Author: juliebdo

It can be hard to find time to volunteer, especially with how busy life can be. The benefits to you, your family, and your community are enormous. The more you volunteer, the more you’ll receive in return. Volunteering at TFTSV provides an amazing opportunity to meet many interesting people, whether it be participants, parents, or coaches. You interact with people who share your interests, which strengthens your ties to the community. Volunteering is also good for your mind and body. First, it helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. By connecting with members of our organization, you take your mind off your own worries and develop a reliable support system. Volunteering also makes you happy – being helpful towards others delivers pleasure because we are naturally hard-wired to give to others. By doing good for the participants, more specifically building character, instilling life-enhancing values, and promoting healthy choices, you feel a sense of accomplishment. This builds self-confidence and gives you a sense of identity. The better you feel about yourself, the more positive you will view your life and future goals. Volunteering at the TFTSV also entails constant walking and movement, which results in a smaller likelihood of developing high blood pressure and lessens symptoms of chronic pain. All in all, volunteering, especially at our organization, is an exciting, fulfilling way to explore your passions. It gives you a healthy opportunity to escape from your daily routine and provides you with renewed creativity and motivation that can carry over to other areas of your life. We are looking for volunteer coaches as well as administrative volunteers. Click on the “Contact Us” button on our website to get started. Be sure to select ‘Volunteering’ as your area of interest.

The First Tee of Silicon Valley (TFTSV) is thrilled by the selection of Ralph Kho to play in this year’s PURE Insurance Championship benefitting The First Tee at Pebble Beach on Friday, September 27th to Sunday, September 29th. He is one of 78 participants selected from across the nation. Ralph is a long-time participant in TFTSV’s program and is well on his way to certifying at the Ace level, our highest level. Not only has he been dedicated to progressing through TFTSV’s program, but he has also been generous by giving back to the TFTSV “family” in a variety of ways, including as a Junior Coach and volunteer at many TFTSV events over the years. Ralph is truly a fine young man with a very bright future. He will be a senior at Junipero Serra High School this fall. Ralph’s selection for the event is very timely given his pioneering, TFTSV class history at Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, The Golf Club at Moffett Field, and now Baylands Golf Links (formerly Palo Alto Muni). He was one of TFTSV’s first participants as we expanded our classes to Palo Alto, then temporarily relocated our classes to Moffett Field during the construction of Baylands. TFTSV returned its classes to Baylands last summer and is endeavoring to make an investment to the facility in the form of a learning center and improvements to the range and practice areas. “Ralph should be extremely proud (and excited!) not only by his selection to play in this tournament, but also by his dedication to TFTSV as it made — and continues to expand — its place in the greater Palo Alto area. Go Ralph!” said George Maxe, President and CEO of The First Tee of Silicon Valley.

The First Tee of Silicon Valley (TFTSV) received a $3,500 Grant from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) to underwrite our new STEM class initiative and a $3,500 Grant to underwrite financial assistance for low income participants.  SVB supports their employees’ passion for community giving by offering employees the opportunity to apply for SVB Foundation grants on behalf of nonprofit organizations for which they actively volunteer. SVB also matches an employee’s personal donations to nonprofit organizations of their choice. Reka Mishra, Director of EPMO Center of Excellence at SVB Financial Group, was drawn to TFTSV’s efforts to develop youth throughout Silicon Valley, transforming their lives and giving them a brighter future. She is proud to be a TFTSV Board Ambassador of a community benefit organization that’s mission impacts the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Reka said, “Being a golfer and advocate for STEM, I was very interested in supporting TFTSV’s innovative platform to offer under-served youth the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally while exposing them to STEM concepts for improved career choices.” Matt Crismond, Vice President – Leveraged Finance, was first drawn to TFTSV as a volunteer coach in the Summer of 2018. Dating back to when he was a summer counselor at a local golf camp, he saw the importance of providing kids with a supportive environment in which they could not only practice and play golf, but more noticeably develop self-confidence, social skills, and healthy lifestyles that they take far beyond the course. Today, Matt is a proud TFTSV Board Ambassador and plans to continue to be a volunteer coach in the future. When talking about TFTSV Matt said, “Seeing the transformation and growth of the kids from the beginning of an 8-week session to the end is by far the most rewarding part of being part of this great organization!”. Silicon Valley is a global leader, in large part, through the genius and hard work of its scientists, engineers and innovators. However, comparatively under-served students do not pursue expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics because they have not had positive exposure. Due to a high demand for these jobs and shortage of a skilled workforce for these disciplines, TFTSV believes it is important to expand our curriculum to provide opportunities and encourage youth engagement in STEM.

It was another amazing Open golf tournament at Cinnabar Hills Golf Course on June 21^st, which allowed us to raise $186K net.  Thank you to our presenting sponsor EY; hosting sponsors PGA TOUR Superstore and Hallagan-Huston Family Foundation, in addition to contributing sponsors PwC, Green Valley Corp./Swenson, and DeWinter Group; plus the many hole and foursome supporters.  See our Open program for a full list of this year’s supporters. Both the weather and pace of play were perfect, which set the stage for a very enjoyable day for our 160 players.  The day kicked off with a speech by Ashley sharing her experiences from our new STEM class and giving tips to the players.  Players enjoyed a BBQ lunch donated by Que It Up and beverages donated by Reyes Coca Cola and Anheuser-Busch. Post tournament activities featured Mitch Juricich of Hooked on Golf as our emcee, as well Dinner, Awards, and Silent and Live Auctions.  Andres spoke to the attendees about his journey from Columbia to the United States and how The First Tee of Silicon Valley has impacted him over the past seven years as a financial assistance participant. The tournament’s Fund-A-Need focused on underwriting financial assistance for our STEM classes, which launched this past year from funds raised at last year’s Open.  Our new initiative introduces STEM concepts through golf which are developmentally appropriate curriculum using golf activities as a way for our participants to explore how science, technology, engineering, and math connect to and impact our Nine Golf Fundamentals. We provide affordable access to all youth 2nd through 12th grade while focusing on the under-served, at risk by offering financial assistance. We need your help to continue growing our program.  Please consider underwriting one or more participant. Mark your calendars for next year’s Open on Friday, June 19, 2020.  Please contact Judy Dixon for sponsorship opportunities –[email protected] or 408-508-4481. Check out all the pics in the 2019 Open Album on Facebook #TFTSVOpen.

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.