Category: Type

Every year, First Tee – Silicon Valley high school participants are selected to apply for First Tee National opportunities. To be eligible to apply, participants must have been in our program for a minimum of 3 years, taken part in at least 2 seasons each year, demonstrated our Life Skills, and met the requirements set forth by First Tee Headquarters. 

Competition for the opportunities is high and spaces are limited. To be selected, applicants must write several short essays, add in their accomplishments in and out of the classroom, and include letters of recommendation. Applicants from across the country apply for the limited spaces and recipients get to experience opportunities of a lifetime. 

Opportunities offered:

• First Tee College Scholarship Program – This program awards participants who excel in academics, leadership, character development, and chapter and community involvement with an up to $20,000 college scholarship.
• First Tee Future Entrepreneurs presented by Wells Fargo – This opportunity celebrates promising First Tee alumni currently attending or who have graduated from an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and provides them an opportunity for mentorship, networking, and personal and professional development.
• First Tee Leadership Academy in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore – This leadership development program teaches students how to build a successful team, empower others through authentic relationships, and assess team needs while developing solutions. 
• First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. – The Game Changers Academy is a five-day learning and empowerment academy addressing issues of identity, racism, diversity, equity and inclusion. 
• Participant Advisory Council (PAC) – The PAC provides an important forum for youth to express themselves, voice their ideas, and provide input for projects or programs that impact the experience of all First Tee participants.
• First Tee Drive Your Future Academy presented by John Deere – The Drive Your Future Academy is a female empowerment event recognizing young women who are motivated to influence positive impact at their chapters, schools and communities.
• First Tee Innovators Forum – This forum equips and empowers First Tee teens to develop a meaningful service project in their communities focused on education, health, human rights, or environmental sustainability, learning from industry leaders through interactive workshops and small group breakout sessions.
• First Tee National Championship – First Tee’s top players showcase their golf skills and strength of character needed to play under pressure at the collegiate and/or next level. First Tee National Championship is played at acclaimed college campuses, including Clemson University, Notre Dame and Stanford University, and is the only national event that is purely tournament golf.
• PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee – 81 FT participants get paired with a Senior Champions Tour player and take part in a nationally televised professional golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf links. Juniors are measured on their playing ability as well as their personal growth and life skills learned through First Tee’s programs. 

Students are asked to fill out an application form including short answers with prompts like:

• “Have you experienced or witnessed a situation that was not inclusive, and how did it make you feel?”
• “What accomplishments are you most proud of on and off the golf course? How did First Tee help you with those accomplishments?”
• “Reflecting on the activities completed in the local leadership series, how do your values and strengths guide you as a leader?”

Program Coordinator Phoenix Jarrell-Desch has been working directly with students on their short answer responses, helping to provide feedback as they complete their final drafts. “It has been so cool to learn more about what our participants are doing outside of the program and how the tools taught in FTSV classes have translated to their school and life experiences. I am more than impressed with the accomplishments and achievements our students have done, and I have high hopes for them to be accepted to these opportunities and to continue to grow in amazing ways.”

To find out more regarding our local, regional, and national opportunities please visit our youth opportunity page. 

On March 11^th, First Tee — Silicon Valley hosted a coach training led by Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) trainer, Peter Wood. The training is the 2^nd time that our two organizations came together to deliver a coach training. The first instance occurred in 2020, and was the pilot training/collaboration that led to a national partnership between First Tee and PCA.

PCA’s content, training, and resources are now shared nationwide, throughout First Tee ‘s network. Both First Tee – Silicon Valley and PCA share common coach philosophies centered around process-focused coaching, participant empowerment, and a positive and supportive team culture. The latter was the focus of our most recent joint training.

Golf is usually seen as an individual sport — ‘you versus the course.’ However, in our First Tee classes we strive to help participants feel like their class is more of a team. We believe participants become a better version of themselves when they have the space to be who they are, surrounded by supportive people, and part of a cohesive team. Building a team culture is not easy and can’t be forced, but it must be intentional goal. To that point, we are grateful that PCA shared their resources and worked with our coaching team on techniques to establish a team-first culture.

Feeling supportive and connected is especially important given our change from a level-based program to a grade-based program. Being together by grade helps with friendship, but also can result in a class with varying skill levels. However, when a strong team culture is established, participants work together to support one another and lift each other up. It is easier to collectively grow through challenges when you are supported by a team.

What PCA is saying about FTSV

Working with PCA has been a shining example of teamwork. “Chris and I work quite seamlessly together in putting together curriculum for FTSV coaches’ training,” says Senior PCA Trainer, Peter Wood. “That is a testament to Chris’ proficiency, as well as the common visions and values that both PCA and FTSV share in our respective work. Much of that shared vision and set of values manifest itself in our focus on helping young kids develop into great older kids, and adults. We care a lot about the kids acquiring a good set of technical skills to be able to enjoy and play golf, but way more important than that is to help kids absorb invaluable life lessons in their athletic pursuit. This is the charge of youth serving organizations coaches around the country, and it’s a very cool thing when two large national organizations like PCA and First Tee join forces to try to make this all happen- a worthy pursuit if there ever was one.”

“I want to acknowledge how fantastic it was to work with the coaches of FTSV this past month. Their love of what they do, their collegiality, and their patience are a tribute to themselves as coaches and individuals, as well as to the Program Director, Chris.  There are a lot of things being done right at FTSV, and not only could I witness it, I could feel it.  Hats off to the coaches and everyone at FTSV!  I hope I get a chance to work with everyone there again.”

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 work together to teach our Life and Golf Skill curriculum by finding and using coachable moments and by making the sessions fun and engaging. One of the 6 life skills that our coaches are responsible for teaching is Growing through Challenges. Coaches use our games to deliver impactful tools and tips needed to develop grit and build a growth mindset.

Transferable Life Skills

As coaches we have the opportunity to positively impact others. We guide, we ask questions, we model the skills that build character. However, the learning process is never a one-way street. Participants assist and teach us the very transferable skills that we set out to deliver. When teaching Growing though Challenges, we encourage our participants to see mistakes as information and opportunities to learn. We teach them productive methods of brushing off mistakes. We also teach them to see progression as a journey, and not as a straight line. The reality with coaching is every participant is different. They, like anyone else, have their own way of handling adversity and are in different stages of understanding adversity. Coaches must develop their ability to adapt and adjust based on the individual and group. If a class does not go to plan, coaches end up using the same tips and tools we ask of the participants. They learn when to ask for help and how to see mistakes as information that lead to opportunities for growth.

Our team of coaches take part in training before each season to learn coaching techniques, but some of the most impactful teaching lessons are the ones experienced in class and discussed after class as a coaching team.

Interested in getting started and developing transferable skills?

• Visit our volunteer page and click on the volunteer form.
• Or contact Julie Donnellan at 408-508-4882 or [email protected]
• Click here for our volunteer tri-fold for more information.
• Click here to view our video and hear from our coaches and participants.

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 as training on coach strategies, on 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 work together and encourage one another in the content and delivery. There will always be a paid, 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.

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.  

First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to share one of our 4 Future Planning projects. In the spring of each year, we offer an 8-week Career planning project for participants 10^th grade and above. 

Over the course of 8-weeks, our participants explore:

• Career research – industries + job functions
• Transferable, content, adaptive skills
• Their own interests and values
• Informational interview strategies
• Resume and cover letter options
• Professionalism and interview skills

The goal of the project is to help participants dig deeper into their own interests, skills and abilities, and then provide them the tools to find a match with potential careers. Participants meet as a group every Friday and take part in small group activities. We have guest speakers from different job sectors help participants apply the skills they learn in class and develop the professionalism and networking that is needed in the work place.

The Career project applies many of the skills covered throughout First Tee’s Life Skill Curriculum. They learn in the first few weeks that many of First Tee’s transferable skills — showing respect, goal setting, building a positive self-identity, collaborating with others, making good choices, and growing through challenges — are directly related to success in career identification and longevity.

“It’s been my good fortune to teach our Career class for many years now,” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “Our teens are usually unaware of the endless career options out there and anxious about entering the world of work. We make a special effort to help them demystify both, become more knowledgeable about careers, and build their confidence and optimism about their futures.”

Questions? Information to other Future Planning Projects?

In addition to the Career project, we have Golf, College, and Give Back projects. For more information on our 4 Future Planning projects please email [email protected] or call 408-508-4884.

First Tee – Silicon Valley would like to express our sincere gratitude to our sponsors for a successful second Battle of the Bays held at TopGolf benefiting our Title 1 School Program (Thank you sponsors!). It was an amazing evening with 14 generous sponsors donating $70,000 to help our kids become better versions of themselves while enriching the nearby communities.

A big sponsor thank you goes out to: Huston Family Foundation, Ron and Ann Hallagan, PwC: Sarah Beelaard, Connall Dempsey, & Justin Denworth, Pangenera, LLC – Jeff Burrill, Jeffrey Fisher, EY: Mark Fernandez and Jared Lauber, Andy & Maria Pecota, Nicholas Moore, Almaden Country Club Members, Anaplan – Steve Guerrero, Andera Brenholz.

An additional thank you goes out to FTSV TopGolf Board Committee for securing our sponsors – Chair Sarah Beelaard, Co-Chair Ron Hallagan, DJ Wheeler, and Andrea Brenholz.

We had 140 guests fill the bays of which 40 were coaches and teen participants underwritten by sponsors. Everyone enjoyed an evening of fun golf games, food and camaraderie! The TopGolf Experience bay raffle winner was EY – Mark Fernandez who gets to bring his guests back for another outing. Congratulations to our raffle winners: 49ers tickets – Nicole Arnold, Original Joe’s – Anne Milligan, and TPC Stonebrae – Justin Denworth. 

How TopGolf Sponsors helped

Your investment in our proven youth development program will help us expand our in-school and after-school program to 8 additional Title 1 schools and maintain our current 20 schools. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, we create active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do. We enable kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. Together, we are transforming youth throughout Silicon Valley and give so many more kids and teens a brighter future.

This month, First Tee – Silicon Valley continued to expand our impact on students within the Mid-Peninsula. One of our more recent partners, The Primary School in East Palo Alto has been the quickest to warmly welcome us onto campus and forge a strong partnership for their students.

Vida Amanat, the Manager of School Programs & Partnerships at The Primary School, says that “The Primary School has been so grateful to partner with First Tee – Silicon Valley and have our students experience golfing for the first time!” As many of their students have never had the opportunity to golf before, Vida mentions that “it was super special when the First Tee – Silicon Valley came out with their big golf clubs, targets, and Joe dressed up as a running target” in the Snag suit.

When asked about the emotional impact of First Tee – Silicon Valley, Vida added that the team’s “energy and encouragement made our students excited to play a new sport and to push themselves to try something new. We saw our students miss the target a few times, but then felt encouraged to keep trying. Thank you, First Tee – Silicon Valley!” With another large-scale event in the works, a field trip being planned, and The Primary School agreeing to become an active school site for our Community Partner Program, our team will have plenty of opportunities to positively impact their students and strengthen their life skills.

PAL (Police Athletics League)

Another group in the Mid-Peninsula continuing to team up with First Tee – Silicon Valley is long-time partner PAL (Police Athletics League) of Redwood City. This past week PAL hosted First Tee – Silicon Valley in an indoor clinic in order to drum up excitement for our upcoming Spring Season and to get kids registered for new experiences and opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. Our team worked with 2^nd to 4^th graders and introduced them to fun golf games, all while having the PAL staff play the kids’ favorite music and supervise with safety. With a few of the students in the clinic having been enrolled in First Tee – Silicon Valley classes previously, it created a fun and competitive environment between friends and classmates that resulted in high energy gameplay, and a great opportunity for students to show off all of the good sportsmanship skills they learned in our golf course classes.

Thanks to our partners!

First Tee – Silicon Valley is thankful for our wonderful partners that allow us to have positive impacts on their students and help them build their self-confidence, sportsmanship, and drive to experience something new. With more events on the way, keep an eye out for more school program updates from our team!

If you are interested in having our Community Program at your school/organization please contact Chris Moreno-Hunt and view out page HERE.

Join the Caddy Club as a way to support our Financial Aid Program and meet the needs of providing a nurturing environment for youth in our community.

• All Caddy Club members receive invitations to our free Donor Appreciation events which includes our Caddy Club Majors Competition.  It kicks off with the Masters on April 6^th and also includes PGA Championship May 18-21, US Open June 15-18, and Open Championship July 20-23. 

• Every $240 donation allows FTSV to offer financial aid to a low-income youth participant to attend an 8-week golf skills and life skills on-course session.

• 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!

Youth Development through Golf

Our unique approach to youth development transforms lives and gives kids and teens a brighter future. We teach life skills and golf skills on-course, in-school, and after-school. Our programs are accessible to youth of different backgrounds and perspectives and affordable to families experiencing financial hardship. Golf provides a powerful vehicle to help kids build the strength of character and life skills that they can use both on and off the golf course. Ultimately, strong character leads to success in life.

Our Kids Face Many Challenges

Our kids and teens are facing challenges above and beyond life’s expected growing pains unlike previous generations. They experience pressures within their communities, online, and because of recent dramatic events in the world. Many lack access to safe opportunities that foster a culture of acceptance and provide mentorship. Our youth feel uncertainty, isolation, confusion, and witness conflict more than ever before.

How We Help Kids Overcome Challenges

We help all youth build good character to cope with challenges and empower them. We believe that ALL kids deserve the chance to grow in a supportive environment with mentors guiding them. We are dedicated to providing life and golf skills programs that are accessible, welcoming, and as impactful as they are fun.  

Our Impact

Our youth development program has now positively transformed the lives of 89,876 youth through proven programs on-course, in-school, and after-school since 2005.

• 100% of long-term course participants graduate high school
• 100% of long-term course participants attend college
• 90% of all course participants reported receiving all A’s and B’s in school
• 98% said Coaches were fun and cared
• 94% Like golf and improved golf skills
• 93% Felt included as part of the group
• 88% Learned new life skills to improve their character
• 88% Want to continue with FTSV sessions

Beginning on March 14^th FTSV will be launching our refreshed curriculum for our core 8-week program. The switch from a levels-based program to a grade-based program is based on a multi-year research study performed by an independent agency. The study included experts in youth development and sports psychology, as well as feedback from coaches, parents, and kids from around the country.

According to the findings:

• Participants strongly prefer being with their own age group, the chance to be in classes with their friends, and the opportunity to make friends within their own age group.
• Participants will learn more from programs designed to be developmentally appropriate.
• Participants are more likely to stay with First Tee longer and engage in the opportunities provided to older students (e.g., leadership opportunities and scholarships).

FTSV took the refreshed curriculum from First Tee HQ, and over the last year, worked extensively to tailor and customize the curriculum to our chapter. We took the opportunity to make our program stronger, enhance our coaching and participant resources, and structure the curriculum so it offers more rigor and options. Additionally, we set up an achievement challenge structure for participants that is centered around skill development and goals, as opposed to the anxiety of written assessments.

What we’re saying about the new approach

“Our core staff is truly excited to launch our refreshed curriculum this spring.” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “We have invested hundreds of hours making it one of the largest FTSV projects since 2005 to significantly improve the learning experience for our kids and teens.”

This spring we look forward to having another fun season of games and activities that help participants experience and engage with the refreshed curriculum. One of the new Life Skills added to our updated curriculum is Building a Positive Identity. Throughout the program, participants will have opportunities to develop their confidence, learn what it means to be the best versions of themselves, embrace their strengths, and use their strengths to make a difference.

For more information on our updated curriculum, please click here and see the “overview “ and “what we coach” sections

We look forward to bringing our program changes to participants and families. A special thank you to our team for their hard work in preparing and executing our program updates.

See you at the course!

Thank you to the forty First Tee – Silicon Valley participants who took part in our annual Tag Team tournament on February 25^th at Rancho del Pueblo.  FTSV players of different age-groups competed in a sunny day of golf.  Many of our participants paired up with a close friend from the program to participate in an alternate shot format.  With an alternate shot format, participants were challenged to communicate and build strategies based on where their playing partner last hit.

The tag team tournament also provided opportunities for teamwork when deciding what shot approach to take, transitioning to the next hole, or while waiting for the group ahead to move out of driving distance. 

At the conclusion of the tournament, our participants gathered around, ate pizza, and discussed with others how the day on the golf course went. This type of environment reinforces our values of respect and sportsmanship. Our goal is that every participant incorporates respect and sportsmanship into their self-identity.

Congratulations to our winners and everyone who participated!

RESULTS:

3rd – 4th Grade Division

1^st place: Kazimir Zabinski & Wyatt Doiguchi

2^nd place: Jordon Wong & Mateo Torres

5th – 6th Grade Division

1^st place: Benjamin Hughes & Jesse Jang

2^nd place: Andrew Leong & Evan Qiu

7th – 8th Grade Division

1^st place: Brian Jackson & Vincent Vo

2^nd place: Sean Morrow & Aariv Bathija

9th – 10th Grade Division

1^st place: Leonardo Villegas Luiz & Salma Rivera

2^nd place: Diyaan Mehta & Evan Santoso

Closest-to-the-Pin

Allen Xiang Hao & Evan Qiu

Sportsmanship Award

John Walsh and Victor Kotlyar

Concluding our tournament

We announced that we had a few secret agents scouting the field.  Coach Robby and Coach Stefan were tasked with finding a participant displaying the best golf etiquette, sportsmanship, and integrity during tournament play.  While winning is a great goal, we must never lose ourselves and who we want to be  in the heat of competition.  Two participants stood out the most and were awarded the sportsmanship award.  Congratulations to John Walsh and Victor Kotlyar for their display of our First Tee values and life skills that we instill in every participant that joins our family!

Our next tournament will be the Chapter Championship on May 13^th. For more information on our tournaments please visit our opportunities page or email Manny Gallardo at [email protected]

First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted the Girls Golf Winter Play Day on February 25^th at Rancho del Pueblo.  Eighteen of FTSV’s participants enjoyed a fun and collaborative day where they played games on the driving range, putting green, and warm-up area.

Team Building

The girls were first challenged with a team building activity where they needed to work together in order to cross “the ice pond.”  Communication and teamwork was the theme so that no one was left behind as they tried to accomplish their goal.  Games that require collaboration, and promote confidence are a staple of Girls Golf. We want our participants to feel safe to be who they are and know that their opinions matter. In other words, we want them to feel positive about their self-identity.

On the range, our golfers continued with our games, socialized, and worked together with their coaches on their golf skills.  

Fun and Games

Lastly, our group of golfers took part in a few winter-themed games on the green.  Meylna especially enjoyed our winter games. “I liked the marshmallow game, but the game we’re playing now is fun!  They look like mini snowmen!”  The event concluded with gift bags, a small raffle, and a photo booth behind the frozen tundra!

Why we have Girls Golf

Girls Golf events are important as our youth experience a day of empowerment, healthy habits, and an outlet to build positive self-esteem. Thank you to our Girls Golf Coaches for creating an environment that is conducive to developing and maintaining a positive self-identity and self-worth. Congratulations to all that participated. Our next Girls Golf event will take place May 13^th. Click here to view our local pre-season opportunities, including Girls Golf, or email Manny at [email protected] for questions.

March is National Women’s History Month

Babe Didrikson Zaharias (June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball and track and field. She won two gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics, before turning to professional golf and winning 10 LPGA major championships.

In 1935, Didrikson began to play golf, a latecomer to the sport in which she became best known. Shortly thereafter, she was denied amateur status, and so, in January 1938, she competed in the Los Angeles Open, a PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) tournament. No other woman competed against men in this tournament until Annika Sörenstam, Suzy Whaley, Michelle Wie and Brittany Lincicome almost six decades later.

READ MORE about Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

Registration closes MARCH 13th at 12PM!

Form your team for a competitive or just for fun evening at TopGolf on Monday, March 20th from 6pm – 9pm for the Battle of the Bays benefiting First Tee – Silicon Valley. 

This event is perfect for team building – invite employees, clients, customers, family or friends.  Each team can be 6 to 12 players per Bay. You can all play by rotating turns with 6 players at a time or some can just cheer your team on!

Register your team for the Competitive or Fun Play Division. The Competitive Division will include 240 shots of Top Contender “target” golf officially scored on the TopGolf Leaderboard. The team with highest 2-round total has bragging right as the Battle of the Bays Champion!

The Fun Play Division is offered for the less competitive teams. They can choose to play any of the 5 games offered for beginners just for fun but still enjoy all the other perks.

Become a sponsor!

Show your philanthropic spirit by stepping up as a $5,000 Sponsor and/or consider sponsoring a FTSV Teen Participant Team for $2,500.

Sponsor Benefits include:

• One TopGolf Bay with 6 to 12 guests for 3 hours
• All-inclusive taco bar buffet and beverages for 12 + 2 cocktails per person
• Raffle Tickets and Tee Prizes (1 of each per team member)
• Sponsor Name featured in event marketing

Proceeds will benefit FTSV’s Title 1 School Program

FTSV exists to enable kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with FTSV’s life skills curriculum, we create learning experiences that build inner the strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids carry in everything they do. With the belief that ALL kids deserve the chance to grow in a supportive environment with mentors guiding them, we are dedicated to building life-changing programs that are as inclusive, accessible, and impactful as they are fun.

Register your team HERE

Or contact our Development Director, Judy Dixon Deaton [email protected] or 408-508-4881.

FTSV and NCGA Youth on Course (YOC) have been partners for nearly 20 years. Last year over 135 FTSV participants registered for the NCGA YOC membership, which offers discounts on golf rounds, as low as $5 per golf round at over 400 golf courses in Northern California. Impressively, the 135 participants logged over 1,787 rounds of golf in 2022. 

As a licensed YOC partner, FTSV offers participants in our program the opportunity to register for a YOC membership. Registration for it is open in our registration portal for all participants in our program.

In addition to the YOC membership, many of our participants also take part in the NCGA’s Caddie Academy over the summer, wherein they may sign up to caddie at private country clubs and earn money for college. Also, our high school seniors have applied for their College Scholarship program. Last year we had a participant awarded a scholarship of $15,000 towards her college education. “First Tee – Silicon Valley enjoys a handful of strategic, complementary partnerships, including ours with Youth On Course,” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “While FTSV provides life skill education through golf, YOC makes playing golf and attending college more affordable. We are grateful to YOC for collaborating with us and helping our kids.”