Beginning, Tuesday, April 14th TFTSV participants were encouraged to submit their artwork that best represented one of our nine core values. Thank you to those who submitted their art/drawing, great work!
The winner of the TFTSV Core Value Drawing/Art Contest is Nancy Rivera! Congratulations Nancy! Nancy’s drawing will be the cover photo and placed on the front flipper of our website at www.firsteesiliconvalley.org. The top 5 submissions can be seen below and the winning artwork will be posted next week on our social media accounts.
Please follow us and stay engaged Facebook, Twitter, InstagramWinner – Nancy Rivera
Calling all participants! TFTSV is looking for new Core Value artwork to be placed on our website, and what better art than yours? Beginning, Thursday, April 16th TFTSV participants are encouraged to submit their art. We will feature all submissions, and the winning participant will be the cover photo for the website post.
Guidelines:
Art project can be a drawing, painting, or an arts and craft project
The project must represent one of our Core Values (Respect, Courtesy, Responsibility, Honesty, Sportsmanship, Confidence, Perseverance, Judgment, Integrity)
Art submissions must be submitted to [email protected] by Monday, April 20th at 11:59pm
Beginning April 7th, participants were challenged to build their own indoor putt bowling game and participate in the indoor putt bowling challenge. Congratulations to everyone who submitted a video. Hopefully you can use the game set up to practice your putting while at home.
The winner of the Spring 2020 Indoor Putt Bowling challenge is……. Salma Rivera! Congratulations Salma!
We will also post her winning video on our social media accounts next week. Please follow us and stay engaged Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Click here for a video on how to build the putting game.
Beginning Tuesday, April 7th, TFTSV participants can participate in our Indoor Putt Bowling Challenge. All video submissions are due by 11:59pm, 4/10. Join the fun and compete against other TFTSV participants for the right to be called TFTSV Putt Bowling Champion!
Challenge: Putt Bowling
See below for videos on how to set up and play the game.
Each player must build their own ramp using the video tutorial (see below).
Three targets are placed equal distance from each other on the top of the ramp (see video).
Each player hits 10 putts from 10ft away, please use integrity and honesty.
Players must use a golf ball or a plastic/nerf golf ball.
5 points for each ball that knocks down the outside targets (plastic spice bottles).
10 points for each ball that knocks down the middle target (plastic spice bottle).
Please submit a 10 second video to [email protected] of you putting to the target. Please also tell us your name, your TFTSV level, and your point total in the video.
Videos are due Friday, 4/10 no later 11:59pm.
The winning video will be posted next Tuesday on our website.
We will also post his winning video on our social media accounts next week. Please follow us and stay engaged Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
We are anticipating having registration open for our 2020 Summer classes on Wednesday, May 13th for all participants 2nd grade and up. Nothing will be official until Tuesday, May 5th, once we are provided an update on the stay in place order. For our class flyer and scheduled classes, please click here.
Classes are held once a week (same day each week) over a 9-week period beginning June 9th and ending August 8th (no class 6/30 – 7/4).
Each class, participants are learning a golf fundamental and a core life lesson through engaging games and activities. Come join our program and experience a fun, safe, and friendly learning environment. See you soon!
The safety of the young people we serve as well as our employees and volunteers is always of utmost importance to TFTSV. This is especially true as our community contends with COVID-19.
2020 Spring Credit/Refund
Wash your hands with liquid soap and water – rub for at least 20 seconds.
Keep tissues and hand sanitizer in your car, purse, backpack and other places.
Try to maintain a 6’ distance between you and others.
Wave or give a “thumbs up” instead of a handshake.
Cough or sneeze into your sleeve, arm, or a tissue, which should be thrown away immediately.
Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth.
Stay home if you are sick.
Also, observe a 14-day self-quarantine period if anyone in your immediate circle of family and friends has recently traveled abroad, including to an area on the CDC’s Travel Info, or has come into contact with someone who is (or you think could be) symptomatic.
We will be cleaning/disinfecting surfaces including tables and equipment as well as practicing the above safety precautions in our operations as best as we can.
Updates & Further Info
We will be updating this memo as needed. TFTSV is keeping apprised of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s guidelines, including its recommendations for schools, and is monitoring school policies, including closures, to inform our decision making about our programs and activities in light of COVID-19.
TFTSV’s office staff will be working remotely from home with little to no time in the actual office until further notice. Please contact staff directly via email or personal telephone lines — Staff Directory. We expect our Admin Hours to remain the same — Tue to Fri from 10am to 5pm.
Programs – 408-288-2934 or [email protected]General – 408-288-2937 or [email protected]
Our TFTSV family is staying connected by creating #stayathome weekly activities for participants. We thank everyone who has contributed and will be contributing via email responses, and social media posts.
Beginning March 24th, participants were challenged to build two of their best mini golf holes using household items. Congratulations to everyone who submitted a video, they were creative and fun, great work!
The winner of the Spring 2020 Mini Golf Course Challenge is……. Brian Jackson! Congratulations Brian! To view his video please see below.
We will also post his winning video on our social media accounts next week. Please follow us and stay engaged Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Por favor oprima aquí para Español
We all need people or animals we can depend on, to reassure us, to support us, and to guide us. At the First Tee of Silicon Valley we believe in building teamwork and relationships so much so that one of our Core Lessons is centered around how to, and why we create a “Go-To Team.” Having a go-to team means you have someone to turn to when life gets hard, you have someone to challenge your beliefs, and offer advice when asked. A go-to team can come from anywhere and anyone. All we have to do is ask, ask for help, ask for guidance. And when we are asked to be on someone’s go-to team, we need to listen.
Golf is an individual sport, where we can be isolated in our thoughts for better or worse. Yet it doesn’t have to be that way. By asking questions, expressing interest, and respecting others we can build lasting friendships, gain new perspectives and create a positive support network with the people we play with and our coaches.
We are committed to being a friendly resource for all, and during this time we ask that you explore how you have been impacted by your go-to team and how you can be the best go-to person for others. Please share a picture of you with your go-to team on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #TFTSV and #gototeam and #respectothers. Make sure to follow us too. We are never alone nor should we be. Let’s build a team and spread the word.
TFTSV Core Staff is a Go-To Team: Judy, George, Lina, Manny, Julie, Carlos, Chris, Joe & Gabby (left to right by row starting with the top left)
TFTSV hosted several school field trips at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course during February. Our goal was to reward our current DRIVE (Develops Rewarding, Inspiring Values for Everyone) partners and students by offering them a field trip at the conclusion of their DRIVE classes. Students were able to experience a typical TFTSV class and transition from hitting tennis balls at school to real golf balls at a golf course.
DRIVE utilizes our golf platform to extend the life skills and The First Tee Nine Core Values to young people who may not previously have been exposed to the game of golf. The program’s Activity Plans are designed in a way that allows for indoor and outdoor set up to fit a variety of locations such as gymnasiums and soccer fields. Training and staff support are provided so anyone can deliver DRIVE regardless of their golf knowledge.
In the month of February, we welcomed over 100 total participants from Cesar Chavez, Arbuckle, San Antonio, Anne Darling, Empire Gardens, Generations United, and Bracher Elementary. We are proud to be partnering with youth organizations and schools, many of which are Title I schools with a high percentage of students on free or reduced lunch. For many of the students, their trip to the Rancho Del Pueblo was their first experience at a real golf course. Several of the participants signed up for our 8-week season at Gavilan Golf Course, Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course, and Baylands Golf Links under our financial assistance program.
For more information on our DRIVE program please visit https://www.firstteesiliconvalley.org/programs/outreach/
Meet Dylan Chang, an 7th grader at Ralston Middle School. He began our program in the summer of 2015 and is currently an Eagle participant (Eagle is our 2nd highest level). He regularly enrolls in 3-4 class seasons a year, receives our A/B honor roll distinction every semester, and is a consistent participant in our seasonal tournaments.
Dylan also voluntarily assists our coaches in setting up and taking down our games and equipment every Saturday. He arrives early and stays late to help his coaches and is an engaged participant in our classes. He is an ambitious and respectful young man who is a joy to have in our program. Congratulations, Dylan, and good luck playing for middle school golf team!
The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted our 2020 Tag Team Tournament at Gavilan College Golf Course on February 29th. The event commenced with a group discussion led by Coach Manny on identifying diseased or dead trees and when to avoid them.
During their round, the participants were encouraged repair divots, identify staked trees, and to pick up any debris roaming the golf course. On hole one, the participants were able to use a soil test kit to determine the moisture and pH level on the teeing ground.
Twenty-six participants competed in a nine-hole alternate shot format. Congratulations to all our participants for competing with honesty, integrity, and perseverance. A special thanks to our volunteers who helped keep the pace of play and assisted the participants in determining the golf rules.
Our seasonal tournaments are valuable events to help participants bond and create friendships in a pressure-free environment. We hope these tournaments help them feel more confident engaging in conversation with others! They are also a great stepping stone for participants to learn how to deal with adversity, set expectations, and experience teamwork.
Our next event is the Chapter Championship on May 30th. Contact Manny at [email protected] for more information.
The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted the Girls Golf Winter Play Day on February 29th. With 14 Girls Golf members, our event commenced with the telephone game. A message is passed down from person to person with the potential of the original message becoming distorted. With the theme being centered around “Empower,” the participants were encouraged to use the information given to them and determine themselves if the message was credible.
On the practice area, the girls were introduced to the games of Impact Tape and Putting Sharks and Minnows. Each game encouraged the participants to identify the information at hand to make a decision to create the best-case scenario. These types of games promote the exploration of the game, learning new golf rules, and overcoming challenges together.
The day concluded with brunch provided by Ranch Del Pueblo Golf Course.
Girls Golf Play Days are beneficial events where our female participants enjoy an all-female day with friends and a supportive group of coaches and volunteers. The next event is schedule for May 11th. Contact Manny at [email protected] for more information.
Calling all participants! TFTSV is looking for new Core Value artwork to be placed on our website, and what better art than yours? Beginning, Thursday, April 16th TFTSV participants are encouraged to submit their art. We will feature all submissions, and the winning participant will be the cover photo for the website post.
Guidelines:
