Year Archives - Page 14 of 51 - First Tee

Be a Volunteer Coach

Be a Volunteer Coach! 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 Skills and Golf Skills curriculum by finding and using coachable moments and by making the sessions fun and engaging.

Having Fun While Learning

Long-term learning involves application as opposed to memorization. What better way to apply a skill than through an engaging game. Games help create a fun environment where participants feel free to take chances, are motivated, and learn to make adjustments.

One of our main roles as coaches is to help participants find enjoyment in what they are learning and want to return the following week. If coaches are having fun while teaching, more often than not the participants are having fun as well.

Come be part of the fun

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. We simply ask that all coaches have a passion for helping others, are excited about the challenge, and are willing to have fun while coaching!

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.

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.

Summer Hires, Assisting with Future Transferable Skills!

Every summer, First Tee — Silicon Valley (FTSV) expands our coaching team and hires FTSV alumni as paid coaches. FTSV participants gain knowledgeable and caring coaches, while FTSV alumni coaches gain transferable skills that will help with future jobs and careers.

This summer we have hired the following FTSV alumni as FTSV Coaches:

Christopher Fox – Dickinson College
Andres Herrera – UC Irvine
Linette Jun – UC Davis
Advaiith Pathi – Hamilton College
Ryan Oglevee – Mission College

During our onboarding process, our coaches practice applying their interviewing skills, updating their resumes, and are trained on effective communication, active listening, and management/leadership techniques.

As paid instructors, they work in collaboration with the lead instructors to not just deliver the curriculum, but to manage the class. Class management includes empowering and guiding volunteers, engaging with parent/guardians, coordinating class logistics, and inspiring participants.

“We love having our alumni return as coaches while they’re still in college,” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “As their mentors, we get to continue walking alongside them in their personal growth. As their fellow coaches, we get to encourage them to take what they learned in FTSV to another level that helps the kids that have followed them in FTSV. What’s more, our alumni coaches learn important work disciplines such as showing up on time, working hard, adjusting to unforeseen changes to plan, and communicating well in all directions – to kids, to parents, to peer coaches, to older coaches, and to FTSV management.”

Growing Program Requires a Growing Team

Beginning this summer season, our Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course has expanded course access. Our goal is to grow our reach, but not at the expense of our coach-to-student ratio. We are grateful that our alumni want to return to the program and keep that ratio low, but more importantly want to give back and create a positive experience for younger FTSV participants.

Interested in getting started and developing adaptive, 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.
Click here to view a video on what it means to be a coach from other First Tee coaches and alumni from around the country.

Summer of Opportunity!

We are thrilled to announce the acceptance of 8 of our participants (and hopefully more in the coming months!): Dylan Chang, Raashika Biswari, Elise NJ, Li An Panfil, Franky Sumcad, Camille Thai, Alexandra Varo, and Norah Yang to various First Tee National opportunities.

Every year, First Tee – Silicon Valley participants who have been long standing and highly engaged participants are selected to apply for First Tee National opportunities (announcing in the summer with these opportunities). Competition for the opportunities is high and spaces are very limited. To be able to apply, our chapter looks for FTSV participants who have a minimum of 3 years with First Tee, have completed the challenges in the Grades 9-12 Practice and Course class, and have been highly engaged in the chapter over the years (i.e., volunteer coach, participant at least 2 seasons per year each year, active in tournaments/Girls Golf, etc.).

Once selected to apply, applicants must meet the requirements set forth by First Tee National, and 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. Selected recipients get to experience opportunities of a lifetime.

Franky Sumcad, Norah Yang, and Camille Thai

Accepted to the First Tee National Championship to be held at Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, California July 4^th – July 6^st. Click here for the full story.

Alexandra Varo and Raashika Biswari

Accepted to the Game Changers Academy to be held July 18^th-22^th in Philadelphia, PA. Click here for the full story.

Elise NJ and Li An Panfil

Accepted to the First Tee Leadership Summit in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore in Emigrant, Montana, July 31^st – August 4^th and August 7^th – August 11^th. Click here for the full story.

Dylan Chang

Accepted to the First Tee Leadership Academy in Atlanta, Georgia June 19^th– 22^nd. Click here for the full story.

“We are proud and excited to have Dylan, Raashika, Elise, Li An, Franky, Camille, Alexandra, and Norah represent our chapter at these national opportunities,” says First Tee – Silicon Valley Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “We are grateful to have had them in our program. They are great people and have made our program a better place.”

A special thank you to Coach Phoenix for working with each participant on their application.

Please join us in congratulating Dylan, Raashika, Elise, Li An, Franky, Camille, Alexandra, and Norah for their outstanding achievement! Acceptance to these opportunities is a product of their character, the work they put in, and the commitment they demonstrated to our program.

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

Alexandra Varo and Raashika Biswari – FTSV’s Participants Selected for Game Changers Academy

Alexandra Varo and Raashika Biswari from First Tee — Silicon Valley have been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia, July 18-22, 2023. They are 2 of 72 teens from the First Tee network who have been selected for the five-day learning and empowerment academy and will participate in important conversations around issues of identity, racism, diversity, equity, empathy and inclusion.

RISE, a national leader in the sports community championing social justice and working to improve race relations, will facilitate engaging and interactive workshops paired with introspective activities and reflections led by our nationally trained First Tee coaches. The experience is designed to enlighten, inspire, encourage, and position the teens to be advocates for justice and social change in their current and future communities.

Meet our Game Changers Participants!

Alexandra is a rising senior at Willow Glen High School in San Jose and has been a highly engaged participant. Since beginning as a participant, she has taken a class in every season, participated in our Girls Golf program, represented our chapter at a PGA TOUR Superstore event, and has been an active volunteer coach for the past year. “Being a game changer means helping your community and being the change that your community needs,” said Alexandra. To that point she is part of her school’s Latinx club and helps plan cultural events to support her community. She is a high achieving student at school receiving honor rolls.

Raashika is a rising senior at Monta Vista High School. She has been in our program for over 5 years and a volunteer coach for 2 years. She completed all of our past levels, and completed all 4 of our Ace (now Future Planning) project seminars. Outside of our normal 8-week program, she participated in our Girls Golf events, and local tournaments. She also took part in the PGA TOUR Superstore Leadership Series. Outside of First Tee she started a non-profit called Art/STEM where she partners with other non-profits to conduct workshops for her community. Most recently she worked together on a Q&A emphasizing and encouraging women in STEM.

“Alexandra and Raashika are leaders in and outside of our program and are taking action in their communities to be positive difference makers,” says FTSV Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “Acceptance in the Game Changers Academy will provide valuable lessons and experiences which will equip them with the tools to give back and make positive change. We are proud of who they are, what they have accomplished here at FTSV, and how they want to make this world a better place. We are excited to see them pursue their goals in order to shape the future.”

The event will be held at Villanova University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Selected participants will be housed at the Good Counsel Hall dormitory at Villanova and golf programming will take place at Walnut Lane Golf Club and Merion Golf Club.

First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters designed to inspire and encourage high school students on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. The Academy honors First Tee’s former CEO, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., who led the organization from 2000 until his retirement in 2017.

Congratulations Alexandra and Raashika!

alexandra and raashika game changers academy

Dylan Chang Selected to First Tee Leadership Academy in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore

Dylan Chang from First Tee – Silicon Valley is 1 of 48 participants selected from across the country to the First Tee Leadership Academy in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore. The Leadership Academy provides selected teens insight on how successful teams perform. The curriculum explores leadership concepts focusing on…

(1) building a successful team by recognizing values and identifying strengths/weaknesses

(2) leading a team by developing authentic relationships and empowering others

(3) supporting the team by developing awareness and acting with humility

(4) assessing based on comprehending and identifying the teams need and supporting through innovation and advocacy.

The academy provides an opportunity for teens to explore team dynamics that enhance their future performance as they collaborate with peers and adult mentors. Activity- based workshops are facilitated by leaders from the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Mercedes Benz Stadium, and Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

Meet our Leadership Academy Participant!

Dylan Chang is a rising Junior at Carlmont High School in Belmont. He is a model for First Tee engagement and commitment. He has been in the program for over 8 years, achieving all of our past levels, and participating in every season. Additionally, he has been volunteering at our admin table for 2 years and coaching as many as 3 classes each season on Saturdays. Recently, he was awarded the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the amount of volunteer hours served at FTSV.

“Upon learning that I’ve been accepted into the Leadership Academy, I felt a mixture of excitement and a sense of pride in that I am able to share the values and experiences that I have learned through FTSV with peers from around the country, “ said Dylan. “I am also elated knowing that the skills and experiences from this coming opportunity will follow and guide me throughout the rest of my life.”

“FTSV has always been a home to me. I have the luxury of meeting many wonderful people who I can consider as part of my second family. Beyond family, FTSV has always been an amazing growing environment where I can absorb and use the experiences of those around me to help develop the best version of myself that I can be.”

“Dylan is what First Tee is all about. He is a person of high character and looks out for others,” says FTSV Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “He is a team player who we are grateful to have in our program, leading our younger participants. Congratulations Dylan!

Elise NJ and Li An Panfil Selected to First Tee Leadership Summit in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore

Elise NJ and Li An Panfil from First Tee – Silicon Valley are 2 of 40 participants selected to attend the First Tee Leadership Summit, in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore. The Summit is designed for teens to explore leadership concepts including…

(1) building authentic relationships by developing awareness.

(2) growing through challenge via positive risk taking.

(3) developing positive self-identity through dynamic outdoor and team building activities.

Set in the unforgettable backdrop of West Creek Ranch in Montana, each teen is challenged to build on their current strengths and values in an intimate setting. This provides community building, inspiration and connection with their peers, adult mentors, and the outdoors. Activity-based workshops are facilitated by leaders from PGA TOUR Superstore headquarters, located in West Creek Ranch, and First Tee Headquarters. Both our participants were selected based on their performance in the First Tee Leadership Series at the PGA TOUR Superstore in Cupertino.

Meet our Leadership Summit Participants!

Elise NJ is a rising Junior at UPA in San Jose. She has been an excellent First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) participant for over 4 years. Elise has taken classes every season including Zoom classes during the COVID-impacted year in 2020. She started volunteering as a junior FTSV coach this year. In addition to volunteering at FTSV she teaches STEAM classes to elementary students and volunteering at the African American Community Service Agency, she coordinates senior citizen dances and community outreaches.

“I attribute my progress to the values instilled in me by First Tee,” says Elise. “The program’s emphasis on teamwork motived me to help others, not by telling them what to do, but by guiding them towards their own solutions. As a volunteer, I get to practice these skills regularly.”

Li An is a rising Junior at Christopher High School in Gilroy. She has been an outstanding participant with FTSV for over 10 years and a FTSV Coach for 2 years. She completed all 5 of our previous levels including all 4 of our ACE (now known as Future Planning) class projects. Outside of First Tee she is the captain of her school’s golf team and started a few clubs including the Chemical Society Club and the Journalism Club. “First Tee has provided me with tools for success,” said Li An, “to set goals that I can strive for and attain.”

We are grateful for the contributions Elise and Li An have made to our chapter,” says FTSV Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “They both are outstanding role models for our participants and we are excited for them to continue to develop their leadership skills at the leadership summit. Congratulations to you both!”

Elise and Li First Tee leadership summit

Parent University – A Record-Setting Success!

May 20^th, 2023 Alum Rock School District (ARUSD) and First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) partnered to deliver a community resource event, Parent University (a record-setting success), hosted at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. Over 700 students and families from across the ARUSD community came out to join the festivities – an all-time high attendance by over 200 in the 5-year history of the event! We set up games in golf areas and each venue was packed with families learning how to play golf and experiencing our games and activities.

The day began with speeches by ARUSD Board of Trustees, Superintendent, Dr. Hilaria Bauer, and California State Senator, Dave Cortese, who said:

“Eighteen years ago, the First Tee program in San Jose was launched and it is a real big deal! Alum Rock Union School District is really smart to partner with First Tee to do this work. The way we keep assets like Ranch Del Pueblo is to enroll our kids. This will send a strong message to City Hall that this is important. Congratulations to all of you who stepped forward and want to give your kids an opportunity, and send a message to the City and to the State of California, that these kind of programs are important. To embrace equity, you do not remove a program or a golf course like this from a place where it’s needed — from the place where we have diversity and an integrated, beautiful, multi-cultural community.”

Everyone then made their way out to the various stations around the golf course and rotated stations. Each station had a life lesson and golf skill for the families to engage in. Participants who enjoyed the games, were able to register for our 8-week summer season. Afterwards, families ate lunch, listened to music, and enjoyed the beautiful day.

What we’re saying about the record setting Parent University event

“We are honored to partner with ARUSD and we look forward to this event each and every year,” says FTSV Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “Parent University is an exceptional example of a community coming together to serve and benefit its residents. Our hope is that families see our program and Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course as a safe and welcoming option.”

“Thank you to Norma Flores, Student Services Director for ARUSD, and Dr. Bauer for their continued support and belief in what our First Tee – Silicon Valley Life Skill program can bring to their schools and students.”

“ARUSD salutes First Tee – Silicon Valley and the Rancho del Pueblo team,” said Norma Flores. “Alum Rock kids have now embraced the game of golf and see both organizations as true community partners. The most important shot in golf is the next one, so we are truly looking forward to that next shot with First Tee – Silicon Valley!”

Want to be a partner?

Interested in having your school or youth development program partner with First Tee – Silicon Valley? Please contact our Program Coordinator, Joe Stuban at 408-508-4885, [email protected], or visit our outreach page.

Interested in joining our program as a participant, give us a call at 408-408-4884, email [email protected], or check out our youth classes page.

First	Last	College
Dylan	Wu	University of Illinois
Francesca	Sumcad	University of Boulder Colorado
Gaby	Mata	University of Chicago
Hailey	Hoang	Menlo College
Itzel	Espino	San Jose State
Jonathan	Tessmann	UC Berkeley
Katelyn	Chan	Cal Poly SLO
Ryan	Chang	UCLA’s School of Engineering
Steven	Pan	UCLA

Game Examples Include:

Interested in starting our program and taking part in what our seniors experienced?