Category: Year

Earthquakes Game

Saturday, October 6th found George Maxe and Carlos Herrera (our resident football expert), at the San Jose Earthquakes v the New York Red Bulls game as guests of Rod & Laura Howard of Synectic.   While the Earthquakes did not enjoy success on the field, George & Carlos had a lot of fun and learned much about Synectic and Avaya. Watching the game from the Avaya suite allowed them to see Avaya product demos.  Rod & Laura had the opportunity to learn about The First Tee of Silicon Valley throughout the game as well.

Golf Friends Have a Deeper Link

Playing the game of golf can improve your quality of life as there are many physical, emotional and social benefits. The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits were created through a collaboration among The First Tee, ANNIKA Foundation and Florida Hospital for Children to promote healthy, active lifestyles for youth. The First Tee of Silicon Valley participants learn Nine Healthy Habits as part of our education curriculum and one of the social healthy habits is Friends. The First Tee of Silicon Valley teaches our participants to maintaining healthy relationships and encourages them to surround themselves with friends and supportive people. We have relevant discussions about how to effectively handle challenging situations, including bullying and navigating the digital age with social media. We have also observed the special friendships our participants have formed through being involved in our program from 2nd to 12th Grade through 5 levels of certification. There is something different about the friendships they make through golf, an extra dimension, a deeper link. It’s amazing, you smack a little white ball across a few miles of mowed turf and it shows you–and your mates—what kind of person you are: flawed, full of hope, willing to push hard against the limits of your ability, ready to laugh, weep, try and keep trying. All the ingredients of true friendship. Consider registering your child in a class, becoming a volunteer or supporting our non-profit youth development organization.

Golf is a Game of Common Courtesies

There are so many common courtesies that are the fabric of the game of golf. As one of The First Tee’s Nine Core Values, Courtesy teaches participants respectful behavior toward others. Our weekly curriculum incorporates handshakes and introductions at all program levels. A round of golf should begin and end with a handshake between fellow competitors. Players also should be still and quiet while others are preparing and performing a shot. Whether players are waiting to get started on the first hole or waiting their turn while others are playing the course, following some simple rules and etiquette will help maintain order while playing and allow them to remain courteous toward one another. A strong handshake with confident eye contact creates an immediate image of strength, professionalism and belief in oneself. It helps pull shy, insecure participants out of their shell, creates a bridge for communication between individuals of all ages and backgrounds, and sets the tone in showing respect for others. Parents, volunteers and spectators have commented that they can point out a participant of The First Tee of Silicon Valley from a crowd of young adults just by watching their demeanor and ability to communicate with other individuals. Consider registering your child in a class, becoming a volunteer or supporting our non-profit youth development organization.

Caddy Club Members Matter

There is still time to be part of the 2018 Caddy Club! It has been a challenging year to raise money for our youth development non-profit as much of the local giving has been diverted to supporting disaster relief and homelessness. The First Tee of Silicon Valley is a safe haven that provides structure, direction and mentorship to many children who never dreamed of working on core values and life goals through golf. We are turning back to golf enthusiasts like you that understand the impact of our specialized program to ask for help. We appreciate your generous financial support to continue shaping youth into high quality adults and to keep our classes affordable. More than 50% of our current class costs (>$250) are covered by contributions keeping class fees affordable. More than 25% of our participants which are on free/reduced school lunch program require financial aid to even cover the $160 class fee. Your generosity provides opportunity and results. If you have already received your 2018 bag tag and magnet as a Caddy Club member, please consider a year-end gift to help us reach our $250,000 goal. If you are not yet a member of our Caddy Club for this year, please visit our website to learn more about our multiple levels of Caddy Club Annual Giving (starting at $250) and see the impact you can have by underwriting a participant(s) as they progress through the 5 levels of certification. Thank you for realizing our program is a game changer for participants – they are behaving better, are getting better grades and are healthier on the golf course, in the classroom and in our local community. The First Tee of Silicon Valley is a self-sustaining, local chapter celebrating its 13th year of offering affordable access to over 65,000 youth. Please donate to help us meet our goal of raising $250,000 by year-end.

The First Tee of Silicon Valley Comes to Redwood City

The First Tee of Silicon Valley is excited to begin classes in Redwood City this upcoming Winter season! We are coordinating with Redwood City Department of Parks & Rec, Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL), Redwood City School District, and San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities League (SAL). Both PAL and SAL have begun delivering The First Tee DRIVE program in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks schools. SAL efforts, in particular, are for their Pete Liebengood Junior Golf Program. TFTSV’s entry in to southern San Mateo County is part of our plan to expand our presence at the new Baylands Golf Links (formerly Palo Alto Muni) and to reach many more low income youth. TFTSV is very grateful to the SAGA Foundation for its generous grant to help make all of this possible.  

Used Club Drive at PGA Tour Superstore

Bring your used clubs to the PGA TOUR Superstore in East Palo Alto on Saturday, November 10th from 11am to 3pm. Collecting used clubs enables The First Tee of Silicon Valley to pursue our mission to impact the lives of young people by providing education programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Bring your used clubs to the PGA TOUR Superstore (1751 East Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto, CA  94303) on Saturday, November 10th from 11AM to 3PM and receive a $20 off/$60 PGATSS coupon.
  • Club donations: full sets, usable drivers/putters/fairway metals, golf bags, and iron sets
  • Club donors will receive $20OFF$60 (PGATSS coupon)

Our Participant, Erica, Shares Her Experience From the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee

The First Tee of Silicon Valley is so proud of Erica Lam, our participant who competed in the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course, September 24-30. Erica summarized her experience by saying, “I had a lot of fun playing at the PURE Insurance Championship. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to play at such a prestigious course like Pebble Beach. The part I enjoyed most, however, was socializing and learning how to present myself in a more formal setting such as the strolling dinners. At first it was kind of hard, because I’ve never done anything like this before and it was not in my comfort zone, but everyone was really friendly and eventually I started to get the hang of it and not be so intimidated anymore. It was such a good learning opportunity for me because there are not many other places where I will be able to interact with adults like this and I know that I will definitely be needing these skills in the future!” The PURE Insurance Championship is the only event of its kind in which 81 junior golfers from The First Tee are teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. They were selected by a national panel of judges based on their playing ability and their application of the Nine Core Values and Life Skills learned through their involvement with The First Tee’s programs. TFTSV Coach Matt & Coach Chris verified Erica’s development over her 9 years in our program. They said, “Erica most notable growth has been her interpersonal communication skills. First Tee mentoring has taught her to speak with a confident delivery, making eye contact. Erica has learned to dictate her perseverance through her own belief to ‘Just push, because I’ve done it in the past and I can do it again!’.  She is very professional in her mannerisms and her thoughtful responses. Erica understands The First Tee curriculum well and we knew she would be a great TFTSV representative.”

Our Participant, Calton, Shares His Experience From the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee

The First Tee of Silicon Valley is so proud of Calton Kong, our participant who competed in the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course, September 24-30. Calton summarized his experience by saying, “The experience introduced me to many people and I was able to learn a lot from the pros and amateurs that I played with. It was interesting to learn that Freddy Couples likes real estate. The course was extraordinary! Learning how to play on a championship course, I can definitely carry on to the future. Getting an eagle on hole two at Pebble was definitely a highlight.” The PURE Insurance Championship is the only event of its kind in which 81 junior golfers from The First Tee are teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. They were selected by a national panel of judges based on their playing ability and their application of the Nine Core Values and Life Skills learned through their involvement with The First Tee’s programs. TFTSV Coach Matt & Coach Chris verified Calton’s development over his 8 years in our program. They said, “Calton has learned meeting & greeting skills and is able to articulate self-management skills like STAR (Stop-Think-Anticipate-Respond) to help him overcome stressful social situations and be confident when meeting new friends and speaking with adults. He has great self-awareness and knows how he can balance his healthy mind with body and how they are interconnected. Calton is confident in his demeanor and thoughtful in his responses. He has demonstrated he is comfortable interacting with adults in high pressure situations and we knew he would be a great TFTSV representative.”

Our Participant, Linette, Shares Her Experience From the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee

The First Tee of Silicon Valley is so proud of Linette Jun, our participant who competed in the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course, September 24-30. Linette summarized her experience by saying, “I had an amazing time at the Pure Insurance Championship. I was lucky enough to be paired with Ken Tanigawa, the champion. He was a great player and I was able to learn so much from him and his caddy. We ended up making the cut for the final day, and we were the last group to go off. The final hole was my favorite because not only were there so many people watching but I got to see my pro eagle 10 to win!” The PURE Insurance Championship is the only event of its kind in which 81 junior golfers from The First Tee are teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. They were selected by a national panel of judges based on their playing ability and their application of the Nine Core Values and Life Skills learned through their involvement with The First Tee’s programs. TFTSV Coach Matt & Coach Chris verified Linette’s development over her 6 years in our program. They said, “Linette’s most notable growth has been her desire to give back to the community and learning to lead by example. She was inspired to apply to play in the tournament by her youth coaches who previously played. She also shared how she creates “Go-To” teams to better prepare for tournaments. Linette has a profound ambition to succeed which translates well in her aura of confidence coupled with her competitive drive. She eloquently provides and demonstrates real-time examples of life skills she has learned. We knew she would be a great TFTSV representative.”

Our Participant, Kelly, Shares Her Experience From the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee

The First Tee of Silicon Valley is so proud of Kelly Yu, our participant who competed in the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course, September 24-30. Kelly summarized her experience by saying, “My week in Monterey was truly a dream come true. Larry Mize, my professional playing partner and Chris, his caddy, were the most supporting, funny and kind people I’ve ever met. They were constantly going out of their way to make me feel welcomed and mentoring me. Being able to play at Pebble Beach was surreal and no matter how I was doing during the round, I couldn’t help but smile because I was playing at Pebble! I am so grateful to have had this amazing opportunity where I got to meet such amazing people from all over the country and make so many unforgettable memories.” The PURE Insurance Championship is the only event of its kind in which 81 junior golfers from The First Tee are teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. They were selected by a national panel of judges based on their playing ability and their application of the Nine Core Values and Life Skills learned through their involvement with The First Tee’s programs. TFTSV Coach Matt & Coach Chris verified Kelly’s development over her 8 years in our program. They said, “Kelly’s most notable growth has been her interpersonal communication skills and confident manner when interacting with adults. She was very prepared for her application interview which she delivered with a smile and pleasant tone. Kelly was able to communicate how her TFTSV “Go-To” Team has helped her through tough times in her life. She also described how she has learned to be a “Go-To” person to others. Kelly is able to set goals and to appreciate each step or the process to achieving her goals.  Kelly thoroughly understands The First Tee curriculum and we knew she would be a great TFTSV representative.”

The Importance of Volunteer Coaches

The First Tee of Silicon Valley believes positive youth development happens through a meaningful, quality relationship between the coach and participant. Mentor coaches are critical to ensuring our participants have an optimum and enjoyable learning environment. Therefore, we are always looking for high quality volunteers to serve as mentor coaches. The First Tee works with experts in a variety of fields to help coaches deliver programs that seamlessly weave golf and character-building activities into each lesson. Our coaches follow a philosophy centered on positively reinforcing a child’s actions and ensuring a great experience. As a child progresses through The First Tee’s programs, the activities and life lessons become more involved, helping her/him build character and become even more equipped to make good choices on and off the golf course. TFTSV Coaching Philosophy We believe that positive youth development happens through a meaningful, quality relationship between the coach and participant. Young people do not care what a coach knows until they know a coach cares. This philosophy is implemented through four building blocks. Activity-Based Doing versus telling  (create experience-based learning environments; seamless delivery of life skills within golf activities) Mastery-Driven Seek challenging tasks that help develop new skills  (balance the focus on process versus outcome) Empower Youth Young people actively participate in the decision-making process  (develop positive relationships and take a student-centered approach) Continuous Learning Foster long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes  (engage young people in feedback and identify coachable moments) Coaching is a very rewarding experience. Click here for an application to be considered. Onboarding steps must be completed by November 15th to coach the Winter Session (Dec-Feb).

PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee

On September 30th, The First Tee of Silicon Valley brought 36 TFTSV DRIVE participants on a bus trip to the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee at Pebble Beach Golf Course. TFTSV participants, who were mostly from our outreach efforts in the Alum Rock Unified School District in East San José, took part in the Chevron STEM Zone and learned how science, technology, engineering, and math impacts golf. They also cheered on our 4 local chapter teens: Linette Jun, Calton Kong, Erica Lam & Kelly Yu who were selected to compete in the official PGA TOUR Champions event September 24-30. What an inspiration for the field trip students to observe how the efforts of our high -school, Eagle certified participants earned them the coveted spot to play along-side professional and amateur golfers in a nationally televised event. After watching the golf tournament, they returned to Rancho del Pueblo to hit range balls and turn their inspiration into action! TFTSV sends a special thank you to the Monterey Peninsula Foundation http://www.montereypeninsulafoundation.org/ for providing the grant which allowed us to cover transportation to and from Pebble Beach and participate in the Chevron STEM Zone. TFTSV will be piloting its own STEM classes to Birdie level participants this Winter. Elective classes for Par, Birdie, Eagle and Ace will begin in the Spring of 2019. TFTSV’s STEM curriculum will integrate The First Tees’s nine golf fundamentals with developmentally appropriate STEM concepts.