Coach Spotlight: Meet Gabby Ruiz

Gabby has been one of our most reliable and effective coaches at First Tee – Silicon Valley. She is a Level II First Tee Trained Coach which means she attended two national coach trainings that helped develop and refine her coaching techniques. Gabby began our program in 2010 and completed the Ace program which is our highest level. Upon her final certification, she began coaching in 2017 and has since coached hundreds of participants each year. Before COVID you would have found her at Baylands Golf Links during the weekdays and teaching up to 3 classes at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course on Saturdays. “First Tee – Silicon Valley has always been like family to me,” says Gabby. “I grew up with First Tee and went from being a participant to a volunteer, to a coach. Coaching boosted my confidence in my communication skills and gave me a platform to be a role model for the youth. Go FTSV!” In addition to her coaching, Gabby is currently assisting us in the office with marketing projects while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in graphic design at San Jose State University. When COVID hit she began working with our team to produce our safety videos, core lesson videos, certification guide videos, and golf course videos, all of which are featured videos for our coach training and education, and used as resources for our participants and guardians. According to Program Director Chris Moreno-Hunt, “Gabby is counted on to serve many roles within our organization. She always rises to the challenge whether the it is to produce instructional videos, give speeches at fundraising events, mentor fellow coaches, coordinate outreach efforts, or empower and guide participants in class. She can do it all, and she does it all with efficiency and confidence. Every First Tee chapter and any organization would be fortunate to have Gabby on their team. Luckily for us, she is on our team and we are better for it!” With coaches like Gabby, our participants are in good hands. Thank you Gabby! If you would to learn more about joining our coaching team, click here to get started.