Type Archives - Page 5 of 50 - First Tee

Adult vs. Junior Spring Tournament

Our 2024 Spring off-season provided opportunities for our participants to exhibit their life and golf skills as they continue to grow with our program. This year, on February 24^th, we were fortunate enough to have families come join us at Gavilan College Golf Course for an Adult + Junior Tournament. With Coach Manny’s wonderful coordination, we hosted a mentor-based duos competition with an alternate shot format.

Under the warm Gilroy sun overseeing the hillside, our golfers were able to make some memories that highlighted the values we teach at First Tee – Silicon Valley. From motivating each other after every shot to celebrating the small successes they each had, this tournament was full of positive reinforcement.

While every participant demonstrated their talents, we were able to celebrate some really great performances.

Overall Winner:

Asher and Derek Andersen

1st Place Winners:

Ben and Brent Hughes
Victor Kotlyar and Phoenix Jarrell-Desch

2nd Place Winners:

Allen Xiang Hao and Yuan Hao
Austin Andersen and Eric Wible
Leonardo Villegas Luiz and Michael Faraday

3rd Place Winners:

Wyatt and Brent Doiguchi
Henry and Vince Gutierrez
Adam and Robert Rosa
Tristan Hipolito and Beverly Llamas

We also saw some great pin point precision in our in-tournament challenges. The winners of our long drive competitions included: Victor Kotlyar for the 2^nd and 5^th graders, Ben Hughes for 6^th through 7^th graders, Tristan Hipolito for the 8^th grade and up, and Coach Phoenix for the adults. The closest to the pin winners included: Ben Hughes for his kids section tee shot 10.6ft from the pin and Brent Hughes for his adults section tee shot 7ft from the pin.

First Tee of Silicon Valley could not be more grateful for the success of the Adults + Junior Tournament. With everyone’s great energy, awesome golf etiquette, and overall attendance, we were able to host one of the most rewarding events of the year. As an organization that creates opportunities, we appreciate the effort everyone made throughout this tournament. We saw new golfers arise within the adults, and participants find new bonds with their adults – exactly what this tournament was all about.

We are beyond appreciative of all the coaches who came out to fill in as partners and helped us make this event possible. Thank you to our parents who came out to play. Your presence made a positive effect on the kids. To our wonderful spectators and supporters, we cannot be more happy to have such a great support system for our program and kids.

The next event is scheduled for May 11^th. Contact Manny at [email protected] for more information.

PUBLISHED: 03-13-2024

Girls Golf Play Day!

First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted our Girls Golf Play Day on Saturday, February 24^th at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. Twelve of our FTSV’s Girls Golf members had a fun filled day where they played various versions of golf with their mothers. It was a great opportunity for some of our parents to experience golf for the first time. Yenny, mother of Lizbeth, enjoyed the opportunity to golf with her daughter. “I am very grateful and happy for the opportunity that the Mother-Daughter play day gives us to be able to spend time sharing and enjoying golf with our children on the golf course. Thank you so much!”

What were they playing?

The girls and their mothers were challenged to play four holes of stroke play, two holes of frisbee golf, and two holes of soccer golf. The groups had a chance to work as team as well as play individually. Playing in larger groups gives our young participants the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills as they met participants from all three of our locations. Gracie, a First Tee alumni and current FTSV coach, witnessed firsthand how important these moments between mother and daughter are. “I loved seeing moms come out and join the girls this past Girl’s Golf event. It’s so important that the participants have someone in their daily life who is there to not only motivate and support them, but to also participate in what is enjoyable for the players. Through this event we were able to foster an environment where a different aspect of the mother-daughter bond could grow.”

Special thanks to Coach Gracie, Varnika, Salma, and Alexandra for guiding our families on the golf course!

At the end of their round, our families enjoyed a pizza party while they created a memento by taking a polaroid and decorating a picture frame. Our Girls Golf Play Days are beneficial events where our participants enjoy a stress-free environment with friends, old and new, led by our supportive group of female coaches. The next event is scheduled for May 11^th. Contact Manny at [email protected] for more information.

PUBLISHED: 03-13-2024

2024 Family Fest was a huge success!

Despite the cold and rain, our 2024 Family Fest was a huge success. In the late afternoon of March 3^rd, FTSV families came out to enjoy a delicious Barbeque meal, play fun games and activities and, most importantly, connect with other FTSV families. (Location: Mexican Heritage Plaza – San Jose)

A critical part of the planning and execution of this event was the FTSV Junior Council. Chris Moreno-Hunt wrote about the Junior Council “The group is comprised of participants that have been in our program anywhere from 1 to 12 years, and many of whom have also been junior coaches. They know our program better than anyone, and most importantly, they want to be part of group that can leave a legacy and positively impact families, coaches and participants of the future.” The Juniors took part in numerous planning meetings and experienced all that goes into putting on an event.

“We are so proud of our Junior Council for working collaboratively and taking on roles and responsibilities that were outside their comfort zone. As a result, they helped put together a fun and organized event, one they can be proud of!”

The Family Fest’s goal was to celebrate our FTSV participants, families, and coaches. We also wanted to promote community-building, participant retention, progression and supporter engagement. The event did that and more! The success of this event has led FTSV to believe we should grow the event and bring MORE families out.

“It was so fun to be together as a FTSV family.” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “We have many wonderful people involved in FTSV from our kids to parents to volunteers to staff that it was great to spend time socializing as a community. The Fest reinforced one of our top priorities – to ensure that FTSV is a place of belonging and growth for everyone.”

Special thank you to our Family Fest Sponsors

Ron and Ann Hallagan

PGA TOUR Superstore

Huston Family Foundation

CourseCo

Keep an eye on your calendars for the next Family Fest! For more information on these events and more, email Nicole Woodson, Marketing Coordinator, [email protected].

Click HERE to view all the photos.

PUBLISHED: 03-07-2024

12th Annual OPEN Scramble Golf Tournament

First Tee – Silicon Valley presents our 12^th Annual Open Scramble Golf Tournament on Friday, June 7^th at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club. The Open will be our only golf tournament fundraiser this year with a full-field shotgun utilizing all 27 holes and the opportunity for many companies and individuals to show their support. Click here to Register to Sponsor or Play.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Presenting – SAGA Foundation

Hosting Plus – EmmaLily Winery and PGA TOUR Superstore

Hosting – Hallagan Huston Family Foundation and Gallagher and PwC

Contributing – Guerrero Properties, Pinnacle Bank, EY, Luna Mexican Kitchen, D&V Engineering, Panera Bread

All proceeds benefit First Tee – Silicon Valley, 501(c)3 #46-3102278

Gather your clients, co-workers and friends for a great day of camaraderie to help MORE kids! 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.

There are various ways to support the Open:

$20,000 Presenting Sponsor – 3 foursomes and 2 hole sponsor signs plus co-branded logo on all signage, website, socials, newsletters, flyer and program ($16,250 Tax Deductible)

$10,000 Hosting Sponsor – 2 foursomes and 1 hole sponsor sign plus logo on sponsor signage, website, newsletter and program ($7,500 Tax Deductible)

$6,000 Contributing Sponsor – 1 foursome and 1 hole sponsor sign plus logo on sponsor sign and program ($4,750 Tax Deductible)

$2,500 Foursome or $1,250 Twosome Sponsor – 18 holes of golf, shared cart, boxed lunch, tee prize, on-course beverages and snacks, dinner and awards program per player ($1,250/$625 Tax Deductible)

$1500 Hole Sponsor – 1 hole sign, program and sponsor sign listing, plus 2 dinner invites ($1,500 Tax Deductible)

$100 Contest & Raffle Bundle Add On – Per player includes all Contests – Putting, Closest to the Pin and Car Hole-In-One Plus 1 Mulligan and 10 Raffle Tickets.

Option to pay by credit card now or register and pay later by mailing check to: First Tee – Silicon Valley 2797 Park Avenue, Suite 205 Santa Clara, CA 95050

Tournament Timeline

10:30am – Check In, Tee Prize, Range Open, Lunch
12:00pm – Welcome In Carts
12:30pm – Shotgun Start
5:30pm – Dinner & Awards
7:00pm – Closing Remarks

The tournament will be played as a “scramble” format. Each team member will hit from the tee. Two tee shots from each player must be used during the round. The team will select which of the four (4) tee shots it will use for its second shot. Each team member will hit their second shot from the location of the selected tee shot. This process will continue until the ball is holed out. The highest team score per hole will be MAX Bogey (1 over Par) to maintain a good pace of play. 1 Mulligan per player if purchased with Contest/Raffle Bundle. Mulligans apply only to one player — not the entire foursome. Prizes will be awarded to the First and Second Place Teams with the lowest scores.

Please Contact Judy Dixon Deaton for Sponsorships or other information (408) 508-4881 or [email protected]

PUBLISHED: 02-08-2024 Updated: 04-30-2024

Join Us as a Volunteer Coach!

First Tee – Silicon Valley is always looking for people interested in transforming lives through youth development and giving kids and teens a brighter future. By becoming a coach or volunteer, you will contribute to the development of core values and life skills in our students, helping to set them up for the future.

New Challenges!

FTSV participants are encouraged to challenge themselves, on and off the golf course, because it is through challenge that they grow the most. It is the same for our coaches. Being a youth coach will present you with unique and exciting challenges, ones that will help you to further develop your creativity, leadership and mentorship skills. Not only will you be making a positive impact on other’s, you’ll be making a positive impact on yourself.

Have an Impact

People find themselves growing the most when they take on new challenges. You can be an important part in that growth, helping to challenge and support our participants as they work on their life and golf skills. At the same time, our coaches are also taking on challenges, learning how to teach in different ways, and all the time improving their communication, mentorship and leadership skills. Not only is this a program that benefits our youth, FTSV is a program that positively impacts all who are involved.

Our coaches and volunteers play a CRUCIAL role in FTSV’s ability to succeed. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on community members determined to make a difference to work with us, delivering our fun life skill curriculum to the kids. It is our goal to maintain a 4 to 1 student to instructor ratio, so every volunteer and coach makes it possible to grow and accomplish our goal. Not only will you be contributing to changing lives and growing character, but you will also continue to develop and hone your own mentorship and leadership skills, all while being a part of something bigger than yourself.

Join Us!

If volunteering as a coach sounds like a good fit for you, please visit our volunteer page where you can apply.

PUBLISHED: 02-07-2024

Participant Spotlight: Meet Natalie Chen

For this spotlight, meet FTSV participant Natalie Chen!

First Tee – Silicon Valley believes that challenges faced in life present the perfect opportunity for personal growth and development. Golf, like life, is full of challenges. Learning how to react to and work through these challenges is what allows players to excel at the game. FTSV believes that the same principles apply to our lives outside of golf, that when faced with difficult and unique circumstances, maintaining a growth mindset allows us to persevere and continue to develop. Our participants have internalized these values and find success as they apply them to challenges on and off the course.

Natalie Chen is one of our participants who thrives in challenging situations. She began taking our classes in the 3^rd grade, coming from a family that wasn’t very familiar with golf. From the beginning, Natalie has felt right at home, saying “First Tee was very welcoming…[they] set the stepping stones for me to build the confidence to walk on to a golf course and know what to do”. After many seasons with FTSV, Natalie earned a spot on her school’s varsity golf team. On the team she even has friends who she met through FTSV, other people who she knows she can rely on, both on and off of the course.

Natalie on Volunteering

Natalie began volunteering with FTSV the summer before her freshman year of high school, the earliest possible season a junior can begin coaching. It has been a year and a half now, and she has thrived in her position. According to Natalie, “I love it so much. Coaching has helped me build my relationship with golf even outside of my school team. I really like teaching the little kids, they are like little brothers and sisters to me”.

Being involved with FTSV as both a participant and volunteer has provided Natalie with the tools and mindset to work through and grow from challenges. As a participant, Natalie has worked on the FTSV curriculum with her coaches for many seasons, practicing and developing her perseverance, her positive growth mindset, and her ability to reflect on her mistakes and successes to learn what works and what to do differently. When asked about the challenges she faces in golf, Natalie said “Golf is a process, it isn’t quick fixes. I am always dealing with internal struggles, but knowing that my practice is having an impact and that I will make progress helps me to just keep at it.” She says that she uses the ideas of “process over outcome,” focusing more on improving her process than getting caught up on the particular outcome. She credits her success in golf to this particular mindset.

What do Natalie’s Coaches have to say?

Even Natalie’s coaches have taken note of her growth during her time with FTSV. When asked, Program Coordinator Manny Gallardo said “I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Natalie since 2018. With each passing season, she has grown more confident. She’s often the first to participate in our group discussions and has often taken the initiative to help her fellow peers understand our life skills at a deeper level. Whenever Coach Alex and I gave her a responsibility, we were confident that she would go above and beyond to complete it. Natalie has been a fantastic participant and I’m excited to see the next step of her journey”.

Translating Natalie’s FTSV Skills to school and beyond

In school, the attitude and skills she has developed surrounding challenges continue to support her growth. Here she highlights her leadership as one of the most influential aspects of her personality. According to Natalie, “First Tee has helped me build on my leadership in the program and at school, such as taking the lead and initiating conversations. I have learned how to manage a group of people, open up to others, and make space for everyone to share ideas and feel included”. As she encounters challenges in her academic life, Natalie is confidence that she can face them head on. She is armed with specific skills to help her succeed and she knows that facing challenges is where she is able to grow the most.

Outside of golf, Natalie is also a piano accompanist in her school choir and is a percussionist in the California Youth Symphony. She believes that music, like golf, helps to build her patience and enjoyment of challenge. Great work Natalie!

PUBLISHED: 02-05-2024

Annual Review 2023

2023 was a year of growth for First Tee – Silicon Valley. We served MORE kids!

In 2023, 5,241 Course Participants and School Students, who were 85% Ethnically Diverse and 60% Low Income, experienced our life skills and golf skills program.

Our youth development program has now positively transformed the lives of 95,747 youth through proven programs on-course, in-school, and after-school since 2005.

FTSV signed a new 25-year agreement in April, 2023 for expanded access at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course for our character-building course program. This nearly doubled our class capacity so that we may include many more kids and teen participants and enable them to take even more classes. Our school program completely recovered from COVID set-backs and we are now serving more students than ever at Title 1 schools.

Program Snapshot

Course Participation Impact

100% of our long-term class students graduate high school
100% of our long-term teen class participants attend college
90% of class participants achieve all A’s and B’s in school

Participant Survey Results

97% Coaches were fun and cared
96% Had a fun experience
95% Felt included as part of the group
94% Coaches helped me with my golf skills
89% Coaches helped me with my life skills/lessons

Course Participation

1,208 unique participants took an average of 2 classes at our golf locations yielding 2,226 total registrations

85% Ethnically Diverse
30% Low Income Families received Financial Aid for total of $112,000
59% Male and 41% Female
20% Teens (age 13+) including 22 Junior Council participants focusing on career exploration, post high school education, and community service.
61% at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course; 20% at Baylands Golf Links; 12% at Gavilan Golf Course and 7% Other – FTSV office and multiple locations

School Participation

3,015 students experienced our in-school and after-school program in their setting.

27 total partners – San Jose (15), Mid-Peninsula (7) and South County (5)
85% Ethnically Diverse
75% Low Income students
24 of our 27 were Title I Schools
49% Female and 51% Male

Volunteerism

4:1 Coach to Participant Ratio due to increased volunteerism
73 Total Adult Volunteers
87 Teen Junior Coaches from our program
7 Board Directors
14 Board Ambassadors

Youth Opportunities

FTSV Teens were selected for various leadership and golf opportunities where many received special recognition through scholarships.

Ashley Pang and Isabella Herrera were selected to attend the John Deere Drive Your Future Academy for girls
Camille Thai, Norah Yang, and Franky Sumcad competed in the First Tee National Championship
Raashika Biswari and Alexandra Varo were selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow
Camille Thai, Norah Yang and Josh Jang represented FTSV at the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting the First Tee
Dylan Chan was selected to attend the First Tee Youth Leadership Academy
Elise NJ and Li An Panfil were selected to attend the First Tee Youth Leadership Summit
Li An Panfil was selected to the First Tee College Scholarship Program
Katelyn Chan was selected to the First Tee Make Your Mark on the Community $4,000 Scholarship
Jonathan Tessmann received the FTSV Joyce Taylor Eagle Award and $5,000 College Scholarship
Salma Rivera received FTSV Dennis Kettmann Memorial $5,000 College Scholarship
Shivam Maji and Katelyn Chan achieved First Tee ACE certification
9 Seniors announced their College Admissions
22 Teens joined FTSV’s new Teen Council advisory youth group
7,991 total hours served = $159,840 equivalency in In-Kind Labor

Financial Snapshot

While it was a year of growth for kids served, it was a challenging year for fundraising after coming off our highest revenue year ever ($1.8M). Fundraising challenges were brought on by donor reluctance due to economic uncertainties, new donor acquisition challenges in a competitive non-profit landscape, and an unexpected cancellation of a Q4 fundraising event. However, FTSV is proud to share that our operations are very stable.

We are optimistic about launching a comprehensive campaign to endow our programs and build facilities that will secure our future growth.

FTSV raised $1.544M. The operating expense distribution of $1.625M was approximately 75% for Programs, 21% for Fundraising, and 4% for Administration.

$651,048 Contributed Income

$313,676 Grants and Foundations

$ 20,168 Corporate Giving

$317,204 Individual Giving

$893,217 Earned Income

$368,781 Participant Class Registration Fees

$501,914 Golf Events: TopGolf, Open, Invitational, Classic (Includes Foundation, Corporate, Individual donations)

$ 22,522 Miscellaneous

$1,544,265 Total Income

Download 2023 Annual Review Presentation

Published: 02-05-2024 EDITED: 04-17-2024

FTSV’s 2024 SAVE the Dates

Please save the dates for First Tee – Silicon Valley events which are designed for our community, participants, supporters, both individual and corporate, and families.

Attending our events are 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.

The money raised from these events and our private Invitational in July represent 55% of our fundraising budget which sustains our youth development program.

Family Fest

at Mexican Heritage Plaza on Sunday, March 3, 2024
a fun, social event for the whole FTSV Family and Supporters.
Registration Opens January 24th @ 11am FAMILY RESERVATION LINK HERE Sponsorships available Now!

Open

at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club on Friday, June 7, 2024
a golf tournament, lunch and dinner — our largest event of the year
Registration opens February 7th. Sponsorships available Now!

Challenge Cup

at Baylands Golf Links in early December, 2024
an friendly challenge of champions between country clubs
Registration opens early October, 2024

Please contact our Development Director, Judy Dixon Deaton at [email protected] or 408-508-4881, for more information about participating in our events or Sponsorships.

Community Events

Community events occur once every quarter on a Saturdays at 11am. 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].

February 10^th
May 11^th
August 10^th
November 2^nd

Girls Golf & Seasonal Tournaments

Girls Golf is an opportunity to appreciate and enjoy the game of golf while empowering participants to feel confident, build self-esteem and make new friends in an all-girl environment. Girls Golf seasonal events are open to all FTSV participants.

Seasonal Tournaments are a great way to gain competitive experience in a fun and supportive environment. Tournaments are open to all FTSV participants.

February 24^th
May 18^th
August 17^th
November 9^th

C lick Here to learn more about tournament opportunities.

PUBLISHED: 01-05-2024

Caddy Club Majors: Congrats to the winners!

It’s a wrap on the FTSV 2024 Caddy Club Majors raising $80K for our Financial Aid Program to meet the needs of providing a nurturing environment for MORE kids! Over $16,000 in total “donated” prizes were awarded for all 4 Majors plus we crowned our Player of the Year – -Ann Hallagan!

You can become a Caddy Club member now by making a minimum $30 monthly donation pledge for at least 12 months and you will be active for the 2025 Majors starting in April. Every $360cumulative donation you make allows us to cover the registration fee and golf clubs for a low-income participant to attend 8 weeks of classes. Click Here to Join ANYTIME!

Caddy Club Majors Winners

“Player of the Year” – Lowest Combined score for all 4 Majors

VOICE OF THE SEA – Ann Hallagan – The Olympic Club Golf Threesome, Caddies, Lunch & Drinks

Masters

First Place – CATALINAMOM – Beth Huston – $1,500 Visa Gift Card

Second Place – SSMITH777765 – Stephen Smith- $1,000 Visa Gift Card

Third Place – CTBAUER Chris Bauer – $500 Visa Gift Card

Fourth Place – 3 way tie

BABY NEEDS SHOES – Kathy Huston -Blackhorse/Bayonet Certificate

SLIP M – John Madigan – Shoreline Certificate

GOIRISH – Will Huston – Pacific Grove Certificate

PGA Championship

First Place – TEED OFF- Mary T. Huston- $1,500 Visa Gift Card

Second Place – SBUESNEL – Simon Buesnel – $1,000 Visa Gift Card

Third Place – CELINAARRANAGA Celina Arranaga – $500 Visa Gift Card

Fourth Place –MGILLEY30 – Mike Gilley – Cinnabar Hills Gift Certificate

Fifth Place – CATALINAMOM – Beth Huston – Coyote Creek Gift Certificate

US Open

First Place – VOICE OF THE SEA – Ann Hallagan – $500 Visa Gift Card & Almaden Golf & Country Club Gift Certificate

Second Place – KELLY HEROES – Kelly Leif – $1,000 Visa Gift Card

Third Place – 3 way tie

STU WHITE – Stuart White – $500 Visa Gift Card

JSHR0323 – Josh Schroeder- $500 Visa Gift Card

BOB ZMAN– Bob Zieman – $500 Visa Gift Card

British Open

First Place – Shone Freeman – $1,500 Visa Gift Card

Second Place – Rich Rowley – $1,000 Visa Gift Card

Third Place – BOGIE71 – Jason Suey – $500 Visa Gift Card

Fourth Place – VOICE OF THE SEA – Ann Hallagan – Baylands Golf Links Certificate

Fifth Place – Robert Park – Callippe Preserve Golf Course Certificate

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.

Download the Flyer

Published: 01-05-2024 EDITED: 08-07-24