A Thank You To All Fathers From First Tee

At First Tee, we notice all of the Fathers and father figures alike that go above and beyond for their children. Fathers are typically the first ones to demonstrate the core values and life skills that the First Tee reinforces. It means a lot to our junior golfers to have a role model and coach not just in golf but in life. To show our gratitude to all of the wonderful Fathers around the world, we want to highlight two inspiring Dads who have inspired their children and beyond! Max Hampton won our U.S. Open Sweepstakes First Tee’s U.S. Open sweepstakes winner Max Hampton will be taking his father to the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, California Father’s Day weekend June 15-16th. The Father-Son duo won roundtrip airfare for two and a three night stay for the annual national golf championship. Max, eight-years-old, has been a First Tee participant at First Tee of Southeast Wisconsin since he was six. His dad involved him in the program after seeing how the program focuses on more than just the game. He was intrigued by the emphasis of the Nine Core Values and using the game of golf as an opportunity to instill valuable life lessons like integrity, respect and honesty in kids. After seeing how much fun Max was having when he joined The First Tee of Southeast Wisconsin three years ago, Max’s younger sister and a handful of neighborhood and church friends were inspired to join as well. Max was thrilled about this as his favorite part of First Tee programs is getting to spend time with his friends. What are they most excited about for their upcoming trip? “We can’t wait to see a major played at one of the most iconic golf courses in the country!” said Max’s dad, Paul Hampton “This will be Max’s first exposure to a golf tournament and it’s going to be a really special experience getting to do that with him.” Kobe Narcisse won the Wells Fargo Succeeding Together Essay Contest Wells Fargo held a national essay contest for The First Tee participants asking youth to reflect on their personal journeys for success including their application of The First Tee’s Nine Core Values. The 2019 Succeeding Together™ essay contest winner was New Orleans high school freshman Kobe Narcisse. The fourteen year old has been a participant at First Tee of Greater New Orleans for seven years and has plans to play collegiate golf in the future. Kobe credits his father for sparking his determination to succeed in the game of golf. “We were talking about my future, and he sat down and he looked me in the eyes and asked me what I wanted to be in life,” said Kobe. “My dad told me, ‘If you want to get to where you’re at the top, you have to work harder than the next person, because others are working just as hard to achieve their goals.’ From that moment on, I began to look at life differently. Watching Tiger Woods’ Masters tournament win in 1997 inspired Kobe’s Father to take golf lessons and later he introduced Kobe to the sport. “I wanted to introduce him to something other than the sports kids normally played. He was a pretty good young athlete, and I knew he’d get exposed to the other sports naturally, which is exactly what happened.” With role models like his father and Woods, Kobe started his school’s first golf team and is living out dreams like playing at the 2019 Wells Fargo Pro-Am at Quail Hollow Club. Once again, we want to thank these two wonderfully active and committed Fathers for all they do. If you’re looking for a way to honor your Dad this Father’s Day, consider a donation to The First Tee to help us introduce the game of golf and its inherent values like honesty, respect and confidence, to kids and teens.