There are 2 ways to join our annual Caddy Club Majors, a fun virtual golf competition for our donors.
1) Make a Monthly Recurring (pledge) of $30+ per month for at least 12 months and immediately become part of our Caddy Club Majors.
2) Make a One-Time $360 annual donation.
Every $360 donation you make allows us to cover just the registration fee and golf clubs for one low-income participant to attend 8 weeks of classes. If you are able to givemore, consider sponsoring additional participants. You are helping us give more kids and teens access to our youth development program that is making a difference.
It kicks off with the Masters April 7-13 and also includes the PGA Championship May 15-18, US Open June12-15, and Open Championship July 17-20. It is easy to play with $16,000 in total donated prizes plus Player of Year Award.
FTSV believes that ALL youth deserve the change to grow in a supportive environment with mentors guiding them – we are dedicated to building a youth development program that is accessible, diverse and as impactful as it is fun.
Congratulations to FTSV Ace-Certified Participant, Eliane Juang, for being awarded the Make Your Mark Grant! Eliane was one of 8 First Tee Ace-Certified participants selected nation-wide for the $5,000 grant based on her work in the community.
To be eligible for the grant, one must have completed the Ace Give Back Project, which requires 24 hours of community service, and then submit a detailed report of their project/service. Upon submission, the selection committee evaluates whether the community service or initiative made an impact on a cause or organization in the participant’s community and highlights the impact First Tee has had on their learning and preparation to succeed in this initiative.
ACE Give Back – Service Projects
One of her service projects included tutoring for Tzu Chi where she prepared slide presentations, language activities and structured conversational tutoring for students learning English. The other project involved volunteering her time to play music at nursing homes. For both projects Eliane wrote extensive self-reflection journals and game plan steps as a part of her FTSV Ace Give Back class. Our Ace Give Back class also helps participants like Eliane learn what it means to go above and beyond, be professional, and gain transferable work skills. Eliane demonstrated all of these learnings in her projects to help her earn the grant.
“Community service allows me to build stronger bonds with people around me,” said Eliane. “I love being part of someone’s growth journey and making a positive impact on the community.”
Congratulations Eliane! Your work in the community shows high character, empathy, and a desire to make the world a better place. Thank you!
If you are interested in joining our program like Eliane did years ago, please click here or contact us at [email protected] or 408-508-4880 for more information.
First Tee – Silicon Valley’s board recently elected Tracy Cone to our Board of Ambassadors.
Tracy has been a FTSV coach at Bayland Golf Links for 5 years. She got into volunteer mode during Covid working with a few non-profits. Attending our year-end Coach Appreciation Dinner, prompted her to ask if she could more involved which led to a natural fit as an Ambassador.
Tracy brings a lot of golf experience to her role as FTSV Coach. She is currently the Girls Golf Coach at Mountain View High School. She played 4 years on the LPGA Futures Tour (1999-2003). Tracy earned a full athletic scholarship to play golf at Arizona State University (1990-1994). The pinnacle of her college career was playing on the ASU team that captured the 1993 and 1994 NCAA Championship Team title.
Tracy said, “While it’s great to see the kids golf skills improve over the season, it’s even more rewarding to help them learn and apply the life skills in their daily lives.”
Golf is not Tracy’s only talent. She has an MA & BA degree in French and has a BS & MS degree in Economics. Fluent in French, logistics, and production – she was the Director of Operations at Covision for 8 years with a proven ability to manage projects across companies, cultures, and oceans. Prior to that role, she was the Regional Manager for Edu-Culture International overseeing summer study abroad programs for high school students in France and Spain. She is also an ultra runner and recently completed her first 100 mile trail run.
Tracy is a great addition to our Board of Ambassadors. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand FTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Deaton if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.
First Tee – Silicon Valley’s board recently elected Justin Hill to our Board of Ambassadors.
After relocating from Manhattan to Silicon Valley, Justin was drawn to First Tee’s mission to promote youth development through golf and integrating the game of golf with life skills.
Justin was relatively late to golf, choosing to play more traditional team sports in his youth, but as he grew older, he began to appreciate the physical and psychological aspects of the game, the camaraderie among the players, and lessons learned from golf that translate off the course.
Justin is thrilled to assist First Tee – Silicon Valley attract more local youth to the game of golf, especially players with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Justin has 14 years of banking experience spanning roles in relationship management, underwriting, and portfolio management held at Truist, RBC Capital Markets, and Capital One. Justin is currently an underwriter at Capital One where he makes debt and equity investments in multi-family affordable housing developments across the U.S. He received his undergraduate Business degree from the University of Oregon and earned his MBA from George Washington University. Justin lives in Cupertino with his wife and two children, Morgan and Porter.
Justin is a great addition to our Board of Ambassadors. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand FTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Deaton if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.
First Tee – Silicon Valley owes an enormous thank you to SAGA Foundation led by President, David Bartoshuk for their generous $100,000 donation to further develop FTSV programs in the Palo Alto-Redwood City area including at Baylands Golf Links. Their donations to FTSV now total $710,000 over the last seven years.
The SAGA Foundation assists nonprofits to work smarter, reach further, and have a lasting impact. They are committed to helping FTSV expand dramatically at Baylands for the benefit of Mid-Peninsula youth and the community. David Bartoshuk, President – SAGA Foundation, says, “At SAGA, we continue to believe in the tremendous power of working together, and we recognize there is no limit to what can be accomplished when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” Read more about SAGA’s commitment to collaboration in their Fall 2023 Letter – The Power of “WE.”
“We cannot thank David and the SAGA Foundation enough for all of their support of FTSV’s future at Baylands Golf Links and in the lives of youth throughout the Mid-Peninsula.” said FTSV President & CEO, George Maxe.
First Tee – Silicon Valley’s 25th Anniversary (2025) is a year-long celebration of our 25 years of positive impact for our FTSV family and local community.
In addition to recognizing our achievement at all our Events, FTSV will commemorate our Silver Anniversary at our special Community Day on August 16th at Rancho del Pueblo in San Jose. Check our events page in the coming months for event details.
2025 Events – SAVE THE DATE
Please save the dates for FTSV events which are designed for our community, participants, supporters (both individual and corporate), and families.
Attending our events is a great way for all individuals to learn more about us while having fun. They also provide a wonderful opportunity for corporations to sponsor our youth programs while entertaining customers and clients.
The money raised from these events and our private Invitational in July funds and sustains our youth development program.
Fund the Kids Tournament – Gilroy Golf Course – Saturday, September 27, 2025
KRTY.com Writer’s Cup – Cinnabar Hills Golf Club – Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Community Events
In addition to our 25th Celebration Event on August 16th, Community Events occur once every quarter on a Saturday. These events bring the local communities we serve together to experience our program in a fun, no pressure environment. If interested in attending or getting involved with our Community Events, contact Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt [email protected].
Learn About FTSV’s 25-year History
Our youth development program dates back to 2000 when the San Jose Sports Authority (SJSA) and founding Board Chair, Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr. created the Eagles junior golf program for East San José youth at Rancho del Pueblo. In 2005, the Eagles became The First Tee of San José, a new chapter within The First Tee network of over 180 internationally, while remaining a program of SJSA. Having grown substantially by early 2012, the program expanded to all Santa Clara County and East Palo Alto and changed its name (and license) to The First Tee of Silicon Valley. The year 2014 began a new era as we separated from SJSA and became a new, 501c3, non-profit entity, The Future Talent of Silicon Valley DBA First Tee – Silicon Valley. Southern San Mateo County (north to Hwy 92) and Hollister were added to our service area in 2018. We have taught our life skills and golf skills curriculum to over 100,000 youth since 2000.
(Dakota Chang Attends First Tee Innovators Forum) Each year, a group of exceptional First Tee teens are selected and gather at the First Tee Innovators Forum, where they develop a meaningful service project to bring home to their community. The projects are focused on education, health, human rights or environmental sustainability. By bringing together passionate participants from across the chapter network, the Innovators Forum provides a distinctive enrichment experience, engaging teens who share a similar desire for learning and generating changes in their communities. First Tee – Silicon Valley participant Dakota Chang applied, and was selected to attended the event last month, where she deepened her understanding on community service, built relationships with change makers, and started to develop her own project to complete back here in the Bay Area. Thanks for representing FTSV in such a positive way, Dakota!
Connection between FTSV Goal Ladder & SMART Goals
During her time at the Innovators Forum, Dakota attended case studies and other workshops focused around creating and implementing community service projects. For her, one of the biggest take-aways was learning from Mia Bishop, a psychotherapist helping children and teens in Atlanta, GA. Bishop spoke about the importance of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals for a project’s success. Dakota immediately saw the connection between SMART goals and FTSV’s goal ladder, both emphasizing the importance of being thoughtful when planning a project and measuring progress. Additionally, Dakota was inspired to hear how someone could both build a career and give back at the same time.
“It was really cool hearing how she focused her career around helping others and making a difference. I was worried about having to split my time between community service and working, but after hearing about how Ms. Bishop built her job around helping others, it made me excited about finding that crossover in my own life.”
Dakota’s Service Project
Now back in the Bay Area, Dakota is continuing to plan out her own service project. Currently, she plans to partner with local senior living facilities to provide technology assistance. One of the biggest points she learned at the Innovators Forum was the importance of working directly with communities to develop solutions, so her first objective will be conducting interviews and surveys to identify where she could make the most impact. She is also taking our Ace Give Back project that will help provide additional guidance on making the most of her giving back experience. FTSV is proud of you, Dakota! Keep up the great work!
National Opportunities
If you are interested in learning more about the National Opportunities available in 2025, please visit our website or reach out to Coach Phoenix ([email protected]). National Opportunities are available to FTSV high schoolers and are free to attend. Participants are selected to apply based on multiple factors.
On November 20th, First Tee – Silicon Valley’s (FTSV) Coach Manny Gallardo was awarded National Coach of the Year across all First Tee Chapters world-wide! There are over 150 First Tee chapters, with over 5,000 coaches in the network. Congratulations Coach Manny on this incredible achievement!
Making an Impact
Coach Manny has been a positive force at First Tee – Silicon Valley for over 12 years. He began as a volunteer in 2012, became a paid instructor in 2013, and advanced to a Coordinator in 2017.
Manny has developed over 200 games, worked on resource videos for participants and parents, coordinated golf club donations to participants on financial need, trained other coaches on our building blocks and coach philosophy, developed and coordinated our girls golf and some of our pre-season tournament events, grew our outreach School Program in South County, and helped deliver parent orientations, all while coaching every season, 7 classes a season for the past 10 years! We would simply not be where we are today without Manny elevating our program experience.
“In the 12 years that I have been with First Tee, I can’t think of anyone who embodies First Tee more than Manny,” said Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “He is a special person who was meant to be a coach and a mentor. He is universally liked and respected by everyone; coaches, parents, participants, alumni, school directors, and board members because he is a great and caring person. He is driven by helping others, including everyone, and making the experience fun. Participants have credited him for their leadership skills, for playing competitive golf, for taking on new challenges, or for sticking with it during difficult times. Our program is only as good as the people who represent it and we couldn’t ask for a better representative.”
Read What Others Have Had to Say
Click here to read from other participants, coaches and staff about the impact Manny has had on them.
Congratulations Manny Gallardo National First Tee Coach of the Year!
Interested in becoming a coach and making a difference like Coach Manny? Please visit our VOLUNTEER PAGE. No golf experience necessary!
On November 9th, First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) hosted its Annual College Day Tournament where our 36 participants paired up with a collegiate player from Santa Clara or Stanford in a triple format tournament. For the second straight year, we invited 6 participants from the First Tee – Greater Sacramento to join us in our friendly competition. Thank you so much FTGS for making the trip!
Each middle school participant partnered with a player from Santa Clara women’s team while the high school participants partnered with the men’s team from Santa Clara and Stanford. All of our players put their life skills to the test by demonstrating it towards the college players. FTSV participant, James Carlo, in particular, displayed a proper First Tee greeting by removing his hat and shaking hands with Santa Clara’s coach John McCord.
Kayden and Varnika teamed up with Stanford’s Jay Leng and shared their experience:
“Being able to play with Jay at the College Play Day was such a great experience because it showed me how a college player like Jay approached the game and showed his passion for golf. Which gave an insight on the skill and commitment required to play at the college level. It showed me that it’s possible to continue sports after high school and it’s achievable.”
“Playing in the College Day Tournament was an awesome experience. I got to play with Jay, a college golfer from Stanford, and it was super inspiring—it definitely motivated me to keep working hard pursuing my passion for golf.”
In a very tight competition, we awarded medals to the top 3 teams for middle school and high school. Thank you everyone for playing with honesty, integrity, and having a ton of fun!
Annual College Day Tournament Results
1st Place
6th-8th Grade: Suri Lau (FTSV) and Ami Im (Santa Clara) score of 27
9th – 12th Grade: Paavni B. (FTGS) and TK Chantananuwat (Stanford) score of 26
2nd Place
6th-8th Grade: Jesse Jang (FTSV) and Chloe Lam (Santa Clara) score of 29
9th – 12th Grade: Kristen Tang. (FTSV) and Calder Overfelt (Santa Clara) score of 27
3rd Place
6th-8th Grade: Caroline Yuan (FTSV) and Brianna Park (Santa Clara) score of 30
9th – 12th Grade: Sophia Tang. (FTSV) and Matt Robles (Santa Clara) score of 27
On Saturday, November 9th, a day of fun and friendly competition at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course: The Participants vs. Parents Tournament. Both kids and parents competed against each other in a match. In the end, it was the kids who came out on top, winning with a total score of 125, narrowly edging out the parents’ score of 130. The tournament was designed to offer a twist on traditional golf, with a variety of fun games and challenges throughout the course. Both participants and parents were given the chance to show off their skills, as well as their creativity.
Hole 3: Soccer Golf Challenge
One of the highlights of the day was the Soccer Golf Challenge on hole 3. Players took a break from their traditional golf swings and instead had to use their feet to get the ball into the hole. The rules were simple: no clubs allowed, just soccer-style kicks. The kids seemed to have the edge in this challenge, with their youthful energy and soccer skills giving them an advantage over the parents. The short, strategic kicks required for this hole had everyone laughing, especially when the ball veered off course in unpredictable ways.
Hole 7: Spin the Wheel – Random Club Challenge
On hole 7, things took a quirky turn with the Spin the Wheel challenge. Players had to spin a wheel to determine which random club they would use for the hole. From wedges to drivers, the wheel could land on anything, forcing participants to adapt their strategy quickly. The unpredictability of the challenge kept everyone on their toes, and the parents’ strategic thinking was tested as they were often forced to use a club that wasn’t the ideal choice for the hole. Still, the kids embraced the randomness, showing that sometimes, having fun is more important than precision.
Course Contests: Closest to the Pin & Longest Drive
In addition to the hole-specific challenges, the tournament also featured two exciting course contests: Closest to the Pin on hole 5 and Longest Drive on hole 4. Both contests were fiercely contested, with bragging rights on the line.
Parents Long Drive: Will (225 yards)
Parents Closest to the pin: Will (44 inches)
Kids Long Drive: Siwat (130 yards)
Kids Closest-to-the-Pin: Leo (10 inches)
While the final scores were close, with the kids narrowly winning by just five points, the real highlight of the day was the camaraderie between parents and children. The tournament wasn’t just about golf; it was about bringing families together, encouraging friendly competition, and making memories that would last a lifetime.
The Participants vs. Parents Tournament was a huge success, combining the thrill of golf with the joy of spending time with family. It was clear that everyone—whether they were swinging a club or kicking a soccer ball—was a winner in the end.
The sun shined bright as our participants gathered for our much-anticipated Girls Golf Autumn Play Day: A Fun-Filled Day of Learning, Practice, and Play. Designed to inspire our young golfers, we kicked off the session with the icebreaker: name badge creation. Each participant had the chance to design their own name badge adding a bit of personality and flair before heading out for a day full of golf and camaraderie with our coaches and two members from the San Jose State Women’s Golf team.
After creating name badges, we commemorated the day with a group photo. The participants gathered in front of hole nine to capture the moment.
On-Course Play: Putting Skills to the Test
With the group picture behind them, the participants were ready to take their skills to the course. Each hole had a different theme. On two holes, our participants played a round with San Jose State University team members Kate Roberts and Tessa Kremser. From tee box to green, the San Jose State Women’s golf team offered encouragement and advice when needed.
Our participants also competed the pumpkin patch driving challenge and the scare the scarecrow approach shot challenge. Our participants definitely scared the scarecrow with some awesome golf shots!
It’s a Wrap! Girls Golf Autumn Play Day was a Success
The day ended with our post game activities, food, and a raffle. Our participants enjoyed time taking photos in our photo booth as well as decorating fall portraits and mason jars. Our Junior Council, who helped put the event together had a few remarks regarding the event.
“I loved seeing the girls having fun and creating bonds while playing on the course!” – Coach Li An “It really brightened my morning seeing the energy and excitement the kids brought out to the Girls Golf event!”
“The girls were fascinated watching the SJSU golfers playing with them, having shared smiles and laughter throughout the day” – Coach Abigail
“I loved watching the kids interact with the San Jose State golfers. It made me so happy to see the girls surrounded by such positive role models as they continue to explore golf” – Coach Varnika
“Seeing all the kids get excited to take photos (Polaroid), crafts and just having a fun time together playing golf and interacting with one another was honestly the best feeling ever!” – Coach Chloe
The event was a perfect blend of fun, learning, and teamwork – showcasing the power of golf to create a community by bringing people together of all ages or experience. With events like these, it’s safe to say that many of the young participants will continue to grow in the sport, carrying with them the lessons they gathered in their Fall Play Day experience.
Special thanks to SJSU members Kate and Tessa for taking the time out of their day to give our participants an experience to remember.
Special thanks to our Junior Council who were tasked with putting together, budgeting, and coordinating the entire event. We’re very proud of you! Our Junior Council is made up of 20 high school FTSV participants. For more information on how to join, please email [email protected].
Lastly, thank you to Coach Gracie, Alexia, and all of our volunteer coaches for making this Girls Golf Event so memorable!
Next Girls Golf will be March,1st 2025. For information about these play days and more, visit Our Opportunities page or contact Manny Gallardo – [email protected].
Meet newly elected First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) Board Ambassador: Lorena Hathaway.
Lorena wants her journey to be a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and continuous learning which is in direct alignment with FTSV’s mission.
Lorena shared “I honored to join FTSV as an Ambassador, knowing the profound difference it can make for kids and teens. Golf has always meant so much to me and my family and I’m thrilled to share my passion for the game and its values with the next generation – especially honesty. Teaching young players to be truthful and act with integrity both on and off the course, is a lesson that extends far beyond the game and builds a foundation for lifelong success.”
FTSV is grateful that Lorena is also donating her time as volunteer coach.
Lorena has over two decades of experience in B2B marketing creating and executing high-impact demand generation campaigns for technology products and services. She has recently held Marketing Directors positions at Televerde, DataStax, Fenris Digital, and Precisely proceeded by almost 9 years at Pitney Bowes.
Lorena is a great addition to our Board of Ambassadors. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand FTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Deaton if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.
