Coach Archives - First Tee

First Tee Level I Coach Training Recap

(First Tee Level I Coach Training Recap) On March 8^th, First Tee – Silicon Valley had 12 coaches participate in a Level I coach training. The Level I training is one of four First Tee National trainings that make up the First Tee Coach Program. The Coach Program is an educational training program that prepares First Tee coaches from around the country to effectively deliver the First Tee’s Life and Golf Skill Curriculum.

Level I training is done locally, and Levels 2, 3, and 4 are held at different locations around the country. Coach Chris and Coach Manny are both trained to deliver the Level I training for First Tee – Silicon Valley as Level 4 certified coaches and as long-time program staff – over 25 years combined.

The Training Program is primarily focused on creating experiences for coaches to learn the application of the Coach Building Blocks – Activity-Based, Mastery Driven, Empowering Youth, and Continuous Learning. Coach Chris and Manny delivered the Coach Building Block theories and best practices to the attendees who then had the opportunity to apply what they learned by delivering the lessons to each other.

“In coaching, we never stop learning,” says FTSV Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “Every class and every participant are different. The more we can practice best coaching techniques, the better we are at adapting to each individual and each class situation. That is why we have more than four First Tee – Silicon Valley trainings each year in addition to the National Coach Program that is offered by First Tee Headquarters. The more prepared we are, the better the experience for the participants.”

To learn more about becoming a coach and building your coach skill set, please visit our volunteer page, or reach out to [email protected], 408-508-4884

Published: 04-03-2025

Join Us as a Volunteer Coach this Summer!

(Join Us as a Volunteer Coach this Summer) We are looking for additional coaches to start this summer. The summer season runs the week of 6/10 and will end 8/9 with 7/1 – 7/5 off due to 4^th of July. Onboarding for the summer has started and needs to be completed before mid-May. Please consider joining our team by clicking here.

What does a volunteer coach do?

FTSV Coaches work together in our classes to deliver our structured life and golf skill program to participants ages 7 to 17 (training is provided). As a result, coaches help participants build character, and a form a process-focused learning foundation that will help them succeed in life.

Coaching with FTSV is not only an opportunity to help others, it is also an opportunity to improve your transferable skills. Throughout the season, coaches learn different coaching strategies and receive feedback on their leadership and communication approaches. We also deliver a coach training once before each season on research-backed coaching topics.

All of our classes have multiple coaches, so coaches are never on their own. We teach collaboration skills to the participants and so the expectation is that our coaches also exhibit the same collaboration techniques with each other, all in the spirit of self-improvement and support.

If this sound like a good fit, please consider joining us as volunteer coach and mentor! Please visit our volunteer page to apply. Email [email protected] if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you on the course!

Published: 03-07-2025

FTSV Trainings for Instructors and Volunteer Coaches

FTSV recently completed our quarterly, off-season coach trainings for First Tee – Silicon Valley Instructors and Volunteer Coaches. The trainings are tailored to facilitate growth in our coaches and expand on their coaching techniques. Thank you to the 23 paid coaches who attended the instructor training and the 55 volunteer coaches who attended the mentor training.

First Tee has 4 coaching building blocks

Empowering Youth, Mastery Driven, Activity Based, and Continuous Learning – that coaches around the country are exposed to through national trainings. At our local Instructor training we dive into the details of those building blocks and build upon our coaching techniques that are based on research and partnerships with established organizations like Positive Coaching Alliance and The Search Institute.

Our mentor training, held later in the day, provided our volunteers with specific coach framework that is rooted in the Activity-Based coach building block and provides coaching tips for each section of our classes. At the conclusion of this particular mentor training, we celebrated one of our volunteer coaches, Norah Yang, for her win at the First Tee National Championship this past summer.

Coaching is an ongoing journey of self-exploration and personal development, which is why we ask our coaches to attend all 4 coach trainings each year. It is also why we consistently identify and incorporate fresh and proven coaching tips that reinforce our coach approach and curriculum into each training.

FTSV coaches are the backbone of our program. They are the mentors that guide our participants and help them feel welcomed. We want them to always be learning and feel empowered to help others. Hopefully our trainings are accomplishing that goal. From everyone in the FTSV office, thank you very much to all our amazing coaches!

To find out more about how to be a FTSV Coach, please click here.

Instructor Training

Mentor Training

Published: 09-12-2024

Join us as a Volunteer Coach!

Join us as a volunteer coach! Has it been a goal of yours to get more involved in your community? To contribute in a positive way to others? To learn more about yourself, and improve your leadership, communication and problem-solving skills? If so, come join us at First Tee – Silicon Valley!

FTSV Coaches work together as a team in our classes to help participants develop their life skills, all while setting their own personal goals for what they want to improve during the season. Coaching with FTSV is an opportunity to not only help others, it’s an opportunity to help yourself. Throughout the season, coaches reflect on how classes are going and discuss different coaching strategies for delivering material, all while providing one another constructive feedback and advice.

FTSV Life Skills: Goal Setting

One of the life skills that First Tee teaches is Goal Setting. Our participants practice creating short-term and long-term goals, making sure that they are specific, time sensitive and do-able. With these skills, FTSV participants have been able to accomplish some pretty incredible feats in school, in their communities, and on the golf course. Our coaches practice their Goal Setting in a similar way, setting specific goals for themselves and what they want to practice while coaching. FTSV believes that everyone can benefit from clear goals and a growth mindset, participant and coach alike. Let’s level up together!

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 our fun life skill curriculum to the participants. We strive to maintain a 4 to 1 student to instructor ratio, so every volunteer and coach makes it possible to grow and accomplish this 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, while being a part of something bigger than yourself.

Ready to join us as a volunteer coach?

Does this sound like a good fit? Join us as volunteer coach and mentor! Please visit our volunteer page to apply. Email [email protected] if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you on the course!

Published: 05-08-24