(2024 Annual Review) In 2024, 6,054 Course Participants and School Students, who were 85% Ethnically Diverse and 57% Low-Income, experienced our life skills and golf skills program. All of our youth development programs (on-course, in-school, and after-school) experienced growth during the year.
Expanding our course program at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course continues to be a top priority. About 10% more kids and teens participants took classes there in 2024 vs. 2023. Our school program also grew as we served students in more Title 1 schools than ever before.
Our central business challenge is to adequately invest in our capacity to serve the growing number of youth in our programs while increasing the quality of what we do. As a mentoring organization, our people are key to that quality. While we are extremely proud of our 2024 full-time program staff (6), part-time instructors (34), and volunteer coaches (203), we will always be helping our staff improve their positive impact.
FTSV is Changing the Game for MORE Kids: Meet Nico Hernandez, a long-time participant and volunteer Junior Coach (at Baylands Golf Links), Nico is now inspiring a whole new generation of young golfers.
Grateful for all that FTSV has done for him, Nico takes pleasure in giving back to the First Tee community, arriving early to help set up for the day’s activities, and staying late for tear down. Nico says, “I’m super passionate about doing whatever I can for our participants because I’ve been there myself. My goal is to become a future generation leader and understand anything they’re going through because I’ve experienced the same thing from my own time as a participant.”
Changing the Game outside the Golf Course
Nico’s enthusiasm and dedication extends beyond the golf course. He excels in a variety of pursuits, putting the skills of setting and achieving goals that he’s learned from First Tee to work. Not only has he become the fastest swimmer on his swim team, Nico also turned a dream into reality by starring in his own weekly podcast at school. He explains, “Setting goals is like laying out a path to improve and achieve anything you want. When I set a goal, I can easily visualize my progress. It boosts my mental well-being and helps me move forward. Through my time with First Tee, I feel like I’ve not only gotten better at golf but also grown as a person. I’ve learned how to set short-term and long-term goals as steps to achieve my final goal along with my coaches and friends.”
No matter if it’s academics, social interactions, or golf, Nico feels confident in tackling any challenge. His positive attitude and mindful approach to his activities has helped him and the people he’s around to flourish.
Mentoring is Priceless. If you had a mentor growing up, you know that having someone to listen and give guidance to overcome life’s challenges can be transforming. When we look back on the over 100,000 kids First Tee – Silicon Valley has worked with, we are filled with pride and joy knowing that our mentors and our youth development program was there for the kids of our community.
Our Kids Face Heavy Stuff. The pressures of social media, loneliness, mental health struggles, family dynamics, peer and family judgment, inequities of living in Silicon Valley and devastating world events are all adversely affecting youth. FTSV creates a supportive, safe, and positive environment where kids are empowered to be themselves, and feel included!
There are many Ways to Give to First Tee – Silicon Valley and help us Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Nico. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.
FTSV is Changing the Game for MORE Kids! Meet Norah Yang, a leader and role model in her classes as a FTSV participant and as a volunteer coach. She has been active as a participant since 2015 and began volunteering as a FTSV coach in 2022.
As it relates to her golfing acumen, Norah led her high school golf team to a league championship as a freshman and was awarded MVP in 2021. She has qualified for the USKids World Championship twice and the IMG Junior World at Torrey Pines. Additionally, Norah has placed high in several AGJA tournaments. Norah has represented FTSV at the First Tee National Championship at Stanford University in 2023 and at Clemson in 2024, and at the PURE Insurance Championship held at Pebble Beach in 2023 where she placed 3rd.
Norah responds to her golf achievements: “There are so many applicants for these wonderful events, and to be selected makes me feel so honored and proud. First Tee had supported me every step of my golf journey, from not even knowing how to hold a golf club to being able to compete nationally with amazing golfers. It has taught me so much…”
Norah on the lessons she has learned about setting goals, leadership and overcoming challenges off the course
“First Tee means a lot to me, it has taught me so many lessons outside of what schools offer,” says Norah. “For example, I use goal-setting skills to manage my high school activities and apply the Nine Core Values to deal with various challenges and setbacks in my daily life. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn with the First Tee, and I am so happy to now be in a position where I can start to give back by volunteering to coach incoming FTSV students.”
“It has been amazing playing at Clemson …” Norah said. “I have met so many amazing players from all the other chapters and had so many great experiences. Getting here and winning would not have been possible without First Tee – Silicon Valley and all the skills they have taught me.”
Based on her play at the First Tee National Championship, she will also earn a spot in the PGA TOUR’s Pathways to Progression program, which aims to support talented golfers from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the sport.
We are a National Leader. We lead the nation among the 140 First Tee chapters in several key program measures including the highest number of participants selected to national academies and leadership opportunities:
85% diversity 48% low-income
55% retention 1:4 mentor ratio
Our Kids Face Heavy Stuff. The pressures of social media, loneliness, mental health struggles, family dynamics, peer and family judgment, inequities of living in Silicon Valley and devastating world events are all adversely affecting youth. FTSV creates a supportive, safe, and positive environment where kids are empowered to be themselves, and feel included!
There are many Ways to Give First Tee – Silicon Valley Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Norah. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.
(Dakota Chang Attends First Tee Innovators Forum) Each year, a group of exceptional First Tee teens are selected and gather at the First Tee Innovators Forum, where they develop a meaningful service project to bring home to their community. The projects are focused on education, health, human rights or environmental sustainability. By bringing together passionate participants from across the chapter network, the Innovators Forum provides a distinctive enrichment experience, engaging teens who share a similar desire for learning and generating changes in their communities. First Tee – Silicon Valley participant Dakota Chang applied, and was selected to attended the event last month, where she deepened her understanding on community service, built relationships with change makers, and started to develop her own project to complete back here in the Bay Area. Thanks for representing FTSV in such a positive way, Dakota!
Connection between FTSV Goal Ladder & SMART Goals
During her time at the Innovators Forum, Dakota attended case studies and other workshops focused around creating and implementing community service projects. For her, one of the biggest take-aways was learning from Mia Bishop, a psychotherapist helping children and teens in Atlanta, GA. Bishop spoke about the importance of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals for a project’s success. Dakota immediately saw the connection between SMART goals and FTSV’s goal ladder, both emphasizing the importance of being thoughtful when planning a project and measuring progress. Additionally, Dakota was inspired to hear how someone could both build a career and give back at the same time.
“It was really cool hearing how she focused her career around helping others and making a difference. I was worried about having to split my time between community service and working, but after hearing about how Ms. Bishop built her job around helping others, it made me excited about finding that crossover in my own life.”
Dakota’s Service Project
Now back in the Bay Area, Dakota is continuing to plan out her own service project. Currently, she plans to partner with local senior living facilities to provide technology assistance. One of the biggest points she learned at the Innovators Forum was the importance of working directly with communities to develop solutions, so her first objective will be conducting interviews and surveys to identify where she could make the most impact. She is also taking our Ace Give Back project that will help provide additional guidance on making the most of her giving back experience. FTSV is proud of you, Dakota! Keep up the great work!
National Opportunities
If you are interested in learning more about the National Opportunities available in 2025, please visit our website or reach out to Coach Phoenix ([email protected]). National Opportunities are available to FTSV high schoolers and are free to attend. Participants are selected to apply based on multiple factors.
On November 20th, First Tee – Silicon Valley’s (FTSV) Coach Manny Gallardo was awarded National Coach of the Year across all First Tee Chapters world-wide! There are over 150 First Tee chapters, with over 5,000 coaches in the network. Congratulations Coach Manny on this incredible achievement!
Making an Impact
Coach Manny has been a positive force at First Tee – Silicon Valley for over 12 years. He began as a volunteer in 2012, became a paid instructor in 2013, and advanced to a Coordinator in 2017.
Manny has developed over 200 games, worked on resource videos for participants and parents, coordinated golf club donations to participants on financial need, trained other coaches on our building blocks and coach philosophy, developed and coordinated our girls golf and some of our pre-season tournament events, grew our outreach School Program in South County, and helped deliver parent orientations, all while coaching every season, 7 classes a season for the past 10 years! We would simply not be where we are today without Manny elevating our program experience.
“In the 12 years that I have been with First Tee, I can’t think of anyone who embodies First Tee more than Manny,” said Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “He is a special person who was meant to be a coach and a mentor. He is universally liked and respected by everyone; coaches, parents, participants, alumni, school directors, and board members because he is a great and caring person. He is driven by helping others, including everyone, and making the experience fun. Participants have credited him for their leadership skills, for playing competitive golf, for taking on new challenges, or for sticking with it during difficult times. Our program is only as good as the people who represent it and we couldn’t ask for a better representative.”
Read What Others Have Had to Say
Click here to read from other participants, coaches and staff about the impact Manny has had on them.
Congratulations Manny Gallardo National First Tee Coach of the Year!
Interested in becoming a coach and making a difference like Coach Manny? Please visit our VOLUNTEER PAGE. No golf experience necessary!
On November 9th, First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) hosted its Annual College Day Tournament where our 36 participants paired up with a collegiate player from Santa Clara or Stanford in a triple format tournament. For the second straight year, we invited 6 participants from the First Tee – Greater Sacramento to join us in our friendly competition. Thank you so much FTGS for making the trip!
Each middle school participant partnered with a player from Santa Clara women’s team while the high school participants partnered with the men’s team from Santa Clara and Stanford. All of our players put their life skills to the test by demonstrating it towards the college players. FTSV participant, James Carlo, in particular, displayed a proper First Tee greeting by removing his hat and shaking hands with Santa Clara’s coach John McCord.
Kayden and Varnika teamed up with Stanford’s Jay Leng and shared their experience:
“Being able to play with Jay at the College Play Day was such a great experience because it showed me how a college player like Jay approached the game and showed his passion for golf. Which gave an insight on the skill and commitment required to play at the college level. It showed me that it’s possible to continue sports after high school and it’s achievable.”
“Playing in the College Day Tournament was an awesome experience. I got to play with Jay, a college golfer from Stanford, and it was super inspiring—it definitely motivated me to keep working hard pursuing my passion for golf.”
In a very tight competition, we awarded medals to the top 3 teams for middle school and high school. Thank you everyone for playing with honesty, integrity, and having a ton of fun!
Annual College Day Tournament Results
1st Place
6th-8th Grade: Suri Lau (FTSV) and Ami Im (Santa Clara) score of 27
9th – 12th Grade: Paavni B. (FTGS) and TK Chantananuwat (Stanford) score of 26
2nd Place
6th-8th Grade: Jesse Jang (FTSV) and Chloe Lam (Santa Clara) score of 29
9th – 12th Grade: Kristen Tang. (FTSV) and Calder Overfelt (Santa Clara) score of 27
3rd Place
6th-8th Grade: Caroline Yuan (FTSV) and Brianna Park (Santa Clara) score of 30
9th – 12th Grade: Sophia Tang. (FTSV) and Matt Robles (Santa Clara) score of 27
FTSV is Changing the Game for MORE Kids! Meet Alexandra Varo. As a participant, Alexandra attributes much of her achievements to the support and skills learned at First Tee – Silicon Valley.
Alexandra’s achievements include:
FTSV participant and volunteer since September 2021
“I can say that I am a different person now than when I first joined First Tee – Silicon Valley,” says Alexandra. “I consider First Tee – Silicon Valley to be my greatest support system that has given me a place to practice and develop my personal skills.”
A recent graduate from Willow Glen High School, Alexandra is currently attending San Jose State University. She has been an outstanding participant with FTSV since she started in 2021 and quickly started volunteer coaching. As a coach, she has accumulated over 220 hours of service, giving back her time in a meaningful and effective way. Alexandra regularly attends our Girls Golf events as both a participant and a coach and assists at our fundraisers.
“I enjoy volunteering as well as participating in First Tee because it provides an environment where I am able to learn more about myself, learn important life lessons through golf, and gain confidence” says Alexandra. “Throughout the golf seasons, I have learned how to become a better leader and I enjoy assisting in classes to contribute to a positive and fun environment for participants. I look forward to continuing in First Tee as a participant and a volunteer.”
Our Kids Face Heavy Stuff. The pressures of social media, loneliness, mental health struggles, family dynamics, peer and family judgment, inequities of living in Silicon Valley and devastating world events are all adversely affecting youth. FTSV creates a supportive, safe, and positive environment where kids are empowered to be themselves, and feel included!
There are many ways to help First Tee – Silicon Valley Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Alexandra. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.
On Saturday, November 9th, a day of fun and friendly competition at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course: The Participants vs. Parents Tournament. Both kids and parents competed against each other in a match. In the end, it was the kids who came out on top, winning with a total score of 125, narrowly edging out the parents’ score of 130. The tournament was designed to offer a twist on traditional golf, with a variety of fun games and challenges throughout the course. Both participants and parents were given the chance to show off their skills, as well as their creativity.
Hole 3: Soccer Golf Challenge
One of the highlights of the day was the Soccer Golf Challenge on hole 3. Players took a break from their traditional golf swings and instead had to use their feet to get the ball into the hole. The rules were simple: no clubs allowed, just soccer-style kicks. The kids seemed to have the edge in this challenge, with their youthful energy and soccer skills giving them an advantage over the parents. The short, strategic kicks required for this hole had everyone laughing, especially when the ball veered off course in unpredictable ways.
Hole 7: Spin the Wheel – Random Club Challenge
On hole 7, things took a quirky turn with the Spin the Wheel challenge. Players had to spin a wheel to determine which random club they would use for the hole. From wedges to drivers, the wheel could land on anything, forcing participants to adapt their strategy quickly. The unpredictability of the challenge kept everyone on their toes, and the parents’ strategic thinking was tested as they were often forced to use a club that wasn’t the ideal choice for the hole. Still, the kids embraced the randomness, showing that sometimes, having fun is more important than precision.
Course Contests: Closest to the Pin & Longest Drive
In addition to the hole-specific challenges, the tournament also featured two exciting course contests: Closest to the Pin on hole 5 and Longest Drive on hole 4. Both contests were fiercely contested, with bragging rights on the line.
Parents Long Drive: Will (225 yards)
Parents Closest to the pin: Will (44 inches)
Kids Long Drive: Siwat (130 yards)
Kids Closest-to-the-Pin: Leo (10 inches)
While the final scores were close, with the kids narrowly winning by just five points, the real highlight of the day was the camaraderie between parents and children. The tournament wasn’t just about golf; it was about bringing families together, encouraging friendly competition, and making memories that would last a lifetime.
The Participants vs. Parents Tournament was a huge success, combining the thrill of golf with the joy of spending time with family. It was clear that everyone—whether they were swinging a club or kicking a soccer ball—was a winner in the end.
The sun shined bright as our participants gathered for our much-anticipated Girls Golf Autumn Play Day: A Fun-Filled Day of Learning, Practice, and Play. Designed to inspire our young golfers, we kicked off the session with the icebreaker: name badge creation. Each participant had the chance to design their own name badge adding a bit of personality and flair before heading out for a day full of golf and camaraderie with our coaches and two members from the San Jose State Women’s Golf team.
After creating name badges, we commemorated the day with a group photo. The participants gathered in front of hole nine to capture the moment.
On-Course Play: Putting Skills to the Test
With the group picture behind them, the participants were ready to take their skills to the course. Each hole had a different theme. On two holes, our participants played a round with San Jose State University team members Kate Roberts and Tessa Kremser. From tee box to green, the San Jose State Women’s golf team offered encouragement and advice when needed.
Our participants also competed the pumpkin patch driving challenge and the scare the scarecrow approach shot challenge. Our participants definitely scared the scarecrow with some awesome golf shots!
It’s a Wrap! Girls Golf Autumn Play Day was a Success
The day ended with our post game activities, food, and a raffle. Our participants enjoyed time taking photos in our photo booth as well as decorating fall portraits and mason jars. Our Junior Council, who helped put the event together had a few remarks regarding the event.
“I loved seeing the girls having fun and creating bonds while playing on the course!” – Coach Li An “It really brightened my morning seeing the energy and excitement the kids brought out to the Girls Golf event!”
“The girls were fascinated watching the SJSU golfers playing with them, having shared smiles and laughter throughout the day” – Coach Abigail
“I loved watching the kids interact with the San Jose State golfers. It made me so happy to see the girls surrounded by such positive role models as they continue to explore golf” – Coach Varnika
“Seeing all the kids get excited to take photos (Polaroid), crafts and just having a fun time together playing golf and interacting with one another was honestly the best feeling ever!” – Coach Chloe
The event was a perfect blend of fun, learning, and teamwork – showcasing the power of golf to create a community by bringing people together of all ages or experience. With events like these, it’s safe to say that many of the young participants will continue to grow in the sport, carrying with them the lessons they gathered in their Fall Play Day experience.
Special thanks to SJSU members Kate and Tessa for taking the time out of their day to give our participants an experience to remember.
Special thanks to our Junior Council who were tasked with putting together, budgeting, and coordinating the entire event. We’re very proud of you! Our Junior Council is made up of 20 high school FTSV participants. For more information on how to join, please email [email protected].
Lastly, thank you to Coach Gracie, Alexia, and all of our volunteer coaches for making this Girls Golf Event so memorable!
Next Girls Golf will be March,1st 2025. For information about these play days and more, visit Our Opportunities page or contact Manny Gallardo – [email protected].
Meet newly elected First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) Board Ambassador: Lorena Hathaway.
Lorena wants her journey to be a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and continuous learning which is in direct alignment with FTSV’s mission.
Lorena shared “I honored to join FTSV as an Ambassador, knowing the profound difference it can make for kids and teens. Golf has always meant so much to me and my family and I’m thrilled to share my passion for the game and its values with the next generation – especially honesty. Teaching young players to be truthful and act with integrity both on and off the course, is a lesson that extends far beyond the game and builds a foundation for lifelong success.”
FTSV is grateful that Lorena is also donating her time as volunteer coach.
Lorena has over two decades of experience in B2B marketing creating and executing high-impact demand generation campaigns for technology products and services. She has recently held Marketing Directors positions at Televerde, DataStax, Fenris Digital, and Precisely proceeded by almost 9 years at Pitney Bowes.
Lorena is a great addition to our Board of Ambassadors. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand FTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Deaton if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.
Changing the Game for MORE Kids: Meet one of FTSV’s most active participants – Isabella Herrera.
Isabellais a rising senior and has been a highly engaged participant since 2013. She has taken multiple classes each year, participated in our Girls Golf program, represented our chapter at PGA TOUR Superstore events, has volunteered at our community outreach events, and coached classes. Isabella is also an Ace program participant, taking on the extra challenge as she works to become Ace certified.
Amongst many of Isabella’s accomplishments and opportunities, she participated in the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow Jr. A five-day learning and empowerment academy. Attending participants participate in important conversations embracing topics of self-awareness, inclusivity, and community building. First Tee invites its partner, RISE, a national leader in the sports community championing social justice, to facilitate engaging and interactive workshops paired with introspective activities and reflections led by our nationally trained First Tee coaches.
The experience is designed to enlighten, inspire, encourage, and position our teens to be Game Changers in their current and future communities. The academy is the ultimate tribute to Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., a fearless champion of change.
According to Isabella “A game changer is someone who is constantly pushing personal and societal boundaries in order to create a lasting impact on the world around them.” She does so consistently in her role as a junior coach, leading and teaching by example. She also pushes herself as a member of the Youth on Course Leadership Council, advocating for her peers on a national level.
During the week, Isabella attended workshops, met inspirational people, and completed group activities all based around building leadership and teamwork skills. For Isabella, one of the most memorable actives was when she played golf with Victoria Arlen. Victoria is a four-time paralympic medalist in swimming, an ESPN sportscaster, and even performed on Dancing with the Stars, all after having to re-learn how to walk after losing the ability to eat, speak, walk and even more.
Changing the Game by embracing your self-identity
For Isabella, her biggest take away was about herself identity. “My self-identity isn’t something casual I brush past, it’s something I should fully embrace and be proud of. The more pride I have, the more connection I have to myself and that strengthens my self-identity. Putting myself out there when I play golf is what makes me special. Golf is traditionally a white male sport, so being able to not only represent girls but also Latinas when I am playing hopefully can help inspire others to do the same, not just in golf but in sports in general. Representation matters!” Isabella has been a voice for Diversity, Identity and Equality within the game of golf and continues to advocate through outreach and awareness amongst her peers and beyond.
Our Kids Face Heavy Stuff. The pressures of social media, loneliness, mental health struggles, family dynamics, peer and family judgment, inequities of living in Silicon Valley and devastating world events are all adversely affecting youth. FTSV creates a supportive, safe, and positive environment where kids are empowered to be themselves, and feel included!
There are many ways to help First Tee – Silicon Valley Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Isabella. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.
Changing the Game for MORE Kids: Meet one of First Tee – Silicon Valley’s long-time participants – Tristian Hipolito.
Tristan has been a wonderful part of our program since he transferred from the First Tee East Bay chapter 9 years ago. Tristan is one of the most active participants in our program, taking multiple classes every season, participating in all of our off-season events, and coaching on Saturdays. He is an empathetic and thoughtful individual who leads by example and is committed to self-improvement.
Leadership in Action
As a participant, Tristan continuously goes above and beyond. He speaks up and contributes to Life Skill discussions, works exceptionally hard on improving his golf game, and actively seeks out other ways where he can be of service. He recently represented First Tee in the national Participant Advisory Council in Florida where he was one of eight selected from around the country. Tristan is also a member of our Junior Council where he leads his subcommittee on raising money and donations for our chapter.
Tristan often speaks about developing these leadership skills through the Life Skill lessons taught by FTSV Coaches and Mentors. Specifically, Goal Setting and Overcoming Challenges. Tristan spoke about these skills at the FTSV 2024 OPEN Tournament:
Recently, Tristian was awarded the 2024 Dennis Kettman Memorial Scholarship. Each year golfers in the Dennis Kettmann Memorial Tournament raise funds to remember Dennis. Their generosity underwrites this special $5,000 college scholarship for a FTSV chosen participant.
We are a National Leader. We lead the nation among the 140 First Tee chapters in several key program measures including the highest number of participants selected to national academies and leadership opportunities:
85% diversity 48% low-income
55% retention 1:4 mentor ratio
There are many ways to help First Tee – Silicon Valley Change the Game for MORE Kids… like Tristan. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.
