Category: Newsletter

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.  

Why do we tee up statements with “If I’m Being Honest…”? Does it mean that you are not always honest? Where did this “honesty” expression come from? It is “honestly” not part of golf course vocabulary. Golf is unique from other sports in that players regularly call penalties on themselves and report their own score. The honesty of players is captured when they follow the rules and etiquette of the game of golf. True golfers understand that the game has to be a game of honor. They are not playing for their livelihoods; it is a passion, pleasure, and golfers enter and leave the course with a clear conscience. The ultimate honesty box is the one we write our scores in. If a golfer can’t be honest with themselves, then improvement will be difficult. It’s a fact that the better a golfer becomes, the more acutely aware they are of their own failings. Our biggest job, in golf and life, is to find out who we really are. Your golf game will allow you to learn what kind of person you really are. Whatever your level of golf, seeing yourself clearly and honestly will is the first step in fulfilling your potential. As one of The First Tee Nine Core Values, we believe honesty has to do with being truthful in golf and in everything a young person engages in throughout life. Honesty is also an important trait to have in one’s academic and professional life as well as being core to the game of golf. The quality of honesty helps to develop character and solid self-esteem. Our goal is to teach participants honesty through hands-on activities. We use games that require them to implement honesty by tallying their own score, counting every shot (even misses), determining if their ball stayed within the boundaries of the course and learning what it means to be accessed a penalty stroke. Consider registering your child in a class, becoming a volunteer or supporting our non-profit youth development organization.

Time for Spring Cleaning! Bring your used clubs to the PGA TOUR Superstore in East Palo Alto on Saturday, May 11th from 11am to 3pm. Collecting used clubs enables The First Tee of Silicon Valley to pursue our mission to impact the lives of under-served youth by providing education programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.  These donations allow us to provide the necessary equipment for those on financial assistance to participate. Bring your used clubs in good condition and less than 10 years old to the PGA TOUR Superstore (1751 East Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto, CA  94303) on Saturday, May 11^th from 11AM to 3PM. We are collecting:

• Clubs: full sets, usable drivers/putters/fairway metals, and iron sets (Junior sets preferred)
• New bags, balls, towels, tees and ball markers

We are not able to collect clothing (hats, shoes, socks, jackets) or equipment (pull/push cards, training aids, travel bags, used bags).  

The First Tee of Silicon Valley recently added three new Directors to our Board. Board Directors vote, provide planning, performance, legal and financial oversight and raise sufficient funds to ensure TFTSV’s success.

Shane Oberg is a 10-year Partner with the DeWinter Group, the Bay Area’s premier provider of Accounting & Finance professionals on a full-time, consulting and contract basis. He manages the day-to-day operations of the Consulting Practice and is part of the Executive Management team. Shane is passionate about golf and how it has helped him build business relationships. He is a member at San Jose Country Club and a corporate member at CordeValle.

Sue Farwell owns and manages various properties in Los Gatos. She is on the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce Board and Revitalize Task Force in addition to the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Foundation Board. Sue believes that golf brings everyone together where people of all levels can play with handicaps being the equalizer. Sports have been a big part of her life providing a sense of belonging and family. Sue is a member at Almaden Country Club and CordeValle.

Tuan Tran spent 30 years working in the data storage industry in various positions throughout the world – retiring in 2015 as the Vice President of Head Business Group at Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. He has shifted his attention to charity work at his Buddhist temple and is the Tournament Director for the Northern California Vietnamese Golf Association Club. Golf is his hobby and passion so Tuan is pleased to find a youth development organization with a meaningful mission to contribute his time and talents.

In addition to three new Directors, The First Tee of Silicon Valley added two new Ambassadors. 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.

Matt Crismond is the Vice President of Leveraged Finance at Silicon Valley Bank. After graduating from Wake Forest University in 2014, he made his way to California in 2017. Matt is an avid golfer and has experience as a golf camp coach, so it is not surprising that his first introduction to The First Tee of Silicon Valley was volunteering as a coach. His first-hand experience of witnessing the impact of TFTSV’s youth development program on participants motivated him to pursue a Board Ambassador position.

David Oh is a Business Management Analyst at Northrop Grumman. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 2016, he worked in Audit at KPMG and played on their golf team which is where he met TFTSV Ambassador Brian Watson. David grew up in the Monterey area playing golf, volunteering at Th First Tee junior events and serving as a camp counselor at Stevenson School. He has seen the positive impact of youth development and was drawn to The First Tee’s Nine Core Values curriculum. David is motivated to put his leadership skills in motion to help grow our program.

 

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The First Tee of Silicon Valley (TFTSV) received a $2,500 Grant from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) to underwrite our new STEM class initiative. 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.” TFTSV launched our STEM class in November 2018 at the Birdie Level (5th & 6th grades) and will continue to expand to all 4 levels offering year-round classes to participants 3^rd through 8^th grade. Golf has many built in Science and Math applications that make it a perfect and fun way to explore STEM concepts. The curriculum for the classes maps directly to The First Tee Nine Golf Fundamentals to teach developmentally-appropriate STEM concepts. Participants experience hands-on activities that foster learning of practical STEM concepts valuable for golf, life and work. Instructors are teaching participants STEM education in a structured approach for problem solving (or the engineering design process) that follows these basic “IDEA” steps: 1) Identify the problem, 2) Design the solution(s), 3) Execute the solutions(s), 4) Assess the solution(s). Silicon Valley is a global leader, in large part, through the genius and hard work of its scientists, engineers and innovators. However, comparatively few under-served students 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.

On Saturday, February 9th, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted a free golf introduction class for students interested in trying out golf and learning about TFTSV classes. Students experienced Integrity through two of our golf games and worked on their Golf Fundamentals. TFTSV will host three additional golf introduction classes, one before each 9-week season.  Our next golf introduction class will take place on Saturday, May 11^th at Rancho Del Pueblo from 10am to 12pm, followed by golf introduction classes on August 10^th and November 9^th. TFTSV also coordinates field trips at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course for our current DRIVE schools where students experience their first on-golf course exposure and a typical TFTSV class. For more information on our golf introduction classes or our school field trips please contact us at 408-508-4884.

The First Tee of Silicon Valley brought 32 participants on a field trip to the final round of the 2019 AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Course. TFTSV partnered with the Redwood City Police Activities League and the San Mateo County’s Sheriff’s Activities League to recruit students from Taft Elementary and Fair Oaks Community School in Redwood City. While at Pebble Beach, the students watched the best professional golfers in the world and took part in the Chevron STEM Zone where they learned how science, technology, engineering, and math impacts golf. TFTSV sends a special thank you to the Monterey Peninsula Foundation for providing the grant which allowed us to cover transportation to and from Pebble Beach and participate in the Chevron STEM Zone. TFTSV also sends a big thank you to PAL and SAL for providing their officers and deputies as adult chaperones.

On February 23rd, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted the 2019 Go Green Tag Team Tournament at Gavilan College Golf Course.  The event commenced with a group discussion led by Coach Manny on the importance of aeration as well as why golf courses enforce frost delays during the winter season. During the tournament, the participants were encouraged to repair golf ball damage on the greens and to use sand and seed that were stationed on every par 3.  On specific holes, they were able to use a soil test kit to test the moisture, pH level, and sunlight of the turf. Twenty-two participants played in an alternate shot format.  Congratulations to all our participants for competing with honesty, integrity, and perseverance! 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 seasonal tournament is the Chapter Championship on Saturday, May 18^th.

On February 23rd, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted the Girls Golf Emoji Play Day.  Our Girls Golf members played nine holes in the alternate shot format at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course.  With the theme being Emoji golf, the girls were encouraged to use emoji stickers instead of scores to represent how they felt on each hole.  They learned that besides their score, there were other factors to determine what made a golf round enjoyable. “I was playing bad, but I remembered to breathe.  I used my calm emoji sticker for that hole,” shared a Girls Golf member. The event concluded with brunch and crafts where the girls created their own Emoji pillow! Girls Golf Play Days are beneficial events where our female participants enjoy an all-female environment.  Our participants experience a day of empowerment, healthy habits, and an outlet to build positive self-esteem. The next quarterly Girls Golf Play is scheduled for May 11^th.