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 and Golf Skill curriculum by finding and using coachable moments and by making the sessions fun and engaging. One of the 6 life skills that our coaches are responsible for teaching is Collaborating with Others. Coaches use our games to deliver impactful tools and tips needed to collaborate and communicate with each other.
Please meet our new Program Coordinator and Coach, Phoenix Jarrell-Desch
We are excited to welcome Phoenix to our team of Coordinators. He comes to us having served as a Project Guide and Fellows Coordinator for the Everett Fellowship program. He also served on the Americorps Disaster Specialty team and assisted at the Boys and Girls Club in East Palo Alto with their free meal program. Phoenix grew up in Palo Alto playing golf at Palo Alto Muni (now Baylands).
“Coaching with FTSV has giving me something I can feel proud of and excited about,” says Phoenix. “I love the game of golf and want to expose more people to it. Working with kids and teaching life skills just makes it more rewarding.”
“In the short time Phoenix has been with us, he has already made our program better,” says Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “He is driven, affable, and caring — all qualities that make our team stronger and translate to a great coach. We are fortunate to have him on staff and we look forward to having you meet him.”
Interested in Getting Started like Phoenix?
- 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 training on coach strategies, 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 support one another in the content and delivery. There will always be a paid, lead coach for each class coordinating the group of coaches.
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.
Join our team, learn/develop coaching skills, make a difference in the youth, and give back to the community! 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.