Newsletter Archives - Page 43 of 46 - First Tee

Board President to Receive National Award

Press Release

The First Tee of Silicon Valley Board President Selected to Receive The First Tee’s National Leadership Award The First Tee of Silicon Valley Board President to receive The First Tee’s 2017 Jack Stephen’s Leadership Award (Silicon Valley, CALIFORNIA, November 6, 2017) – The First Tee of Silicon Valley is proud to announce that Board President, Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr. will receive The First Tee’s national award, The Jack Stephen’s Leadership Award. This prestigious award is given to an individual or entities who demonstrate service, leadership and commitment to the mission of The First Tee.

In addition to Victor’s board leadership, he is also the founder of The First Tee of Silicon Valley. Under his leadership, which spans from 1999 to present, over 17 years, The First Tee of Silicon Valley has grown and expanded both in East San José and throughout Santa Clara County. Victor’s nomination focused on his tireless advocacy for The First Tee of Silicon Valley, Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course and the youth of East San José, an underserved and largely Latino area of Silicon Valley. His efforts have made The First Tee of Silicon Valley and Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course a point of stability in the lives of thousands of youth. Victor has single-handedly raised over $3M and volunteered over 3,000 hours for The First Tee of Silicon Valley and Eagles since 1999. “Under Victor’s sustained board leadership, The First Tee of Silicon Valley has truly thrived, increasing its impact in so many key areas.” said Kelly Martin, Chief Operating Officer of The First Tee. The Jack Stephens Leadership Award will be presented on Thursday, November 9, 2017, during the first general session of The First Tee’s Network Meeting in Orlando, Florida. “The First Tee of Silicon Valley community is very proud of Victor. He is a larger than life character, who has made it his personal mission to enrich the lives of our youth and community. I truly cannot think of a more ideal individual to receive this prestigious, national award.” said George Maxe, Executive Director of The First Tee of Silicon Valley. “Victor has made such a big impact and positively influenced and inspired so many kids at such an early age through his leadership and passion for the game. We congratulate Victor on such a well-deserved honor.” said John Poch, Executive Director of the San Jose Sports Authority. Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr is currently the Regional Manager of State and Local Government Relations for HP, Inc. and the founding and current Board Chairman for The First Tee of Silicon Valley. Victor’s history with The First Tee of Silicon Valley began in 1999 when he was Board Chairman of the San Jose Sports Authority and helped found the Eagles at Rancho junior golf program. In 2005, he led the effort for Eagles to become a chapter of The First Tee. About The First Tee of Silicon Valley The First Tee of Silicon Valley (www.firstteesiliconvalley.org) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit youth development organization whose 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. With its office in San José, The First Tee of Silicon Valley reaches young people on golf courses, in schools and at other youth-serving locations from East San Jose to Gilroy to East Palo Alto. In 2016, The First Tee of Silicon Valley served over 1,200 participants in its certifying classes, and over 6,000 in its outreach programs. More than 55,000 youth have participated in The First Tee of Silicon Valley’s programs since 2005. George Maxe, [email protected], 408-288-2937 (office) About The First Tee The First Tee (www.firsttee.org) is located at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida.Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has grown its network to more than 150 chapters to deliver programs in all 50 United States. In 2016, The First Tee brought character education through the game of golf to more than 5.3 million young people. The First Tee’s Founding Partners are LPGA, the Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA. Johnson & Johnson is The First Tee’s Legacy Partner and Southern Company is its Education Patron. Former President George W. Bush serves as honorary chair. Jane Fader, [email protected], 904-940-4330 (office) Sara Henika, [email protected], 904-940-4341 (office) ###

Thank You, Khristine!

Please join me in thanking Khristine Madayag for her 4 years of dedication and impact to The First Tee of Silicon Valley and our youth. Her last day on our staff was Wednesday, August 30th. Khristine made a huge contribution to our organization’s infrastructure especially in the areas of participant management, program operations, and event coordination. Her shoes will be hard to fill given her many responsibilities and relationships with participants, families, staff and others. We’ll be celebrating Khristine and her contributions at our annual Fiesta on Saturday, November 18th. Thank you, Khristine! We’ll miss you! — George Maxe, Executive Director

Dear The First Tee of Silicon Valley Community, I have had the privilege of working for this organization a little over four years. In my time with The First Tee, I have advanced from an Administrative Assistant to Program Coordinator to Operations Manager in such a short time and appreciate the ability to work with all of those associated with this great organization. Each position granted me the opportunity to learn more about the world of youth development, the game of golf, and how non-profit organizations work. My time spent at San Francisco State University concluded with a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism (emphasizing in Event Management) and though I continue to grow here, after careful consideration, I have decided to move on to pursue a career with more emphasis on events. My path has led me to meet wonderful participants and their families who help make The First Tee a fun, friendly, and safe environment for youth in Silicon Valley to thrive and be part of. I have made many new friends who have become like family to me. My biggest joy is being able to help participants be part of the program and hear from their families of their personal, social, and educational maturity through their involvement in the program. It’s as if I am watching my younger siblings or family members flourish. Thank you for allowing me to help register your participant for an upcoming class or event, being part of the on boarding process as you became a mentor to assist our program, scheduling you as an Instructor for all the classes you filled ‘yes’ on your availability survey, taking photos of your foursome during our Open or Invitational events, and be part of your weekly golf routine. I have learned so much from being part of The First Tee of Silicon Valley and value all of my experiences and interactions, which I will truly miss. Saturdays will never be the same. Along with my departure, this also means Cruzer (my dog) will no longer be in the office, at various events, or present at Rancho on Saturdays during programming. I greatly appreciate the warmth and love you have given him, as he has been part of our program since 2016. I am sure he will also miss the belly rubs, fetch time, and interactions he has had with everyone. I look forward to crossing paths with everyone in the future and hope to see everyone at the 2017 Family Fiesta. Olé – Khristine Madayag, Operations Manager

Read about Sahil’s Golf Prep Academy Experience

From July 11th to July 18th, Sahil K. attended the College Golf Prep Academy in West Palm Beach, FL. This week-long academy is intended for advanced players within the chapter network who are pursuing collegiate golf. The academy provides the competitive experience of playing for a college golf team combined with the college experience through rigorous practice and training, tournament play, dorm living, recruiting education and pertinent guest speakers. Participants cultivate and develop the golf skills, life skills and health & wellness aspects associated with competing at a higher level.

Golf in the sunshine state, flights and board paid for, a week of golf on some of the best courses in Florida, with free instruction on all aspects of my golf game, including mental, training, and nutritional? As soon as I saw the opportunity, I knew I wanted it. And within a few weeks, I was fortunate enough to be accepted. From the moment I stepped out into the sunny Orange State, friendly First Tee representatives were waiting for me at the airport, and took my back to the dorms we would be staying at. There, I met many of the coaches who would be guiding me through the next week, as well as some of my future peers in the program. Although the Florida weather wasn’t always what I expected (occasional thunderstorms and pouring rain at unpredictable intervals? I thought Florida weather was perfect!) over the next few days, we played at some of the most beautiful golf courses I had ever seen. The first day was at the Bear’s Club, home to many PGA professionals (some notable ones include Michelle Wie and Tiger Woods). Over the next two days, we had a tournament Seagate Country Club. Next, we played the Palm Beach Par 3 Course (right on the beach) and to finish it off, we played Jupiter Hills Country Club, which is one of the finest courses in Florida. What I enjoyed the most about the program, however, were the opportunities offered off the course. During our stay, we were instructed one of the most famous golf instructors in the country, named David Donatucci, who teaches professionals like Stacie Lewis and Michelle Wie. We also had the chance to travel to the ESPN West Palm Beach headquarters, where we were shown how to conduct a live interview and were “recorded” as if we were doing a broadcast for highlights of a nearby basketball game. Finally, we were given a great team of coaches and supervisors who were always there to answer questions about playing college golf, give us advice on surviving in college, or to help us with anything we needed. But there’s one more thing I learned, and this lesson came from a moment of panic I had before coming. I had spent the first four weeks of my summer (before the College Golf Prep) at a program at MIT, and First Tee Academy would start approximately a day after I returned home to California. At first, I thought I would manage it, but by the end of the MIT program, I began doubting myself. I was tired, I was homesick, and more than anything, I was stressed that I wouldn’t be able to endure being home for a day then flying back to Florida for a week of intense golf after the tiring four weeks. Luckily, the director of the College Golf Prep Academy called me to talk with me one on one about my concerns, and convinced me that I would benefit enormously by attending the program, and that the First Tee would take care of me while I was there. And with her advice, I chose to go. After attending, I learned something huge (message to all you undecided future participants!): going to a new place with people you don’t know is intimidating; no doubt. But by going, you expand your horizons, meet incredible people to network with from around the country, and see the side of The First Tee beyond Silicon Valley. So trust me on this one: take that leap of faith, because you never know where it will take you.

Sahil K., Ace Participant

Check Out Isabel’s Life Skills Leadership Academy Reflection

Ace Certified Participant and junior coach, Isabel S., traveled to East Lansing, MI from July 26th to August 1st to take part in The First Tee’s Life Skills and Leadership Academy. This opportunity helps develop and educate participants in areas such as life skill development through engaging golf activities, college preparatory and dorm living, and career exploration, all while having the opportunity to play championship golf and develop lifelong friendships. Through the week they are inspired to consider how they can return to their chapters and communities and be a leader and role model for other participants.

To start off, my week at Michigan State University for the Life Skills and Leadership Academy was an invaluable experience that would not have been possible without Coach George and Coach Matt encouraging me to apply for this experience during my Ace interview. My week started with my first flight alone to the Detroit Michigan Airport. Although it was hard for me to say goodbye to the comfort and familiarity of my parents and hometown, I was both scared, yet eager to embark on a new journey. Our schedule was extremely packed. We rose early in the mornings for breakfast and finished our evening with various activities which included bowling, watching a local baseball game, and playing a putt putt course on real grass. On the first day on the course, I ran into our very own Coach Kuniko! It was a funny experience because I didn’t realize she spent half of the year in the Midwest, so it was cool to talk to Coach Kuniko and compare the difference between her chapter there and Silicon Valley. Throughout the week, we attended seminars addressing leadership. They taught us new ideas about how to actually spark change through utilizing our platform as junior golfers, but also reinforced classic First Tee life skills like Personal Par. One of the greatest quotes I took away from that trip was a quote by head golf coach at MSU, Casey Lubhan, who preached about being “inefficient with relationships.” He argued that in modern society, we are always trying to get the most out of everything in as little time as possible, but when it comes to relationships, it should be opposite. When we are inefficient with our relationships, we can take the time to build deeper, more meaningful connections with one another. All in all, this experience was an amazing opportunity to get to meet people from all over the U.S. and immerse myself in the various cultures throughout our country. I would definitely recommend this opportunity to anyone because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience college living ahead of time, strengthen your golf skills, and surround yourself with other golfers who are each determined to achieve great things.

Isabel S., Ace Certified Participant