Category: Year

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 the development of core values and life skills in our students, helping to set them up for the future. Character is learned, cultivated and shaped by our mentors and experiences, which are our greatest teachers. This is an opportunity for you to be able to provide the same kind of positive experience to kids today.

Character development is something that takes place over time…

Starting with a participant’s first season and growing exponentially as time goes on. For our volunteers, during their first season with FTSV, they begin to build that foundation with the kids, building that trust, character and respect. As the seasons go on, the relationship deepens, and the growth becomes more and more evident as the life skills fully become realized. Every single positive experience delivered in our program has an impact on our kids, and over time, it really starts to become clear how much FTSV can help in the development of important life skills. Our students grow into compassionate, determined, motivated leaders, and go on to carry those skills with them into the rest of their lives.

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 the 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. If that sounds like a good fit for you, please visit our volunteer page where you can apply. Thank you for your support!

When you start, you start building a base for building character and building a supportive environment, and over time and over seasons, you see the big changes and long lasting difference FTSV can make.

Congratulations to the 2023 Caddy Club British Open winners and our 2023 “Player of the Year”!

CONGRATULATIONS to Caddy Club Majors British Open WINNERS:

1) Jason Suey – $2,500 VISA Gift Cards

2) Dave Kinser  – La Rinconada Country Club

3) Jeff Upp – Stanford Golf Course

4) Jean Walker  – Almaden Golf & Country Club

5) Lionel Lee – Cinnabar Hills Golf Club

Player of the Year!

Pat Alongi was crowned the season winner with the lowest combined score for all 4 Majors and was awarded golf and lunch at Olympic Club.

Join the Caddy Club

You can join the Caddy Club anytime as a way to support our Financial Aid Program to provide kids with affordable access to our life skills and golf skills guided by caring mentors. As a recurring (monthly) donor, you will be registered for the 2024 Caddy Club Majors and ready to play next year. 

• Become a Caddy Club member by making a minimum $20 monthly donation for at least 12 months.  Click Here to Join!
• Every $240 donation allows FTSV to offer financial aid to a low-income youth participant to attend an 8-week program.

Together, We’re Building Game Changers!

Our kids and teens are facing challenges unseen by previous generations. Many lack access to safe opportunities that foster a culture of acceptance and provide mentorship. They live in a world where social pressures are always on, calm and confidence are hard to access, and perseverance is a required superpower every day.  By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, we create active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do. We make our programs accessible to youth of different backgrounds and perspectives and affordable to families experiencing financial hardship.

Who You Will Be Helping:

• 90% racially diverse and 44% girls
• 100% long-term youth graduate from High School
• 100% long-term teens go to college
• 90% achieve all A’s & B’s in school

In June, First Tee – Silicon Valley coordinated a multi-day field trip with Las Lomitas Elementary School and Baylands Golf Links. Over the course of two days, approximately 275 students attended along with 30 parent volunteer chaperones. The students rotated between four different stations, each with their own golf skill and life skill focus. The games included students scoring points on the driving range while showing respect for their teammates and opponents, and hitting tennis balls at a coach in a snag suit with a focus on sportsmanship! This gave the students an opportunity to experience just what First Tee – Silicon Valley has to offer, as well as become familiar with their local course. During the field trip, about 200+ fliers were handed out detailing our program, and many parents expressed interest in signing their children up or volunteering themselves. The event went so well that the school has expressed interest in doing it again next year.

This field trip was the culmination of a school outreach partnership that took place over the month of May. Working with the amazing physical education teachers Trisha Nettles and Stacy Olson, First Tee – Silicon Valley Program Coordinators supported the delivery of life skill and golf game curriculum to the Las Lomitas students. Students played fun games while learning the important life skills such as respect, integrity, and perseverance. On behalf of First Tee – Silicon Valley, thank you for the support from the Las Lomitas Elementary School, Baylands Golf Links, and especially from Trisha and Stacy!

Registration for our fall season opens here on Wednesday, August 16^th at 11am and closes on Thursday, August 24^th at Noon. The 8-week fall season begins the week of September 5th and ends October 28^th. Register on August 16^th and take part in engaging and fun life skill and golf skill classes at either Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course in San Jose, Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, or Gavilan College Golf Course in Gilroy.

We have a new, expanded, long-term use agreement at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course so more classes are available at Rancho than ever before!

Classes are broken down by grade group so feel free to invite a friend and take part in our fall classes. The fall season tends to be our most popular so be sure to mark your calendar for the 16^th of August. We will announce our schedule and post it here by next week. Each week our participants will experience one of our 6 Life Skills and 6 Golf Cues. Our life skills cover everything from collaborating with others, to goal setting, to building a positive self-identity. Most importantly we strive to integrate the skills seamlessly through games and activities that make

Game Examples Include:

• Soccer Range Shootout
• Putt Bowling
• Hungry Hungry Hippos
• Mario Golf
• Battleship Chipping
• Top Golf
• Trouble Shot
• Musical Drivers
• Wheel of Fortune
• Capture the Flag

We encourage youth 2^nd grade and above to join our program and ask that you help spread the word. For more information click here. Click here to view our program video and learn more from our participants, parents, and coaches!

See you at the course!

Join Jacobs – South County Regional Wastewater Authority as they honor Jesus Luna with the 3^rd Annual Fund the Kids Golf Tournament, benefiting First Tee – Silicon Valley on Saturday, September 30^th at Gilroy Golf Course.

Jacobs has been the Contract Operator for the South County Regional Wastewater Authority (SCRWA) plant in Gilroy since 1984. Under a long-term service agreement, Jacobs maintains the integrity of the wastewater system. It is the goal of SCRWA to protect public health and the environment and ensure economic vitality of the Gilroy-Morgan Hill region. The plant operator’s objective is to provide the best quality recycled water at a superior value to the residents.

This plant has won numerous awards, including Plant of the Year Award for the past 5 years, while many of their employees have also won individual awards, including Jesus Luna, winning Laboratory Person of the Year numerous times, with the most recent in 2022.

Community involvement is an extension of the Jacobs’ and the SCRWA culture. They care about their surrounding communities. Which is why Jacobs’ felt compelled to sponsor the 3rd Annual Fund the Kids Golf Tournament.  First Tee – Silicon Valley, South County will be the beneficiary while also honoring Jesus Luna who will be retiring in the near future, after working 37 years for Jacobs at the South County Regional Wastewater Authority (SCRWA). Jesus is an avid golfer and would like to spend some of his retirement time teaching the youth in our community golf skills. So, Jacobs thought what better way to spend their time, money, and effort than to support First Tee – Silicon Valley.

Congratulations to our 9 seniors on their accomplishments in high school and on their admission to college! Here is where they are going to school next year.

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

We have been fortunate to have many of them in our program between 4 and 12 years. While they are leaving our program as participants, we are excited for them to continue their journey in college and be game changers within their communities.

Thank you seniors!

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

• Visit our youth classes page to learn more.
• Registration for the Summer is now closed, but you can join us in the fall with registration opening August 16^th at 11am.
• The fall season begins 9/5 and ends 10/28.
• Questions? Email [email protected] or call 408-508-4880

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.  

The 4th Annual Classic fundraising tournament returns to Baylands Golf Links on Monday, October 9th, 12:30pm Shotgun.  Special thank you to our Top Sponsors who have committed their support for this year!  Presenting Sponsor: SAGA Foundation & Hosting Sponsors: PGA TOUR Superstore and Gallagher. Read more about how your company can still get involved.

Players will compete in a Scramble Tournament with a variety of contests and raffle prizes. Invite your friends and colleagues for a great day of golf and camaraderie including lunch, post round awards dinner, tee prizes & auction!

Explore all the Sponsor Levels:

$20,000 Presenting Sponsors (2) – co-branded logo on website, socials, newsletters, flyers, signage, full page ad in program plus three foursomes

$10,000 Hosting Sponsors (2) – signage on 3 holes, logo on website, newsletter and program plus two foursomes

$5,000 Contributing Sponsors (4) – signage on 2 premium contest holes, program logo plus one foursome

$1,600 Foursome or $800 Twosome Sponsors – 18-holes golf, cart, lunch, awards dinner, tee prizes, on-course beverages and snacks, contests, 10 raffle tickets per player

$1,000 Hole Sponsor – signage on one hole and program listing

Classic Timeline:

10:30am Check in, Contest Raffle Bundle and Tee Prize

11:30am Box Lunch Available

12:30pm Scramble Shotgun Start

5:30pm BBQ Dinner, Hosted Cocktails, Live Auction and Awards Program

6:30pm Tournament Concludes

Please contact our Development Director, Judy Dixon Deaton 408-508-4881 – [email protected]  to discuss custom sponsorships or underwriting opportunities.

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:

1. Christopher Fox – Dickinson College
2. Andres Herrera – UC Irvine
3. Linette Jun – UC Davis
4. Advaiith Pathi – Hamilton College
5. 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.

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.

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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.

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“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.