March 2024 Archives - First Tee

Mentor Spotlight: Meet Jeffy Chang

The mentors in First Tee – Silicon Valley are the most important part of the program. It is because of their care, time and effort that we are able to make an impact on our participants. This month, we would like to highlight one of our amazing mentors, meet Jeffy Chang.

Jeffy Chang is a shining example of the role models we are proud to call our coaches at FTSV. For Jeffy, respect is everything. For others, for surroundings, and for one’s self; respect is the foundation that we build our character upon. This foundation is what’s key according to Jeffy, and that “this foundation is how [our participants] are going to approach life…it’s what they build on as a person.” Helping to establish that foundation of respect is an emphasis of Jeffy’s. Talking to the participants lucky enough to work with him, it is clear he is having a very positive impact.

Jeffy started volunteering in 2017

After seeing the impact FTSV was having on his children in their first couple seasons, Jeffy wanted to help make that same impact on others. He noticed, “For my kids, it was a safe haven, and a place that was familiar.” Jeffy began volunteering and never turned back, accumulating over 1800 hours of service to date. He coaches up to 4 classes a week and serves on our Board of Ambassadors, while also working and being there for his family. Once his kid’s started high school, they also joined as volunteer coaches, so now the Chang’s coach 2-3 classes every Saturday. First to arrive and last to leave on program Saturdays, the entire family puts all First Tee life skills on full display, positively impacting the supportive environment that exists at Rancho del Pueblo.

When asked about why they come back week after week, Jeffy said:

“When we were here on the weekends, I could sense more confidence in my kids. Saturday was their place; they knew how to interact and what to do. School is very different; you don’t see bullying at First Tee and it gives kids the space to grow and push themselves. When you push to challenge yourself, that’s that growth mindset.”

When talking to Jeffy, it’s clear that he sees the learning opportunities of First Tee going beyond what happens on the golf course. The learning doesn’t stop once the participants leave their session. These Life Skills will continue with them into all other aspects of their lives.

Jeffy has advice for parents of First Tee participants, saying:

“There are parents that think we need to just teach them golf, but all of our Life Skill behaviors/tips are things that should start at home; First Tee coaches just reinforce them. I encourage parents, if they aren’t going to volunteer, to please be involved in what we are trying to help their kids learn. It’s going to be that much more effective if you can talk with your kids at home about what they are working on in class and help continue that learning.”

Here at First Tee, we love talking with parents about the Life Skills that we are sharing in our sessions and how we would love to work more directly with them on ways to continue their kids’ learning outside of the golf course. All of the coaches are more than happy to check in. Let’s get to know each other better!

If you too would like to become more involved and make a positive impact on the kids in our community, please visit our website to learn more about the volunteer opportunities available. It is our mentors that make what we do possible. As the significant commitment of our awesome coaches like Jeffy reveal, the greater the involvement of high quality mentors, the greater the positive impact on kids.

Thank you, Jeffy, for all that you and your family give to our First Tee – Silicon Valley community, and thank you to all our First Tee – Silicon Valley mentors!

PUBLISHED: 03-14-2024

2024 First Tee Leadership Series

The 2024 First Tee Leadership Series in partnership with the PGA Tour Superstore finished this week. Thank you to the 12 FTSV participants that attended, and a huge thank you to General Manager Brad Hanson and his team at PGATSS Cupertino for leading the class!

What is the Leadership Series?

The First Tee Leadership Series is one of the exciting educational opportunities available to our high school participants. During a five-week period, 12 FTSV high school participants came together to learn about their values and strengths, to identify potential career paths, and to set goals that put them on the path towards success. Near the end of the series, the participants presented their chosen career and how their values and strengths fit within that career and illustrated what steps they plan to take in order to make it all happen. All participants received feedback on their presentation skills, and the series concluded with an informational panel hosted by First Tee Alumni from across the country. Of the 12 participants, we were allowed to select 5 that can apply for the upcoming Leadership Summit in Montana and the Leadership Academy in Atlanta.

In addition to their work and presentations in class, we were proud of how they listened and learned from each other, which are both tips for demonstrating our first life skill, Respect.

More Opportunities

This Leadership Series is one of many opportunities available to our participants through First Tee. From tournaments to workshops to academies, First Tee shows respect for the hardworking participants going above and beyond, and works to support growth and development. With the number of sessions taken, volunteer hours and by getting involved in other First Tee activities, driven participants set themselves apart and become eligible for these awesome opportunities. Please visit our website to learn more about what First Tee Silicon Valley has to offer, or reach out to Coach Phoenix at [email protected].

Thank you to everyone involved for making this opportunity a success!

PUBLISHED: 04-14-2024

FTSV Participant Awarded Ace Certification Status!

First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to share that Eliane Juang was awarded the distinguished honor of being Ace-Certified!

What does ACE Certified mean?

Ace is the highest level of certification at First Tee and less than 1% of First Tee participants from across the country achieve Ace certification. Eliane will receive local and national recognition from First Tee for completing her Ace classes and the post-class documents. More importantly, her work in our Ace classes helped her apply the First Tee Life Skills to college and career exploration, and to her give-back volunteer opportunities. The Ace classes also assisted in developing transferable skills that will aid her in her professional development.

About Eliane

Eliane is a junior at Lynbrook High School. She began our program as a participant in 2016 and volunteered as a coach since 2022. She excelled in our classes due to her attention to detail, initiative, and ability to receive feedback and turn it into tangible goals. For her Ace Career Project, she created a detailed spreadsheet with a list of internships, their requirements, and their corresponding due dates. As a result of her thorough planning, she was accepted for a research position in the field of Machine-Learning Drug-Discovery at the Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program.

“FTSV has helped me gain a lot of valuable life skills,” says Eliane. “These skills include building goal ladders, forming a go-to team, preparing for interviews, and writing self-reflection journals that help me identify what aspects of my goal I need to focus on. I am able to set goals with a positive mindset and be more motivated to step out of my comfort zone to try new things. From my Ace classes, I have learned the importance of taking initiative and going above and beyond.”

There are (4) 8-week Ace sessions, each with post-class projects.

Education – financial planning for college (budgeting, saving, grants, scholarships), college application process, school identification and exploration strategies.
Career – resume-building, interview skills, transferable, adaptive and content skill development, and professional correspondence.
Golf – golf psychology, optimal practice habits.
Volunteer – going above and beyond, learning transferable skills, networking, professionalism

To be an Ace-certified, participants must be:

at least 14 years old
be in our program for a minimum of 3 years; and attend a minimum of 2 seasons per year.
Attend our 4 Ace-Future Planning Classes (Career, Golf, Education, Give-Back)
Complete the 4 Ace-Future Planning post class documents
Submit a letter of recommendation
Be selected by a panel of First Tee National judges

“Congratulations Eliane for your outstanding work” says Program Director Chris Moreno-Hunt. “We are proud of your character and your desire to go above and beyond. You are humble, hardworking, and you make our classes/program a better place. I have no doubt you will be continue to be successful and utilize the tools learned in Ace to achieve your goals.”

To find out more about our Ace-Future Planning classes and how to be Ace-Certified, please reach out to [email protected] or 408-508-4884.

PUBLISHED: 03-13-2024

Kids and Coaches Seasonal Tournament

This past Saturday, February 24th, First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted our highly anticipated ‘Kids and Coaches Tournament’ of the Spring 2024 season. With a great turnout of twenty total players, ten participants and ten coaches, we were able to have an alternate shot tournament where each team was able to play 9 holes. Within the back loop of Rancho del Pueblo, these awesome participants were able to display the golf skills and etiquette they have been learning within our program. This was an opportunity for them to better those skills by placing themselves in a competitive environment where they are forced to focus on their pace of play and the improvement of their own game. From playing the 9 hole-round to participating in the challenges we held in between, Program Coordinator for South San Jose, Tanner Riley, was able to organize a fun experience for everybody involved.

Winners!

Playing through holes 3 through 7, the tournament came to a close finish with the top 3 winners being just points away from one another. With 37 total strokes; Ella Julian (4th grade) was able to place third with her partner, Coach Teri Kent. Closing with a total of 36 strokes, Thomas Do (3rd grade) and Coach Bob Dietz were able to secure second place. Finally, finishing with 35 total strokes, Riya Shah (2nd grade) and Coach Natalie Chen took the prize of bragging rights for this upcoming season by placing first!

Within this tournament, we were able to host small events where participants could focus on specific parts of their game. In the “closest to the pin” challenge, Damian Gutierrez (4th grade) was able to show off his precision on hole 7 by getting it just 26 yards away from the pin on his first shot. In the “longest drive” contest on hole #4, Jonathan Cholula was able to show off his long drive skills by hitting well over our 110-yard marker. Another great thanks to CourseCo for donating a certificate to FTSV for a foursome at Deep Cliff as a raffle prize. The winner was Christine Koh!

First Tee of Silicon Valley is beyond grateful for everyone’s efforts of making it out and being a part of our tournament. Coaches, we could not have done it without your participation and commitment to our program. Parents, our organization is forever grateful for the dedication you all continue to make week in and week out by bringing your children to these events. To our wonderful participants, we admire the growth you all have made and continue to make and we look forward to seeing you all again in our upcoming seasons!

The next event is scheduled for May 11^th. Contact Tanner at Tanner@ftsv.org for more information.

Adult vs. Junior Spring Tournament

Our 2024 Spring off-season provided opportunities for our participants to exhibit their life and golf skills as they continue to grow with our program. This year, on February 24^th, we were fortunate enough to have families come join us at Gavilan College Golf Course for an Adult + Junior Tournament. With Coach Manny’s wonderful coordination, we hosted a mentor-based duos competition with an alternate shot format.

Under the warm Gilroy sun overseeing the hillside, our golfers were able to make some memories that highlighted the values we teach at First Tee – Silicon Valley. From motivating each other after every shot to celebrating the small successes they each had, this tournament was full of positive reinforcement.

While every participant demonstrated their talents, we were able to celebrate some really great performances.

Overall Winner:

Asher and Derek Andersen

1st Place Winners:

Ben and Brent Hughes
Victor Kotlyar and Phoenix Jarrell-Desch

2nd Place Winners:

Allen Xiang Hao and Yuan Hao
Austin Andersen and Eric Wible
Leonardo Villegas Luiz and Michael Faraday

3rd Place Winners:

Wyatt and Brent Doiguchi
Henry and Vince Gutierrez
Adam and Robert Rosa
Tristan Hipolito and Beverly Llamas

We also saw some great pin point precision in our in-tournament challenges. The winners of our long drive competitions included: Victor Kotlyar for the 2^nd and 5^th graders, Ben Hughes for 6^th through 7^th graders, Tristan Hipolito for the 8^th grade and up, and Coach Phoenix for the adults. The closest to the pin winners included: Ben Hughes for his kids section tee shot 10.6ft from the pin and Brent Hughes for his adults section tee shot 7ft from the pin.

First Tee of Silicon Valley could not be more grateful for the success of the Adults + Junior Tournament. With everyone’s great energy, awesome golf etiquette, and overall attendance, we were able to host one of the most rewarding events of the year. As an organization that creates opportunities, we appreciate the effort everyone made throughout this tournament. We saw new golfers arise within the adults, and participants find new bonds with their adults – exactly what this tournament was all about.

We are beyond appreciative of all the coaches who came out to fill in as partners and helped us make this event possible. Thank you to our parents who came out to play. Your presence made a positive effect on the kids. To our wonderful spectators and supporters, we cannot be more happy to have such a great support system for our program and kids.

The next event is scheduled for May 11^th. Contact Manny at [email protected] for more information.

PUBLISHED: 03-13-2024

Girls Golf Play Day!

First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted our Girls Golf Play Day on Saturday, February 24^th at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. Twelve of our FTSV’s Girls Golf members had a fun filled day where they played various versions of golf with their mothers. It was a great opportunity for some of our parents to experience golf for the first time. Yenny, mother of Lizbeth, enjoyed the opportunity to golf with her daughter. “I am very grateful and happy for the opportunity that the Mother-Daughter play day gives us to be able to spend time sharing and enjoying golf with our children on the golf course. Thank you so much!”

What were they playing?

The girls and their mothers were challenged to play four holes of stroke play, two holes of frisbee golf, and two holes of soccer golf. The groups had a chance to work as team as well as play individually. Playing in larger groups gives our young participants the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills as they met participants from all three of our locations. Gracie, a First Tee alumni and current FTSV coach, witnessed firsthand how important these moments between mother and daughter are. “I loved seeing moms come out and join the girls this past Girl’s Golf event. It’s so important that the participants have someone in their daily life who is there to not only motivate and support them, but to also participate in what is enjoyable for the players. Through this event we were able to foster an environment where a different aspect of the mother-daughter bond could grow.”

Special thanks to Coach Gracie, Varnika, Salma, and Alexandra for guiding our families on the golf course!

At the end of their round, our families enjoyed a pizza party while they created a memento by taking a polaroid and decorating a picture frame. Our Girls Golf Play Days are beneficial events where our participants enjoy a stress-free environment with friends, old and new, led by our supportive group of female coaches. The next event is scheduled for May 11^th. Contact Manny at [email protected] for more information.

PUBLISHED: 03-13-2024

2024 Family Fest was a huge success!

Despite the cold and rain, our 2024 Family Fest was a huge success. In the late afternoon of March 3^rd, FTSV families came out to enjoy a delicious Barbeque meal, play fun games and activities and, most importantly, connect with other FTSV families. (Location: Mexican Heritage Plaza – San Jose)

A critical part of the planning and execution of this event was the FTSV Junior Council. Chris Moreno-Hunt wrote about the Junior Council “The group is comprised of participants that have been in our program anywhere from 1 to 12 years, and many of whom have also been junior coaches. They know our program better than anyone, and most importantly, they want to be part of group that can leave a legacy and positively impact families, coaches and participants of the future.” The Juniors took part in numerous planning meetings and experienced all that goes into putting on an event.

“We are so proud of our Junior Council for working collaboratively and taking on roles and responsibilities that were outside their comfort zone. As a result, they helped put together a fun and organized event, one they can be proud of!”

The Family Fest’s goal was to celebrate our FTSV participants, families, and coaches. We also wanted to promote community-building, participant retention, progression and supporter engagement. The event did that and more! The success of this event has led FTSV to believe we should grow the event and bring MORE families out.

“It was so fun to be together as a FTSV family.” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “We have many wonderful people involved in FTSV from our kids to parents to volunteers to staff that it was great to spend time socializing as a community. The Fest reinforced one of our top priorities – to ensure that FTSV is a place of belonging and growth for everyone.”

Special thank you to our Family Fest Sponsors

Ron and Ann Hallagan

PGA TOUR Superstore

Huston Family Foundation

CourseCo

Keep an eye on your calendars for the next Family Fest! For more information on these events and more, email Nicole Woodson, Marketing Coordinator, [email protected].

Click HERE to view all the photos.

PUBLISHED: 03-07-2024