as Liam has. He and I started our journey with The First Tee of Silicon Valley relatively the same time (2013) and have grown together through our time here. He is not one to be shy or bashful about something he cares so deeply about. In my interactions with participants and families and what they have shared about Liam, it has reinforced my opinion that he has become a young man who is dependable and can provide mentorship to those who do not have an older male figure in their lives. Liam’s dedication to our program goes beyond words. Each season, he allows me to schedule him to be part of every aspect of our program. From our regularly scheduled classes to fundraising, community, program, and even girls golf events, he is someone I can count on to be there not only to assist as a volunteer but represent our chapter well. I hope other junior coaches and our participants have observed how Coach Liam has been a great asset to our program so that they too will become an A+ volunteer. He has become a wonderful young man to work with and be around. Surely I will miss working with Liam but know he’s onto the next journey of practicing and perfecting his love of the game of golf through the PGA Management and Hospitality Program at UNLV. Thank you for your services, Liam. – Coach Khristine
 

Our Events – STEM Stomp 8/12

Join us THIS Saturday, August 12th from 10am to 1pm at The Golf Club at Moffett Field for our FREE STEM Stomp Community Day — an engaging youth event connecting science, technology, engineering, and math with golf. Take part in stations led by our friends from the Computer History Museum, Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative, and more. PLUS, the first 100 attendees will receive a FREE neck wallet! Bring your friends and family. No registration needed.