Register your child for the Fall Season on August 11th
First Tee – Silicon Valley classes are a great opportunity for participants to learn many life lessons including overcoming challenges and managing emotions. Registration for the fall program opens 8/11 at 10am. Fall season begins September 6th and ends October 29th.
There are three zones that people fluctuate between when confronted with challenges; panic zone, stretch zone, and comfort zone. The adjectives below in each zone represent common feelings that we either learn to manage, strive for, or develop tools to overcome.
(RYAN, A. AND MARKOVA, D., 2006)
In our program we provide strategies for participants to manage emotions, especially those associated in the panic zone (listed above).
Performance, as evident by the chart above, is tied to mentality and motivation. Our goal is to help our participants find motivation and embrace new challenges as opportunities to grow. We set up engaging golf games that challenge our participants, and assist our participants in setting personal goals that matter to them. When met with challenges, we aim to equip participants with tools to learn from mistakes, and not dwell on them. We practice confidence-building routines and self-talk, and focus on techniques for being positive, patient, and asking for help.
Living in the panic zone causes anxiety, which overtime can lead to burn out. Living in the comfort zone can result in boredom and apathy, which can also drive a participant away. However, when participants live in the stretch zone, golf becomes a game for life, it keeps us stiving for more, and keeps us excited for what is next.
In our most recent survey, over 95% of our participants said they had fun. If participants are happy, engaged, and motivated, then they are more likely to embrace the tools for overcoming challenges. This fall we look forward to another fun season and helping participants push themselves to new limits, and build tools to manage the panic thoughts should they come.
Registration for the fall season opens Thursday, August 11th at 10am. The season will start September 6th and will end October 29th. The classes will take place at Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course in San Jose, and Gavilan Golf Course in Gilroy. We encourage youth 2nd grade and above to join our program and help spread the word. For more information on our programs please visit https://www.firstteesiliconvalley.org/. and click here for the fall schedule. To register please click here
First Tee — Silicon Valley is looking for high quality, caring people that are interested in showing up and guiding others, so they become even better people and leaders of tomorrow. Our volunteer coaches are responsible for bringing our core lessons to life by finding and using coachable moments. They work together to make the classes fun and engaging. They also empower participants to develop perseverance strategies and set goals.
Coaching is fulfilling and beneficial!
Coach Mark – “I started coaching First Tee to help kids learn golf, a sport I love. Interestingly, I quickly found out how much more meaningful it is for me to see them learn life skills. It’s witnessing the life skill growth that now really moves me.”
Coach Rob – “Understanding how much the juniors look up to the coaches and how much of an effect we have on their lives is impactful.”
Coach Catherine – “Volunteering has helped me hone my skills in leadership, patience, and collaboration and makes me feel like I am making a positive impact in my community.”
Coach Matt – “FTSV has introduced me to wonderful people and helped me form indispensable relationships. FTSV helps me better the lives of my students and myself!”
Coach Jack – “FTSV encourages personal growth and responsibility in a FUN way among friends and caring coaches in a sport that can last a lifetime.”
Coach Tracy – “While it’s great to see their golf skills improve over the season, it’s even more rewarding to help them learn and apply the life skills in their daily lives.”
What if I am not an expert coach or golfer?
Our coaches come from all walks of life with different life and golf experiences. We provide life and golf skill training as well training on coach strategies, techniques, and on our coach philosophy. Our goal is to make sure every coach feels supported. Additionally, we have created lesson plans to help everyone is work together and support one another in the content and delivery. There will always be a lead coach for each class coordinating the group of coaches.
What is the time requirement?
Volunteer coaches can choose from several class options by location, day of the week, and time.
Time commitment is 2.5 hours a day, once a week for an 8-week season. The 2.5 hours include a 30-minute pre-class meeting, 1.5-hour class, and a 30-minute post-class debrief.
Click here for our volunteer tri-fold for more information.
We are accepting volunteers year-round, but to be able to coach in the next season you will need to complete the on-boarding steps by 5/15 for Summer, 8/15 for Fall, 11/15 for Winter, and 2/15 for Spring.
Join our team, learn/develop coaching skills, make a difference in the youth, and give back to the community! Please help us spread the word. The more positive and dedicated coaches, the better the program, and the more impactful it is for our youth.
We concluded the Caddy Club Majors competition with the British Open on July 17th. What an exciting finish for Cam Smith and our winners.
Caddy Club “Player of the Year” (lowest combined score for all 4 Majors) was awarded to BABY NEEDS SHOES – Kathy Huston who won golf and lunch at Olympic Club.
CONGRATULATIONS to our British Open WINNERS:
1st Place – MSALKELD – Matt Salkeld 2nd Place – CALTAJA – James Caltagirone
3rd Place – ELK14 – Elizabeth Tate
4th Place – YIPYIPHOORAY – Ray Mariner 5th Place – JOEH – Joe Hogan
It’s not too late to join the Caddy Club as a way to support our Financial Aid Program and meet the needs of providing a nurturing environment for the young people in our community. When you join as a recurring (monthly) donor now you will be registered and ready to play next year.
Become a Caddy Club member by making a minimum $20 monthly donation for at least 12 months. Click Here to Join!
Every $240 donation allows FTSV to offer financial aid to a new under-served, at-risk youth participant to attend an 8-week program.
Together, We’re Building Game Changers!
Our kids and teens are facing challenges unseen by previous generations. Many lack access to safe opportunities that foster a culture of acceptance and provide mentorship. They live in a world where social pressures are always on, calm and confidence are hard to access, and perseverance is a required superpower every day.
The 2022 Dennis Kettmann Memorial Scholarship was recently awarded to Jennifer Barrientos, an Eagle level participant of First Tee – Silicon Valley. Each year golfers in the Dennis Kettmann Memorial Tournament raise funds to remember Dennis. Their generosity underwrites this special $5,000 college scholarship for a FTSV chosen participant.
Dennis’s son and co-organizer of the Memorial Tournament, Matt Kettmann, learned the game from his father, Dennis, and knows that he must be smiling knowing that his memory is now helping FTSV’s young people pursue their college dreams.
David Henningsen, who is also a co-organizer shared, “It was so wonderful to have the recipient of the “Big D” scholarship play in our tournament and speak to the supporters about how FTSV has impacted her.”
Jennifer joined our program in 2018 and has been one of our most active participants since. She has excelled in our classes and is a model of our life lessons. We meet her at an Alum Rock school outreach event. She attended Hubbard Elementary, which is a community partner of ours within the Alum Rock School District. Being a community partner means we provide our life and golf skill curriculum and training to their school so they can deliver the program on their own onsite at their school.
Jennifer played in the Memorial Tournament and gave her speech at it’s conclusion. In her speech she said, “Before joining FTSV, all I knew about golf was that it was expensive and difficult to play. It was foreign to me and my family and not something we thought was going to be an option. FTSV offered my sister and I financial assistance, which made it possible for us to join the program. True to what my mom always taught us, I did not take this opportunity for granted. I persevered through the challenges of each level. Now I am here playing in this tournament, my first ever tournament, and receiving a scholarship to college!”
She went on to highlight the impact of FTSV’s core value, Responsibility. “My mom is a single mom and takes care of all three of us. She tries her best to give us what we need. I have a responsibility to my mom, sister, and brother. We are in this together and I embrace the challenge of being a role model and taking care of my mom. In FTSV we learned that responsibility requires setting goals and following through on promises. I will continue to work hard in golf, my education, and my career to make myself, you all, and my family proud. My goal is to go to college as a first-generation student and work hard so I can live a successful life, help my family and have a career that I enjoy.”
We are excited to see and support Jennifer as she works towards her goals and we are committed to being on her “Go-To-Team” as she continues her character-building and collegiate journey.
Congratulations Jennifer. We are proud to have you as the 2022 Dennis Kettmann Scholar!
The Joyce Taylor Eagle Award and $4,000 College Scholarship was presented to Itzel Espino at the First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) 2022 Invitational fundraiser on Tuesday, July 12th at CordeValle in San Martin, CA. Itzel was selected for her consistent academic excellence, for her work accomplishments, and for her demonstration of First Tee Nine Core Values and Life Skills.
The purpose of the award is to provide a high school student the financial hope of attending college. For Itzel, the scholarship helps her pursue her goal of being the first in her family to go to college.
The scholarship was initiated by a very generous 9-year grant by PG&E several years ago by founding FTSV Board Director, Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr. Thank you to all our 2022 Invitational sponsors that helped fund our 2022 scholarship and programs.
Itzel is a rising senior at Cristo Rey High School in San Jose. She has:
Completed 3-Year Internship at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)(a program to give students work experience and contacts)
Received “Employee of the Month” at SVB
Selected for and Received $500 Scholarship for her work in Astronomy Club at Evergreen Valley Community College
Achieved Honor Roll All Three Years of High School
Played Violin for Alum Rock Mariachi Program
She joined FTSV in 2018 and in addition to being a participant, recently joined our coaching team. In her speech to the Invitational attendees, she touched on three themes — her family history, the impact of getting financial assistance for our program, and the life lessons she learned and applied at her internship.
She started by telling her story about her family and the impact FTSV had during a time of unpredictability. “I am a Mexican American woman who was raised by two immigrant parents that sacrificed everything by moving here to the U.S for a better life. My parents, with just hope, a daunting language barrier, and no connections or relationships, left their home with their chins held high knowing it was a risk, but it was necessary. During my entire childhood we moved around California. Not having a consistent home meant I had to start over after each move and make new friends, which was a huge challenge for me at that time. I like to think my timidness had something to do with not feeling settled and not having a consistent community. When we moved back to San Jose we found the First Tee booth at an Alum Rock School event. At that time, I wouldn’t have guessed that FTSV would be that consistent community that I was missing….but it turned out to be the case!”
FTSV attends Alum Rock community and school events throughout the year in addition to bringing the program to schools within the local community. At one of those events Itzel and her sister, who at the time attended Sheppard Middle School, signed up for our golf course program and have not looked back.
Itzel went on to say, “thanks to your donations, my sister and I were able to register for financial aid and had the opportunity of playing golf.” Over the 4 years she played in tournaments, attended field trips and Girls Golf events, and coached younger participants. According to Itzel, “In every experience I met and built relationships with so many people and began to develop that community that was missing with all of the moving that previously occurred in my life.”
In addition to building the community she felt was lacking, she referenced the impact FTSV had on her interpersonal skills, which helped her be successful in her Silicon Valley Bank internship that she has been doing since her freshman year. “I began to build self-confidence, and I started to develop specific communication skills,” said Itzel. “I learned how to ask open-ended questions, and in our Ace class, how to professionally correspond via email.”
She concluded her speech by saying, “FTSV helped me become a dreamer, a dreamer that sets goals for the future. Made me dream of a career I hope to pursue in the future and helped give me the tools to become an achiever. I tell myself ‘to NOT limit myself, dream big dreams, and to tackle great challenges.”
Interested in our local, regional, and national opportunities? Click here
Joyce Taylor (1957–2010) was a woman known for her intelligence, warmth, and elegance. She graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Oklahoma (OU) with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism. Joyce became a highly successful and respected business woman and community leader with a long career in telecommunications. In 1997, she was promoted to Regional President, Bay Area, and then Senior Vice President, External Affairs-Northern California, AT&T, where she oversaw legislative, governmental and external affairs activities in Northern California.
Joyce worked extensively with Bay Area business and community-based organizations. Her support of the Eagles at Rancho del Pueblo junior golf program was instrumental to its growth and success. In 2005, the program became First Tee — Silicon Valley to develop the character of youth through golf throughout Santa Clara County. Joyce’s support helped to build a solid program that has reached over 81,234 youth since 2005. The Joyce Taylor Eagle Award is given annually to provide financial assistance for college to a participant who has consistently achieved academic excellence and exhibited First Tee Nine Core Values and Life Skills.
The 3rd Annual Classic fundraising tournament returns to Baylands Golf Links on Monday, September 12th, 12:30pm Shotgun. Players will compete in a Scramble Tournament with a variety of contests and raffle prizes. Invite your friends and colleagues for a great day of golf and camaraderie including lunch, post round awards dinner, tee prizes & auction! Registration is now open for sponsors and players.
Support First Tee — Silicon Valley’s Fundraiser! Help us impact the lives of youth by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. We believe that all kids deserve the chance to grow in a supportive environment with mentors guiding them. We are dedicated to building programs that are accessible, welcoming, and as impactful as they are fun.
$20,000 Presenting Sponsors (2) – co-branded logo on website, socials, newsletters, flyers, signage; full page ad in program plus three foursomes
$10,000 Hosting Sponsors (2) – signage on 3 holes, logo on website, newsletter and program plus two foursomes
$5,000 Contributing Sponsors (4) – signage on 2 premium contest holes, program logo plus one foursome
$1600 Foursome or $800 Twosome Sponsors – 18-holes golf, cart, lunch, awards dinner, tee prizes, on-course beverages and snacks, contests, 10 raffle tickets per player
$1000 Hole Sponsor – signage on one hole and program listing
Classic Timeline:
10:30am Check in, Contest Raffle Bundle and Tee Prize
11:30am Box Lunch Available
12:30pm Scramble Shotgun Start
5:30pm BBQ Dinner, Hosted Cocktails, Live Auction and Awards Program
6:30pm Tournament Concludes
Please contact our Development Director, Judy Dixon Deaton408-508-4881 – [email protected]to discuss custom sponsorships or underwriting opportunities.
It’s not too late to join the Caddy Club as a way to support our Financial Aid Program and meet the needs of providing a nurturing environment for the young people in our community.
It kicked off with the Masters on April 7th – but it is not too late to join in the fun for the British Open July 14-17 (pick deadline is Wed, July 13 10:35pm Pacific). When you join as a recurring donor you will be signed up for next year too. All Caddy Club members receive invitations to our free Donor Appreciation events which includes our Caddy Club Majors Competition.
Every $240 donation allows FTSV to offer financial aid to a new under-served, at-risk youth participant to attend an 8-week program.
Become a Caddy Club member by making a minimum $20 monthly donation for at least 12 months or a one-time donation of a minimum of $240. Click Here to Join!
CONGRATULATIONS to Caddy Club Majors US Open WINNERS:
1st Place – DOUG MOFFAT
2nd Place – PACIFIC DREAMS – Ron Hallagan
3rd Place – NICK_GONZALEZ87
4th Place – SHANKERZ – John Madiban
5th Place – RALLEYFORHALLY – Ryan Hallagan
Together, We’re Building Game Changers!
Our kids and teens are facing challenges unseen by previous generations. Many lack access to safe opportunities that foster a culture of acceptance and provide mentorship. They live in a world where social pressures are always on, calm and confidence are hard to access, and perseverance is a required superpower every day.
First Tee – Silicon Valley Ace participant Franky Sumcad, placed 3rd in the second annual First Tee National Championship in South Bend Indiana, June 27th to July 1st. She shot 72, 71, and 69 for a total score of 1 under par.
As a result of her strong performance, she qualified for the 2022 PURE Insurance Championship in Monterey CA, September 20-25. An official PGA TOUR Champions event, the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, California pairs one First Tee junior with a PGA TOUR Champions player and two amateurs. The tournament is televised nationally on Golf Channel. Although there is a winning score on Sunday, this experience is so much more than a golf event. First Tee participants are provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the Legends & Leaders speaker program, which features notables from the business, sports and entertainment industries. This event also provides the teens a unique mentoring experience on the golf course with their PGA TOUR Champions player and two amateurs.
Meet Franky:
Franky is a terrific FTSV participant since 2012 and is a dedicated FTSV volunteer since 2020. She has volunteered as a coach in classes and at our Girls Golf events, and assisted at our fundraisers. She is also a high-performing competitive golfer. She is number 1 on her high school team and a +1 handicap. She was recommended, interviewed, and was selected as an honorary junior member at Silver Creek Valley Country Club, chosen for her skill level and for her character. She played in their inaugural Thanksgiving skins game and who won the most skins.
“We were thrilled for Franky and her opportunity to play in the PURE Insurance Open and proud of her accomplishment at the National Championship.” said Chris Moreno-Hunt, Program Director of FTSV. “Franky recently played in our pre-season tournament at Gavilan Golf Course and took on a mentorship role with the younger FTSV golfers that we paired her with. To see her embrace her role as a mentor and fully commit to making the other golfers feel supported and engaged is what being a role model is all about. She leads by example, and I am confident she will represent our chapter at the upcoming tournament to the highest degree.”
Congratulations Franky!
Interested in joining Franky and other FTSV participants in our First Tee classes? Please check out our youth classes page. Our fall season will begin September 6th and the registration will open August 11th at 10am.
A variety of factors contribute to low self-esteem including External Expectations. External Expectations impact our identities by affecting our ability to be the person that we want to be VERSUS the person that society demands us to be. For example, when guardians assume that there is only one way to learn, youth may feel trapped and afraid to ask for help due to fear of rejection. Changing ourselves to meet External Expectations can be extremely damaging to our self-esteem and thus, our overall well-being. Low self-esteem commonly leads to being self-critical, focusing on the negatives, giving into peer-pressure, and making poor choices. First Tee commits to: “Helping youth on and off of the course to find their self-confidence, discover what they’re capable of, and feel safe being themselves by encouraging ongoing discussions and providing consistent support as they explore who they are and who they will become”.
Happier and Healthier Existence
First Tee believes that “Self-confidence grows when we work to strengthen and develop it, through the cycle of trying, failing and trying again until the goal is achieved”. It is our mission to create a safe and compassionate space for youth to learn, to make mistakes, to ask questions, and to embrace their uniqueness. As guardians, coaches, and mentors, we are in the position to model and to teach positive support and self-confidence by treating ourselves, others, and our surroundings with respect. By empowering youth to make meaningful decisions, we are sharing power and providing them with the opportunity to grow and to succeed. By teaching youth to set and follow-through with attainable goals that are important to them, we are providing a sense of responsibility, control, and hope for the future. Work with youth to find a level of success that will help them develop confidence, and most importantly, have fun and enjoy the game of golf! By exposing youth to mindfulness practices (ex: deep breathing) and coping skills (ex: painting), we are utilizing their unique skills and interests while supporting them with emotion regulation and management. Be a Go-To Person by listening to and seeking to understand our youth and by supporting them through ongoing challenges- this is one way to build a brighter and stronger future!
Join our team of supportive coaches, mentors, and volunteers today by clicking here! Let’s be the change that we hope to see in our youth and in our communities! Be part of a team that works to equip our youth with the knowledge and skills to overcome challenges and to lead through respect and empathy.
Alex Wrobel joined First Tee – Silicon Valley as a volunteer coach and Board Ambassador in 2021 and has made a positive impact on his participants and on our entire organization.
Alex works for SAP Labs as a Principal Solution Architect. Since he joined FTSV, he has emersed himself fully and made a positive impact. Alex has coached every season since he started and has been one of our most active and reliable volunteer coaches. He works full time and still manages to find time to coach 3-4 classes each season.
“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be part of such an amazing organization and I enjoy the time with everybody involved: staff, coaches, board members, participants and their families.” Says Alex. “It is fantastic to see what a great, positive impact the program has on its participants – not only on golf skills, but also especially on the life skills we teach and the opportunities like college scholarships it helps to provide. As a coach it is a very rewarding experience to be part of this program.”
“We are grateful to have Alex on our team. He goes above and beyond our expectations.” says Manny Gallardo, FTSV Program Coordinator. ”For example, Alex often arrives early and before the other volunteers to assist in setting up for our classes and is the last one to leave in order to help ease the transition for our staff. He also introduces new golf and life skill strategies to help create the best learning environment for our participants. Alex believes in building meaningful relationships. The participants speak very highly of him and about how he makes them feel heard and listened to. In addition, Alex always takes the time to speak with the junior coaches about their next major steps in life and always provides thoughtful and genuine advice about how to prepare for those next steps. He truly is not just a coach, but a mentor. His contributions and experience he offers to the program are invaluable.”
In addition to his coaching, we can always count on him to assist at our tournaments and fundraising events. As a board ambassador, he has perfect attendance at our meetings and always finds ways to add value and research for various projects without even being asked. It is a great combination when Ambassadors also volunteer as coaches to establish a true connection with our youth development program. We are thankful for his contributions and grateful to have him on our team.
We are looking for additional coaches like Alex. If you are interested in making a positive difference, being part of a supportive community, and building your coaching and leadership skills, please apply to join our team.
Click here for our volunteer tri-fold for more information
We are accepting volunteers year-round, but to be able to coach in the next season you will need to complete the on-boarding steps by 2/15 for Spring, and 5/15 for Summer, 8/15 for Fall, and 11/15 for Winter
First Tee’s 2021 Annual Review features FTSV participant Nancy Rivera.
The Annual Review is a high-level snapshot of how the combined chapters within the First Tee Network positively impacted the lives of youth. Very few participants are featured, so we are very proud of Nancy and all her accomplishment that made her an obvious choice to include.
Isabella Herrera and Katelyn Chan from First Tee — Silicon Valley have been selected to attend the First Tee Leadership Summit in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore in West Creek Ranch, Montana, August 1-5 and 8-12. They will join a cohort of 20 teens from across the First Tee network. Over the course of the 5 days, they will be provided an opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills through dynamic outdoor and team-building activities. They will also participate in collaborative workshops which will challenge their conceptions of transformational leadership. First Tee’s core competencies of building character, self-confidence and resilience will be a part of the experience, combined with a robust curriculum which explores the concepts of building authentic relationships, growing through challenge, and building positive self-identity.
Meet our Game Changers Participants:
Isabella is going to be a sophomore at Notre Dame High School in San Jose and has been part of FTSV for 9 years. She is an Ace participant and volunteer coach for our chapter. She is one of our go-to volunteers at our community outreach events where she assists in Spanish translation and delivers our activities. Outside of FTSV she is an e-Leader for LPGA Girls Golf, is on the Youth on Course Leadership Council, and is a member of the YOC DRIVE Club that works to improve diversity in golf.
Katelyn is a raising senior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino and has been in our program for 10 years. She completed all four of our Ace classes/projects and is one of longest standing participants in our program. She began volunteering as a junior coach this year and participated in our 2022 Leadership Series. Outside of FTSV she is a treasurer for a school club that donates arts and crafts to charities.
Isabella and Katelyn are representatives of the leadership qualities that we espouse. They know when to step back in order to help others step up. They show empathy to others and exhibit strong interpersonal skills,” says FTSV Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “We are proud of who they are and we are excited for their opportunity to continue developing their leadership skills at the summit.”
First Tee Leadership Summit is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee. Isabella and Katelyn join our other Ace participants that have applied and been selected based on their outstanding work in our program and in their communities. To find out more regarding our national, regional, and local opportunities please visit our youth opportunity page.
Interested in starting the journey as a FTSV participant? Please visit our Youth Classes Page. Lastly, if you are interested in coaching and developing the leadership qualities in our youth please visit our volunteer page.
