Thank you to the forty First Tee – Silicon Valley participants who took part in our annual Tag Team tournament on February 25th at Rancho del Pueblo. FTSV players of different age-groups competed in a sunny day of golf. Many of our participants paired up with a close friend from the program to participate in an alternate shot format. With an alternate shot format, participants were challenged to communicate and build strategies based on where their playing partner last hit.
The tag team tournament also provided opportunities for teamwork when deciding what shot approach to take, transitioning to the next hole, or while waiting for the group ahead to move out of driving distance.
At the conclusion of the tournament, our participants gathered around, ate pizza, and discussed with others how the day on the golf course went. This type of environment reinforces our values of respect and sportsmanship. Our goal is that every participant incorporates respect and sportsmanship into their self-identity.
Congratulations to our winners and everyone who participated!
RESULTS:
3rd – 4th Grade Division
1st place: Kazimir Zabinski & Wyatt Doiguchi
2nd place: Jordon Wong & Mateo Torres
5th – 6th Grade Division
1st place: Benjamin Hughes & Jesse Jang
2nd place: Andrew Leong & Evan Qiu
7th – 8th Grade Division
1st place: Brian Jackson & Vincent Vo
2nd place: Sean Morrow & Aariv Bathija
9th – 10th Grade Division
1st place: Leonardo Villegas Luiz & Salma Rivera
2nd place: Diyaan Mehta & Evan Santoso
Closest-to-the-Pin
Allen Xiang Hao & Evan Qiu
Sportsmanship Award
John Walsh and Victor Kotlyar
Concluding our tournament
We announced that we had a few secret agents scouting the field. Coach Robby and Coach Stefan were tasked with finding a participant displaying the best golf etiquette, sportsmanship, and integrity during tournament play. While winning is a great goal, we must never lose ourselves and who we want to be in the heat of competition. Two participants stood out the most and were awarded the sportsmanship award. Congratulations to John Walsh and Victor Kotlyar for their display of our First Tee values and life skills that we instill in every participant that joins our family!
Our next tournament will be the Chapter Championship on May 13th. For more information on our tournaments please visit our opportunities page or email Manny Gallardo at [email protected]
