WINTER 2012
GOLF PROGRAMS JUST FOR GIRLS LPGA-USGA GIRLS GOLF BUILDS CHARACTER AND CONFIDENCE
MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM STRETCHES DONOR GIFTS JOHNSON & JOHNSON BECOMES A LEGACY PARTNER
ALUMNI GO TO WASHINGTON
WALTER COSBY AND RAYSHON PAYTON INTERN AT THE WHITE HOUSE
IMPACTING LIVES FOR 15 YEARS THE FIRST TEE CELEBRATES A BIRTHDAY
MAGAZINE
THE FIRST TEE
More Than a Game
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S MESSAGE
O
n November 14, 1997, then-New York Times writer Clifton Brown wrote a story for the paper about an “ambitious expansion project” that golf ’s leading organizations were initiating. The story was about The First Tee, the nationwide project aimed at making golf more accessible and affordable to young people. The goals, announced the day before at a press conference in New York City’s Central Park and detailed in the story, included creating hundreds of new facilities across the country over the next decade. The announcement was attended by then-Honorary Chairman George H.W. Bush, leaders of The First Tee’s Founding Partners (LPGA, the Masters, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and USGA), World Golf Hall of Famers Tom Watson and Pat Bradley, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Earl Woods, among others. Within two years of stating that goal publicly, The First Tee had amassed more than 100 facilities open or in development. Fast forward to November 2012, 1 | THE FI R ST T E E M AG A Z I N E
15 years after it was founded, The First Tee network has grown to more than 700 programming locations (chapters now develop relationships with existing golf facilities), 5,000 elementary schools and 120 military installations. Perhaps more importantly, our mission evolved. Realizing the organization’s ability and opportunity to positively impact young people, character education and life skills programs were developed, becoming the hallmark of The First Tee. What’s most important about the progress over the last 15 years is it has created the opportunity for more than seven million young people to experience The First Tee’s programs, which are centered on its Nine Core Values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. These are values they learn through golf, but take with them to other areas of their lives, including school, jobs and situations with family and friends. When I joined The First Tee in 2000, fortunate to take the reins from the adept and charismatic
Tod Leiweke, I knew The First Tee had the potential to be a gamechanger. And that’s what we’re focused on doing. I’ve cited the statistics many times. One in four public high school students are currently dropping out and numbers are higher for Hispanic and African-American students. One in three children are either overweight or obese. Young people report feeling stressed and don’t always have adult role models or mentors on which to lean. And yet 94 percent of young people say they want to help make the world a better place. The First Tee can and will be part of the solution to some of the incredible challenges today’s young people face. To all involved in this effort over the last 15 years, a heartfelt thank you. The First Tee is more than a game, and you’ve proven it. Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Chief Executive Officer
HITTING IT BIG IN THE HEADLINES Being a positive influence in a young person’s life is a reward volunteers, coaches and staff members of The First Tee receive each day. Encouraging and guiding youth through the game is what they do. It’s why they love their job. It’s their mission. The First Tee is proud to highlight some of the extraordinary national media coverage from 2012 that shows how its efforts are changing the lives of young people across the country. These articles further spread The First Tee’s message and help reach its goal of inspiring 10 million additional young people by 2017.
“East of Eden, Golf’s Good Fight”
“A Building Project Across Generations”
“The Game Gave Me Confidence”
By Alan Shipnuck Sports Illustrated’s Golf Plus June 11, 2012
By Adam Schupak The New York Times July 7, 2012
By Elise Polk with Max Adler
In Salinas, Calif., a town divided by gangs, The First Tee of Monterey County has been a safe place for their young participants since 2004. With an emphasis on education, healthy choices and of course golf, TFTMC offers youth life outside of gangs. “[The First Tee] gave me the confidence and skills I needed to achieve my dreams,” says Pauline Nocon, a high school freshman who has been a First Tee regular since fifth grade.
The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach is a Champions Tour event that pairs junior golfers with professionals. It is a chance for the pros to give back to the next generation and share their wisdom and experiences. “This isn’t giving, this is taking,” says World Golf Hall of Fame member Tom Kite. “I come here and I’m around these kids, and I feel young again.”
Feeling isolated and alone due to hearing loss at the age of five, Elise Polk made new friends at The First Tee. “The atmosphere [at The First Tee] was friendlier than school, more inviting, and the little building became our clubhouse, a place we would go to hang out, do homework and play golf.”
Golf Digest September 2012
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MAKING THE CASE There is no greater reward than seeing a young person smile. These smiling faces are what elementary school physical educators often see as they introduce their students to the lifelong sport of golf along with The First Tee Nine Core Values and Nine Healthy Habits. The First Tee National School Program—in more than 5,000 schools—is presenting an exciting way to develop the character, confidence, motor skills and socialization of students by teaching them life lessons and the importance of making healthy choices. 3 | THE FI R ST T E E M AG A Z I N E
Research studies1 have shown that building good character leads to building strong students. When young people learn to show respect, exercise good judgment and take responsibility, it can have a profound impact on their academics and behavior at school. Studies also show that students learn best by “doing”— when they are physically involved in the lesson. The First Tee strives to put these principles into practice through its National School Program. Launched in 2004, interest in the National School Program has grown substantially across the country. The program takes place within the school day during PE classes, and is delivered by trained physical educators with age-appropriate curriculum and equipment. The First Tee is dedicated to measuring all aspects of its programs, and in 2011 commissioned a case study of one Midwestern school district—led by Vicki L. Plano Clark, Ph.D. with University of NebraskaLincoln at the time of the study. It also conducted two internal surveys of PE teachers in 2008 and 2012. Each look at the program revealed positive outcomes. Below are a few highlights. For more information, please visit www.thefirsttee.org. • In the 2011 case study, administrators and physical educators found great value in the program, reporting the curriculum was sound, well-written and teacher friendly, and that the equipment was durable, fun, complete and designed for children to succeed. • Students also reported in the case study they had fun playing golf in PE class and liked learning about it. Many students put names to 1
skills they had learned, such as putt, chip and full-swing. • The 2012 survey (more than 860 physical educators responded) revealed that 66% used the Nine Core Values in other activities they taught beyond the National School Program. • According to the 2008 survey (more than 325 physical educators responded), 98% reported the National School Program curriculum was very easy to understand and implement. The First Tee’s goal is to increase the number of schools offering the National School Program to more than 10,000 through 2017. Additional research is planned in 2013 and beyond.
A FOCUS IN FLORIDA About 200 physical educators in Tampa, Fla. became the students when they were trained on how to deliver the National School Program in their PE classes. Hillsborough County School District, the third-largest in Florida and the eighth-largest in the country, is offering the program to ALL elementary students beginning in the 2012– 2013 school year. Originally rolled out in Title I schools, the program is now offered districtwide thanks to funding from the Florida Golf License Plate.
Character Education Partnership, www.character.org
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RBS Achiever of the Year finalist Zakki Blatt from The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia celebrated at the event in San Francisco. He, along with co-finalist Jessica Martel from The First Tee of Northern Nevada, and eight semi-finalists, attended the 2012 U.S. Open Championship and had the privilege of meeting World Golf Hall of Fame member and The First Tee longtime Trustee Jack Nicklaus.
WINNING THE GAME OF LIFE How can a mother adequately thank any one person for making such a difference in her child’s life? This is an excerpt from a letter to The First Tee written by Zakki Blatt’s mother. Being named RBS Achiever of the Year finalist and receiving a $15,000 scholarship has allowed Zakki to embrace his own dreams and make them a reality. Although his life is fragile, The First Tee has given him a foundation of strength and the will to defy his severe medical maladies and complexities. Zakki is now winning the game of life for the first time. He makes goals and miraculously meets them. He also has a vision and plan for a legacy, all the while knowing he very well may have more to conquer medically. Most importantly, he has a foothold and a tenacious will to help others find peace and joy through golf. Zakki’s tremendous sense of 5 | THE FI R ST T E E M AG A Z I N E
humor has prevailed. He enjoys teaching other kids how to look past the bad and find the good. The good choices, the good shot, the good memories. When Zakki first arrived at The First Tee, he was tethered to me medically, emotionally and mentally. He was on oxygen and taking 50 doses of medication a day.
and education.
You have helped to fulfill my own wish, that Zakki not be held back from achieving his goals and aspirations and educational pursuits—to be able to achieve his own definition of success with the foundational values found in The First Tee way of life.
I am grateful for the coaches and mentors and all the supporters who help make The First Tee possible. The First Tee is giving Zakki what I alone could not. Thank you for believing in him. The transformation in his life has been remarkable. I promise you, his scholarship will be used to better humanity.
Being named RBS Achiever of the Year finalist allowed for one of his biggest dreams to become a reality—the financial means to start a college experience
I hope you can always think of him as an example of The First Tee mission really working. He is determined that his gift from The First Tee—a chance at a healthy life—will be spread and made possible to other kids in need of healing medically, emotionally, physically and mentally.
With sincere appreciation, Zakki’s mom
LINKING GIRLS TO GOLF Young people today, especially girls, are experiencing more pressure than ever. Peers, parents, school and media all influence a girl’s concept of how she should look and act. Women’s Sports Foundation-led studies have found that girls who participate in sports and are more physically active have greater levels of self-esteem and self-image. They are also less likely to partake in sexual behaviors or use illicit drugs1. Jeff Kent has two daughters enrolled in The First Tee of Greater Seattle and has seen the positive effects of the program. “Since joining The First Tee, my daughters’ characters have grown as a direct result of the Nine Core Values,” he said. “Both have called penalties on themselves, competed at the highest levels and most importantly are focused at school.” According to National Golf Foundation, only 19 percent of golfers are females. At The First Tee chapters, approximately 36 percent are girls and the goal is to grow that to 45 percent by 2017. The First Tee recognizes the need to increase their participation and many chapters are already ramping up efforts. More than a third of The First Tee chapters (73, as of press time) are already offering the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program, which provides an opportunity for girls to have fun and make friends while developing skills and fostering their enjoyment for the game. This program is one
of the key strategies to bringing more girls to The First Tee. Yet, some chapters have taken it a step further. The First Tee of Delaware, The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia and The First Tee of Raritan Valley are piloting a program that involves members of the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) and LPGA. The program runs all year and provides girls with instruction, coaching, practice, nutritional education and more. “The girls have become an informal team where they can support each other,” says Rebecca Dengler, an LPGA/PGA teaching professional who helped develop the program. “There have been many successes in the short time [since the program started] from playing in a first event, first-place finishes and making high school and college teams.” The First Tee of Metropolitan New York has developed Girls Golf and FORE!, a program available to girls ages 12 –18 that links participants with role models and mentors. The program confronts at-risk behaviors and educates girls to assertively introduce themselves, manage their emotions, resolve conflict, plan for the future and embrace diversity. By reaching its goal of 45 percent female participation, The First Tee can have a lasting impact on this important group of young people. You go, girls!
MassMutual Financial Group surveyed 401 executive business women in 2002 and 82 percent reported playing organized sports during their youth. Executive women believed that sports helped them in a variety of ways: • 59% thought sports gave them a competitive edge over others in the business world • 86% felt sports helped them to become more disciplined • 81% felt participating in sports helped them function better as team players in the workplace • 69% felt sports helped them develop leadership skills • 68% believed their past in sports helped them learn to deal with failure
1 Women’s Sports Foundation Report, Her Life Depends on It: Sport, Physical Activity and the Health and Well-Being of American Girls, 2004
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UP FOR THE CHALLENGE? To accelerate The First Tee’s goal of reaching 10 million additional young people between 2011 and 2017, Johnson & Johnson made an important investment in The First Tee chapters to help build their capacity to reach more participants and deepen their impact in hundreds of communities. The First Tee Chapter Matching Grant Program, made possible by Johnson & Johnson, will allow chapters to earn an additional $1 for every $2 raised now through 2015. Matching funds up to $10 million are available, giving the program the potential to infuse $30 million into the chapter network, increasing financial capacity and program delivery more than 65 percent over the four year cycle.
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“Our relationship with The First Tee has created a perfect opportunity to extend Johnson & Johnson’s longstanding commitment to children and families,” said Michael Sneed, vice president of global corporate affairs for Johnson & Johnson and a member of The First Tee board of directors. “We are pleased to help expand the reach of The First Tee’s character education programs and believe the young people who are exposed will greatly benefit from the experience.” With this commitment, Johnson & Johnson has become the inaugural Legacy Partner of The First Tee. Since it was founded
in 1886, Johnson & Johnson is devoted to many causes and campaigns that encourage healthy lifestyles and support those people who care for the health of others. “Johnson & Johnson’s decision to sponsor The First Tee Chapter Matching Grant Program is a major opportunity for the entire network,” said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive of The First Tee. “Every donation to a chapter matters and each donor’s gift is now stretched, increasing the chapters’ ability to impact, influence and inspire young people in their community now and in the future.”
TAKING ON THE WHITE HOUSE The First Tee prides itself on providing programs that reinforce life and leadership skills which help young people prepare for their future. “I’m so passionate about working with people and public service, and that’s what I did every day,” said Cosby. “I was part of a process of getting a response to people [who wrote to the president] and potentially making their day.”
The First Tee’s programs are making a difference. Many participants go on to have successful college experiences, internships and careers. This past year, two participants of The First Tee were given a special opportunity to intern at the White House.
Starting at The First Tee when he was 10 years old, Cosby continues to Walter Cosby meets Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). integrate The First Tee Nine Core Values into his college Walter Cosby, 22, is a experiences. Integrity was the core former participant at The First “Oh, I loved it,” said Cosby. “I’m value that stuck with him the Tee of Louisville and attends really so sad it’s over.” most, and he credits The First Tee Georgetown College in Kentucky. for keeping him grounded. During his time at Georgetown, Cosby worked in the Office of Cosby took on the role as the first and only African-American to hold Presidential Correspondence where Cosby will graduate in December with his Bachelor’s degree in he received and replied to letters an elected position in the student political science and a minor in sent to the president. His duties government. This past spring, he communication. He hopes to fit perfectly with his love for took on another significant role attend law school in the Northeast. helping others. as a White House intern. Both summed up their experience in one word: amazing.
Several states away in Oklahoma, another alumnus of The First Tee also completed an internship at the White House. Rayshon Payton, 24, worked in the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs where he had the opportunity to work with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett.
Tee Scholar in 2006 and spoke at The First Tee Congressional Breakfast, educating members of Congress about the positive impact of The First Tee.
Rayshon Payton visits the White House Press Briefing Room.
Like Cosby, Payton also assisted with public correspondence, acting as a liaison between the government and the public. “Our goal was to make sure
people’s voices were heard,” he said. But that was not Payton’s first experience in the nation’s capital. A former participant at The First Tee of Metropolitan Oklahoma City, Payton was named The First
“You have to be confident,” he said. “You have to believe in yourself. Believe in your goal. Think about what you want in life. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”
Payton said he is currently living that out. He will receive his Juris Doctor degree from the College of Law at the University of Oklahoma this spring. His goal is to eventually become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. WWW.TH E FIRS T TE E .ORG | 8
Ashley Diggs was a participant at The First Tee of Greater Texarkana for five years. He graduated in spring 2012 from Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas and is currently on a Marine ROTC scholarship at Tulane University in New Orleans, La.
A YOUTH RENAISSANCE The following is an excerpt from a speech that The First Tee Scholar Ashley Diggs gave members of Congress in Washington, D.C. in April 2012. The First Tee is about so much more than learning life skills and playing golf. It is about developing leaders, the leaders that our community, our country and our world need. Every chapter has participants who are making a positive impact in their community. We are using the lessons learned in The First Tee to connect with and serve our community. Due to an injury my freshman year, my dreams of being the high school swim team star came to an abrupt end. I felt withdrawn from my friends and family, and I began to
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fall into a sort of depression. Peer pressure and a need to be accepted by those around me began to engulf me. Without my athleticism I felt I had nothing to offer. The First Tee staff quickly helped me realize that The First Tee is about so much more than golf. Mrs. Mary Adams, our chapter Executive Director, took me aside and encouraged me to assist her staff with summer programs. In circumstances such as these, stepping out of my comfort zone really helped me develop the selfconfidence I needed to branch out in my community and in my school. A youth renaissance is occurring in our country, an enlightenment
of sorts, and at the spearhead is The First Tee, instilling within our youth the necessary values and confidence to become the best of the best, like so many before them. As I prepare to leave Texarkana and go on to college, I know that my participation in The First Tee will never end. I will always give as much time as possible to this organization, and in keeping in tune with its teachings, to my community as well. The Life Skills Experience transformed me from a shy, insecure child into a young man with confidence in himself and his abilities. The First Tee, locally, nationally and internationally, is my family, and family is forever. Thank you for your continued support of our important mission.
Champions Tour player and World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson serves as the advisory board chairman at The First Tee of Greater Kansas City.
PGA TOUR player Davis Love III helps to promote and raise funds for The First Tee National School Program near his hometown, Sea Island, Ga.
TEEING OFF FOR THE FIRST TEE When the PGA TOUR commits to something, there’s no turning back. And when it unleashed the organization’s energy and focus to assist The First Tee Campaign for 10 Million Young People, The First Tee benefited exponentially. Perhaps most visible were the PGA TOUR players encouraging television viewers to get involved as well as the significant exposure to the Campaign through public service announcements (PSAs) during telecasts. Less visible but equally important were the ways in which each area of the business considered how to get PGA TOUR fans—golf fans— engaged in The First Tee. From TPCs across the country (along with
many ClubCorp and Heritage Golf Group-owned courses) hosting fundraising events; an eBay auction offering exclusive PGA TOUR experiences; PGA TOUR Entertainment producing new PSAs and videos to highlight the effort; and the digital team helping to raise awareness through social media ... all hands were on deck. There is little doubt The First Tee would be where it is today without the support of all of its Founding
Partners: LPGA, The Masters, PGA of America, USGA and the PGA TOUR, along with Founding Corporate Partner Shell Oil Company. This group of golf’s leading organizations came together in November 1997 to begin the journey. They now, 15 years later, remain firmly committed to investing in young people by exposing them to The First Tee’s golf and character education curriculum. These guys are good. Really good.
PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem (left) is chair of The First Tee Board. He, along with Jim McGlothlin, Chairman and CEO of The United Company, co-chaired The First Tee Campaign for 10 Million Young People.
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REGIONAL ROUNDUPS Chapters of The First Tee offer programs at more than 700 locations in the United States and select international markets. Their efforts result in a positive impact on young people, their families and communities. Below are some highlights of the good works The First Tee chapters have provided during the year.
CENTRAL ATLANTIC
Growth, growth, growth! The First Tee of Roanoke Valley (pictured below) recently renovated and more than doubled the size of its learning center as a response to increased enrollment. Thanks to the support of local foundations and the chapter’s Board of Directors, the community rallied together to fund the project. The new addition advances the chapter’s indoor programming capabilities, including opportunities to engage participants and their families.
Can you hear the sounds of more than 400 children cheering? The First Tee of the Virginia Peninsula (Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg) sure heard them when world-renowned trick shot artist and paraplegic Dennis Walters shared his motivational story during the chapter’s summer camp. The chapter, one of five selected to host The Dennis Walters Golf Show in 2012, inspired these young people, bringing smiles to their faces and a picture-perfect sense of what things are possible if they put their mind to it. A special shout out to the local YMCA, which provided transportation for all campers at local branches to attend. 1 1 | TH E FI R ST T E E M AG A ZI N E
CENTRAL PLAINS
The First Tee of South Dakota felt “The Power of Love” when musical guests Huey Lewis and the News headlined a first-time fundraiser for the chapter. From participants to parents, everyone came together to enjoy the golf outing and evening of giveaways, auction and of course, good ol’ fashioned rock-n-roll. The funds raised through the event will support the chapter’s efforts to reach additional young people in the upcoming year. This year, Eagle-participant Chuck Spears (pictured below) of The First Tee of Central Louisiana is making history by becoming the first AfricanAmerican golfer to play for the Louisiana State University golf team. His inspiring accomplishments include becoming the first African American golfer to win the Louisiana State Junior Amateur–twice!–and being named a semi-finalist for The First Tee’s 2012 RBS Achiever of the Year Award. One of four “Outstanding Senior” participants at his chapter, Spears was honored by the city of Pineville, La. and the mayor during a city council meeting this year.
MID-SOUTH
A focus of The First Tee Nine Healthy Habit “friends” encourages young people to surround themselves with supportive people who can help them navigate challenging situations. The First Tee of Greater St. Louis (pictured below) brought that concept to the leadership level, hosting a “friendraiser” event to strengthen their relationships within the community. The chapter honored local leaders, raised funds, recruited “friends” to play in a fundraising golf tournament and even recruited an influential new board member. The event included a clinic for participants by local PGA TOUR and Champions Tour players and an evening function featuring college-aged alumni sharing stories on how the chapter had made a difference in their lives.
The First Tee of Greater Kansas City found a way to bring golf to students who may not be exposed to the game and its positive values by beginning a program for home-schooled students. The six-week program gives homeschoolers the opportunity to enjoy the chapter’s golf facility, learn more about the game and receive credited physical education
hours. Not only is this an opportunity for students to engage in sports, it’s a way for the chapter to expand its positive impact to more young people in the Greater Kansas City area.
MIDWEST
While The First Tee of Central Wisconsin is only in its second year, the chapter is masterfully mentoring young participants. Through a 10-week program over the summer, the chapter offered Lesson Leagues, where four participants spent time each week with a dedicated adult mentor (pictured below). Relationships were built as the mentors were able to provide guidance to the young golfers on everything from etiquette of the game to conversations around core values. The chapter offered scholarships for those with financial need, making sure all who sought an opportunity to connect with a mentor were welcomed.
Golf, great food and growth are what The Ruth’s Chris Cares Charity golf event meant for The First Tee of West Michigan this fall. Attendees, many of whom had not previously been involved with the chapter, were able to hear participants discuss their personal experiences and favorite Nine Core Value. The event also allowed the 1-year-old chapter to max out its fundraising goals as part of The First Tee Chapter Matching Grant Program, stretching donor dollars by matching $1 for every $2 raised thanks to Johnson & Johnson. The stage is set for growth and expansion in the coming years.
MOUNTAIN
NORTHEAST
The First Tee of Phoenix is reaching more than 80,000 young people each year, including students at 140 elementary schools. The impact the chapter is having was heard through a public service announcement (PSA) recorded by the chapter’s own Ace-level participant, Timmy Briones (pictured below). A top student and a scratch golfer, Timmy was selected to record a PSA for the Champions Tour’s 2012 Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Scottsdale, which ran on radio stations across the Phoenix-Scottsdale metropolitan area. Briones’ achievements include playing in the 2011 Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and attending The First Tee’s 2012 PLAYer Advanced Academy in Texas.
This year’s Credit Union Classic, an event on the LPGA’s Symetra Tour, named The First Tee of Syracuse its benefiting charity. Fifteen pros in the field held a golf clinic for 60 chapter participants, stressing the value of golf and life skills, while highlighting the players’ personal experiences in achieving success. The clinic also provided putting, chipping and swing analysis (pictured below). The tournament, to which the chapter brought more than 230 volunteers, helped raise $25,000 for the chapter.
What do The First Tee of Denver and the City of Aurora police chief have in common? A passion for impacting lives, of course! The chapter is partnering with Aurora’s police officers at community golf courses and public schools to deliver golf and life skills to young people, while helping them understand the role police play in protecting and serving the community. Volunteer police officers help with delivering programs to participants. This partnership has contributed to the chapter’s growth, which includes serving more than 2,000 participants at seven programming locations, plus community outreach activities.
Perseverance is no stranger to participants of The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia. Since 2009, the chapter has partnered with the Overbrook School for the Blind, exposing more than 100 students to golf and life skills (pictured below). Most of the students involved in the program face physical and mental challenges, but golf has proven to be rich in therapeutic value. Alumni of the program have also stepped in to help mentor and coach other students, including 2011 RBS Achiever of the Year, Patrick Molloy, who was instrumental in converting The First Tee curriculum into Braille.
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SOUTHEAST The First Tee of Tampa Bay is located in Hillsborough County, where every public elementary school physical educator (more than 200) has been trained in The First Tee National School Program, reaching more than 70,000 students annually. The First Tee of Tampa Bay has partnered with Franklin Middle Boys Preparatory Academy, a “golf magnet” middle school in the heart of Tampa, to take it even further (pictured below). Nearly 100 middle school students participate in the academy, which integrates The First Tee curriculum into its daily academics, and transports many students to the chapter for after-school programs. The school recently opened a new golf training center at which every sixth grader will now experience The First Tee’s PLAYer level program during their PE curriculum. The chapter will also work with the school to offer opportunities for team competition for students at the school and a nearby girls preparatory school.
The First Tee of Miami is swinging into the technological age of golf by opening its Family Learning Center this year. The new, modernized facility will focus on advanced player development 1 3 | TH E FI R ST T E E M AG A ZI N E
and serve as a safe place for chapter participants to spend time during non-programming hours. The First Tee of Miami is known for the diversity of its participants and competitive players. The chapter partners with 72 Dade County public schools, serving over 35,000 students. The state-of-the-art learning center will allow continued progression of participants at all skill levels, including those with special needs. It will also allow the chapter to provide after-school tutoring and mentoring.
WEST For the fourth year in a row, The First Tee of San Francisco has been building up its “Future Foursome” program, which reaches young people living in some of the city’s most violent and impoverished neighborhoods. Coaches personally picked up 60 of the 100 participants from their homes each day and brought them to the chapter, where they enjoyed healthy meals and spent time at the learning center working on their golf game, other physical activities, reading and tutoring. The participants were given an assignment to create a plan for developing their own golf hole, including the budget and design work, which they presented at the end of the program. The First Tee of Fresno’s Yosemite Middle School Golf Academy is more than an afterschool program. At an inner-city school that faces daily lockdowns and gang influences, many of the school’s students had never been exposed to golf. Through the Academy, The First Tee of Fresno provides a 100 percent scholarship-based opportunity for students. The school district provides bus trips every week for the young golfers to experience different golf courses in the area. After two years, the
program has doubled in size, with more than 200 students enrolled, and has inspired the school’s first competitive golf team (pictured below).
INTERNATIONAL Golf is much more than a game— it’s an opportunity for families to come together. Thanks to the help of Respond! Housing Association, Ireland’s leading provider of social housing, The First Tee of Ireland successfully completed an eightweek pilot program designed to give participants and parents the chance to spend time together (pictured below). Participants, along with their parent or guardian, enjoyed the fun of golf and other activities while learning and discussing meaningful life skills and how they can positively affect their lives. The chapter received positive feedback on the pilot and is looking to expand the program to involve more participants and adults in the future.
THE FIRST TEE’S MISSION To impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.
EXPANDING IMPACT Golf Channel Provides Significant Exposure for The First Tee The First Tee’s impact has always been strengthened by the support it receives from some of the game’s most respected and influential organizations. One of those is Golf Channel, which earlier this year became the Proud Media Partner of The First Tee.
Several chapters of The First Tee have shared with McCarley numerous accounts of increased interest from golfers in their communities because of stories they have seen on Golf Channel. “It’s that impact that makes all of us proud to make a difference in the lives of young people,” said McCarley.
“The First Tee’s mission is one that Golf Channel believes in,” said Mike McCarley, president of Golf Channel. “We have taken great pride in this partnership and sharing The First Tee’s positive impact with our audience to motivate more adults to get involved as volunteers, coaches and mentors.”
As part of the partnership, Golf Channel also dedicated the first Wednesday of each month as The First Tee Wednesday and the entire month of June as The First Tee Month, drawing attention to unique aspects of The First Tee’s programs, including the Nine Core Values and Nine Healthy Habits. Additionally, Golf Channel has become heavily involved with the Central Florida chapter, helping to get this new chapter off the ground. With Arnold Palmer serving as Honorary Chairman of the board, McCarley, along with Ken Griffey Jr., Doc Rivers, Annika Sorenstam and Tracey Stewart all sit on the Board of Directors. The partnership will continue to strengthen in 2013 with more opportunities to highlight the mission and impact of The First Tee and the unique programs happening at chapters.
Since announcing the partnership in February 2012, Golf Channel’s coverage has provided exposure that has led to greater awareness of The First Tee’s programs and inspired others to embrace its mission. Coverage has included monthly guest appearances on shows such as Morning Drive and The Golf Fix with Michael Breed, feature stories on Golf Central and expanded coverage of participant opportunities, including the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.
The First Tee recognizes corporations that made first-time commitments to our organization in 2012*
LEGACY PARTNER
CORPORATE TRUSTEES
CORPORATE PARTNERS Blackbaud Bright Mountain Golf Resorts International
ANNIKA SORENSTAM, spokesperson for The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits, appeared on Golf Channel on Oct. 3, 2012 for The First Tee Wednesday.
Golf Tournament in a Box Grip Guides Ideal Sports Solutions Miles Stickers Prize Possessions Shot Markers Skillzys SKLZ Stonehouse Publishing Company *as of September 1, 2012 WWW.TH E FIRS T TE E .ORG | 14
425 South Legacy Trail St. Augustine, Florida 32092 904-940-4300 www.thefirsttee.org
A LITTLE HELP FROM THE KING World Golf Hall of Fame member Arnold Palmer, who became a Trustee of The First Tee in 2012, graciously appeared in a public service announcement for the organization in support of The First Tee Campaign for 10 Million Young People.
The First Tee is a nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.