Type Archives - Page 3 of 49 - First Tee

FTSV Participant Eliane Juang Awarded 2024 Make Your Mark Grant!

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.

Published: 01-09-2025

Meet New Board Ambassador: Tracy Cone

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.

LinkedIn: Tracy Cone

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.

Published: 01-09-2025

Meet New Board Ambassador: Justin Hill

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.

LinkedIn: Justin Hill

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.

Published: 01-09-2025

2025 is First Tee – Silicon Valley’s 25th Anniversary

First Tee – Silicon Valley’s 25^th 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 16^th 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.

Open

at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club on Friday, June 6, 2025
a golf tournament, lunch and dinner — our largest event of the year
Sponsorships available and registration is OPEN NOW

Caddy Club Majors

Donate a minimum of $30 per month for at least 12 months to become a recurring member of our Caddy Club (or make a One-Time $360 donation)
Receive an email confirmation with a link to register in a “tiered” fantasy golf pool for each of the 4 Major championships
Watch your team compete for $16,000 in donated prizes

Partner Events – OPEN to Public

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 25^th Celebration Event on August 16^th, 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.

Published: 01-09-2025

Changing the Game for MORE Kids: Meet Nico Hernandez

FTSV is Changing the Game for MORE Kids: Meet Nico Hernandez, a long-time participant and volunteer Junior Coach (at Baylands Golf Links), Nico is now inspiring a whole new generation of young golfers.

Grateful for all that FTSV has done for him, Nico takes pleasure in giving back to the First Tee community, arriving early to help set up for the day’s activities, and staying late for tear down. Nico says, “I’m super passionate about doing whatever I can for our participants because I’ve been there myself. My goal is to become a future generation leader and understand anything they’re going through because I’ve experienced the same thing from my own time as a participant.”

Changing the Game outside the Golf Course

Nico’s enthusiasm and dedication extends beyond the golf course. He excels in a variety of pursuits, putting the skills of setting and achieving goals that he’s learned from First Tee to work. Not only has he become the fastest swimmer on his swim team, Nico also turned a dream into reality by starring in his own weekly podcast at school. He explains, “Setting goals is like laying out a path to improve and achieve anything you want. When I set a goal, I can easily visualize my progress. It boosts my mental well-being and helps me move forward. Through my time with First Tee, I feel like I’ve not only gotten better at golf but also grown as a person. I’ve learned how to set short-term and long-term goals as steps to achieve my final goal along with my coaches and friends.”

No matter if it’s academics, social interactions, or golf, Nico feels confident in tackling any challenge. His positive attitude and mindful approach to his activities has helped him and the people he’s around to flourish.

Mentoring is Priceless. If you had a mentor growing up, you know that having someone to listen and give guidance to overcome life’s challenges can be transforming. When we look back on the over 100,000 kids First Tee – Silicon Valley has worked with, we are filled with pride and joy knowing that our mentors and our youth development program was there for the kids of our community.

Our Kids Face Heavy Stuff. The pressures of social media, loneliness, mental health struggles, family dynamics, peer and family judgment, inequities of living in Silicon Valley and devastating world events are all adversely affecting youth. FTSV creates a supportive, safe, and positive environment where kids are empowered to be themselves, and feel included!

There are many Ways to Give to First Tee – Silicon Valley and help us Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Nico. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.

Donate Now!

Changing the Game for MORE Kids: Meet Norah Yang

FTSV is Changing the Game for MORE Kids! Meet Norah Yang, a leader and role model in her classes as a FTSV participant and as a volunteer coach. She has been active as a participant since 2015 and began volunteering as a FTSV coach in 2022.

As it relates to her golfing acumen, Norah led her high school golf team to a league championship as a freshman and was awarded MVP in 2021. She has qualified for the USKids World Championship twice and the IMG Junior World at Torrey Pines. Additionally, Norah has placed high in several AGJA tournaments. Norah has represented FTSV at the First Tee National Championship at Stanford University in 2023 and at Clemson in 2024, and at the PURE Insurance Championship held at Pebble Beach in 2023 where she placed 3rd.

Norah responds to her golf achievements: “There are so many applicants for these wonderful events, and to be selected makes me feel so honored and proud. First Tee had supported me every step of my golf journey, from not even knowing how to hold a golf club to being able to compete nationally with amazing golfers. It has taught me so much…”

Norah on the lessons she has learned about setting goals, leadership and overcoming challenges off the course

“First Tee means a lot to me, it has taught me so many lessons outside of what schools offer,” says Norah. “For example, I use goal-setting skills to manage my high school activities and apply the Nine Core Values to deal with various challenges and setbacks in my daily life. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn with the First Tee, and I am so happy to now be in a position where I can start to give back by volunteering to coach incoming FTSV students.”

Meet Norah Yang: National Championship 1

Meet Norah Yang: National Championship 3

Of all her achievements, Norah’s 1^st place win at the First Tee National Championship in June, was the most notable. Norah finished the tournament 6-under-par and shot a final round 69 to clench the victory on the girls’ side.

“It has been amazing playing at Clemson …” Norah said. “I have met so many amazing players from all the other chapters and had so many great experiences. Getting here and winning would not have been possible without First Tee – Silicon Valley and all the skills they have taught me.”

Based on her play at the First Tee National Championship, she will also earn a spot in the PGA TOUR’s Pathways to Progression program, which aims to support talented golfers from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the sport.

We are a National Leader. We lead the nation among the 140 First Tee chapters in several key program measures including the highest number of participants selected to national academies and leadership opportunities:

85% diversity 48% low-income

55% retention 1:4 mentor ratio

There are many Ways to Give First Tee – Silicon Valley Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Norah. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.

Give Now!

Dakota Chang Attends First Tee Innovators Forum

(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.

Published: 12-11-2024

Manny Gallardo Awarded National First Tee Coach of the Year!

On November 20^th, 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!

Published: 12-11-2024

Annual College Day Tournament

On November 9^th, 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

6^th-8^th Grade: Suri Lau (FTSV) and Ami Im (Santa Clara) score of 27

9^th – 12^th Grade: Paavni B. (FTGS) and TK Chantananuwat (Stanford) score of 26

2nd Place

6^th-8^th Grade: Jesse Jang (FTSV) and Chloe Lam (Santa Clara) score of 29

9^th – 12^th Grade: Kristen Tang. (FTSV) and Calder Overfelt (Santa Clara) score of 27

3rd Place

6^th-8^th Grade: Caroline Yuan (FTSV) and Brianna Park (Santa Clara) score of 30

9^th – 12^th Grade: Sophia Tang. (FTSV) and Matt Robles (Santa Clara) score of 27

Closest to the Pin

Jayden Aguinaga (FTSV) and Brian Ma (Stanford)

Straight Drive

Kaiden Wong (FTSV) and Nathan Wang (Stanford)

Next tournament will be March,1^st 2025

For information about these tournaments and more, visit Our Opportunities page or contact Manny Gallardo – [email protected].

Changing the Game for MORE Kids: Meet Alexandra Varo

FTSV is Changing the Game for MORE Kids! Meet Alexandra Varo. As a participant, Alexandra attributes much of her achievements to the support and skills learned at First Tee – Silicon Valley.

Alexandra’s achievements include:

FTSV participant and volunteer since September 2021
Selected for the First Tee Game Changers Academy & Leadership Summit
HS Scholar-Athlete Award: 2021-2023
President’s Volunteer Service Bronze Award: 2023
Volunteer math tutor
Joyce Taylor Award and Scholarship

“I can say that I am a different person now than when I first joined First Tee – Silicon Valley,” says Alexandra. “I consider First Tee – Silicon Valley to be my greatest support system that has given me a place to practice and develop my personal skills.”

A recent graduate from Willow Glen High School, Alexandra is currently attending San Jose State University. She has been an outstanding participant with FTSV since she started in 2021 and quickly started volunteer coaching. As a coach, she has accumulated over 220 hours of service, giving back her time in a meaningful and effective way. Alexandra regularly attends our Girls Golf events as both a participant and a coach and assists at our fundraisers.

“I enjoy volunteering as well as participating in First Tee because it provides an environment where I am able to learn more about myself, learn important life lessons through golf, and gain confidence” says Alexandra. “Throughout the golf seasons, I have learned how to become a better leader and I enjoy assisting in classes to contribute to a positive and fun environment for participants. I look forward to continuing in First Tee as a participant and a volunteer.”

There are many ways to help First Tee – Silicon Valley Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Alexandra. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.

Give Now!

Published 12-05-2024

Participants vs. Parents Tournament: A Day of Fun and Friendly Competition

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.