juliebdo, Author at First Tee - Silicon Valley

Let’s Create Healthy and Safe Communities

When we think of health, usually we relate the word to the strength of our mind or body, but no one usually considers the community they live in and how it effects their well-being. Without a healthy and well taken care of community, how would our golf courses stay green, our parks kept clean and our family and friends kept safe? Just like you take care of your health by eating well, drinking plenty of water, exercising, getting enough hours of sleep, and more, it’s important to take a step back and ask how you can help your community stay safe and clean. Little actions can go a long way if you start to create healthy habits. One way you can start helping your community is by reducing neighborhood waste. Litter is dangerous for kids, wildlife and everyone else in the environment. By picking up trash you see left on the ground and throwing it away can be an easy and helpful step in creating a healthier community. Another step to make your neighborhood healthy and safe is by ditching your car for a trip and riding your bike or walking to your destination. Not only does that help your health by giving you more exercise but it also limits the amount of air pollution and greenhouse gases that cars emit. Another idea is to volunteer! You can join a group that’s working to make your community healthier just like you. Whether it’s as small as writing letters to community leaders or gathering your friends and family to clean up your local park, these sorts of actions can motivate others to do just the same. Before you know it you’re one step closer to making your community healthier and safer! As one of The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits, community is exploring the health of one’s community and discovering how one can give back and care for its environment and safety. Not only do we want our participants to have the respect for their community like they do the golf course, but we want to teach them to have the knowledge of what a healthy community can do for them and their future.

Perseverance Creates Great Success

Life is not easy, especially when one fails, it seems obvious to put our heads down and quit. You feel defeated and it’s hard to generate self-belief. At The First Tee Silicon Valley we teach and practice perseverance because we know in order to succeed, you must learn from your past experiences. Whether that be little mistakes or big failures, you decide to be successful by living and learning and committing to your goals. Perseverance means to persist an idea, purpose or task despite any obstacles and what better way to show this than to tell the story of Ryan Rankin, a former The First Tee Silicon Valley participant. Rankins has such passion for golf and has since he began playing at age eleven. He played as a young boy and eventually competed on his varsity golf team all four years of high school. Recruited by UCSD for their men’s golf team, he was excited and thankful for the opportunity to play for the school’s strong golf program and elite education following his high school career. Although, unbeknownst to Rankin, when he arrived at the University in the fall, he was cut from the team. Unlike most people in this situation, Rankin decided to make a decision that would impact his life in so many ways. He set a goal that included doing whatever it took to prove the coach he was worthy of playing for the team. This included creating relationships with all coaches and players and showing up to the team’s driving range practices an hour before and not leaving until the last person had gone home. Rankin was not giving up on his dream of becoming an NCAA athlete. He worked too hard and enjoyed the game too much to fall down and quit. Fast forwarding through lots of hard work and dedication, it was his sophomore year and it was time to try out for the golf team once again. Rankin was confident that he put in enough time to finally make the team. However, he was denied a spot on the team. Despite the fact that Rankin was turned down for a second year in a row, he fought the urge to feel defeated and made another strong decision to persevere and commit to his goal of making the UCSD golf team! After another year of hard work and determination, he remained confident as he entered his junior year tryout. After two years, Rankin finally secured a spot on the UCSD golf team and was able to call himself an NCAA athlete. Rankin is one example of someone who shows great perseverance. You just have to lead confidently, think big and believe in yourself! Refusing to give up or let go is one huge accomplishment you can give yourself. Knowing you’ve overcome obstacles in your life can be very rewarding. The First Tee of Silicon Valley teaches our participants perseverance because it can help them to be successful in any aspect of their lives.

“I know in my heart, that if it weren’t for the lessons I had learned through The First Tee, I would have never had the fortitude to continue to pursue my goals, and my college experience would have been changed for the worst. This unwavering belief in myself, paired with an increasing confidence in my game. and encouragement from my mentors at The First Tee, prompted me to take a shot at pursuing golf professionally after graduating in 2014.” – Ryan Rankin

Rankin with fellow alumnus Keith and board members Moreno and Heben

The First Tee of Silicon Valley Promotes George Maxe to President and Chief Executive Officer

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 15, 2018 – The First Tee of Silicon Valley, announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously promoted George Maxe to President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

About George Maxe

Mr. Maxe began working for The First Tee of San Jose as Executive Director in 2008. By early 2012, having grown the program substantially in San Jose at Rancho del Pueblo, he expanded it to all Santa Clara County by adding Gilroy and East Palo Alto to its service area, and changed the name to The First Tee of Silicon Valley. Under Mr. Maxe’s leadership, while the annual number of youth served has grown by over 450% (to 8,182 in 2017) and the number of staff by 400% (to 25 in 2017) he has efficiently managed the annual budget which has only risen 285% (to $1M in 2017),

Mr. Maxe, commenting on his promotion, said, “It is a true privilege to work for The First Tee of Silicon Valley. My role as the organization’s leader has enabled me to put my education, experience, expertise and background to work to help young people reach their potential. I cannot imagine a more fulfilling job, my vocation. I feel very flattered by this promotion and validation of my leadership and management of this wonderful business and staff.”

“I am thrilled to see George’s dedication and hard work pay off with his promotion to President and Chief Executive Officer of The First Tee of Silicon Valley. For the past ten years, George has been the driving force behind the dramatic growth of our program. I am very proud to have had him as a loyal partner and friend throughout his tenure.” – Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr., Board President, The First Tee of Silicon Valley

“George has a deep passion for developing youth, and he excels in mentoring our outstanding staff as well. His leadership of The First Tee of Silicon Valley has resulted in numerous awards for our organization. George frequently provides counsel and direction to other chapters of The First Tee around the country.” – Ron Hallagan, Board Director, The First Tee of Silicon Valley

Maxe’s Role

In his role as President and CEO, Mr. Maxe remains an employee of the company and will continue to oversee all daily operations as well as strategic initiatives. Efforts are underway to continue growing the number of youth served to reach 10,000 by 2020 then 18,000 by 2025. Mr. Maxe will lead the envisioned capital improvement projects in San Jose, Palo Alto and Gilroy necessary to make this leap in children impacted over the next ten years.

Mr. Maxe, reflecting on his role, said, “The next ten years will be very exciting for The First Tee of Silicon Valley. I am committed to continuing to lead the organization during this period that is so important for the youth who will be impacted and the community that will be benefited. What could be more important than investing so positively in the lives of Silicon Valley’s future talent and citizens.”

“Sending my heartfelt congratulations on the promotion! …. How happy I was to see someone who has been such a great mentor to me and my sister over the years lead this organization! I can’t wait to see where The First Tee of Silicon Valley goes and how it expands in years to come. This is so exciting!” – Divya Nekkanti, Former Ace-Certified Participant and Student at UC Berkeley

“What I most admire about George is his integrity. At a time when many of his industry peers strive to advance in fame and fortune, George always stays true to himself, his principles and his intense commitment to youth development. George can be very proud of The First Tee of Silicon Valley’s accomplishments, but I believe the best is most definitely still to come.” – Ron Hallagan, Board Director, The First Tee of Silicon Valley

About The First Tee of Silicon Valley

The First Tee of Silicon Valley is a public charity 501(c)(3) that provides life skills education to youth at low cost through the game of golf. Its mission is to impact 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. Participants learn to appreciate diversity, resolve conflicts, build confidence and set goals for their future. Programs focus on The First Tee’s Nine Core Values – honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. The First Tee of Silicon Valley serves boys and girls from 2^nd to 12^th grade at locations in San Jose, South County, Moffett Field and Palo Alto. Its programs have reached over 60,000 young people since 2005 and are anticipated to impact the lives of 10,000 youth annually by the year 2020.

Congratulations to Borina Sutikto on her AJGA win

Borina Sutikto, a participant and volunteer with The First Tee of Silicon Valley, took first place in the Girls Division of the AJGA Preview at Meadowbrook Country Club on May 6th. Sutikto went wire-to-wire on the final day of the tournament. She began the morning with a six-stroke lead in the Girls Division and continued her dominate performance, finishing the tournament at 8-over-par 152. Sutikto was quick to shift credit to her parents and The First Tee of Silicon Valley coaches saying “Without them this wouldn’t be as special”.

Borina Sutikto Wins the Girls Division at 2018
AJGA Preview event

This first thing that came to my mind was Borina earned this victory. Borina is a shining example of a participant that consistently demonstrates perseverance. She is at the golf course almost every day intelligently working on her game. She has been this way for the past 6 years I’ve known her. I’m very proud of her for working hard towards her goals and reaping the rewards of delayed gratification. Coach Matt Sheppard, Program Manager, The First Tee of Silicon Valley

“I am so proud of Borina for setting her goals and consistently taking action to achieve them (goal ladder)! She understands that even though we can’t control winning the tournament, we can control the actions and attitudes that put us in position to win. Also, it is great to see her continue to grow her Go-To Team in support of her dreams on and off the golf course. Way to go, Borina!!” Coach Colleen Henry, LPGA Member, The First Tee Master Coach & Golf Operations Manager – Rancho del Pueblo GC

The AJGA Preview at Champions is one of 15 events held as part of the Junior Golf Hub Preview Series. The Junior Golf Hub Preview Series is designed specifically for AJGA members who have not yet played/been accepted to an AJGA tournament. This series, conducted during the spring, offers these new and returning members the opportunity to start building Performance Based Entry status before application deadlines arrive for summer Open and ACDS Junior All-Star Series events.

Varsha Nekkanti From The First Tee Of Silicon Valley Awarded John Deere Power For Good Scholarship

Varsha Nekkanti from The First Tee of Silicon Valley has been awarded a John Deere Power for Good Scholarship. In addition to earning a $5,000 college scholarship, Nekkanti has won the opportunity to be a VIP guest and play in the pro-am at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., July 9–15. Nekkanti is one of three teens from The First Tee who have earned the scholarship and experience at the John Deere Classic. She was selected from a national pool of applicants based on an essay about how she is a ‘Power for Good’ through service in her community. Her essay included a summary of the impact of her efforts and how her work is connected to the Nine Core Values learned through The First Tee and the game of golf. Nekkanti is a junior at Notre Dame High School and is captain of her school’s varsity golf team. She has been a participant with The First Tee of Silicon Valley since 2008, and is currently working to certify at the Ace Level, our highest level. Along with this, she is a junior coach and leads after-class “Dig Deeper” sessions to provide participants with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the golf and life skill curriculum. Aside from her work at The First Tee of Silicon Valley, Nekkanti aims to be a power for good through her work as President of the Model United Nations club in her school community, where she increases awareness around the underlying causes of societal problems to better equip her peers to address them in the future. To deepen her community service impact and that of those around her, Nekkanti has served as the Service Committee Head of the National Honors Society branch at her school to encourage the practice of giving back to the community and having a tangible impact on the lives of others. She currently leads this organization as President. Currently, Nekkanti combines her passions for education, service, and working with children through the maintenance of her nonprofit, AidAware, that aims to bridge the educational divide by increasing the financial literacy of students and parents in her local community.

As someone who strives to make an impact on my community with my actions, I am very honored to be awarded this John Deere Power for Good Scholarship! Along with this, I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to attend the John Deere classic and play in the pro-am with a PGA Tour professional! Varsha Nekkanti

This is a well-deserved honor for Varsha given her high academic standing and achievements. We have been very impressed by Varsha’s efforts to have a positive impact on the lives of others and so are very pleased to see her recognized by others. George Maxe, Executive Director of The First Tee of Silicon Valley

The First Tee is a youth sports organization that introduces kids to the game of golf and its inherent values, and positively impacts their lives.