Category: Coaching

Coach Spotlight: Katie Rudolph

In this season of giving, we want to highlight those who have given so much to our participants. Coaches work tirelessly to teach values and life skills to thousands of kids each year. They are their positive role models to these kids during the most important years of their lives. We are so thankful for all they do, and want to highlight the everyday activities that make them a unique part of our mission. Katie Rudolph is one of these awesome leaders.

Katie Rudolph, Coach at First Tee of Metropolitan New York

How did you originally get involved with the First Tee?

I initially walked into First Tee of Charlotte back in 2010 when Jennifer MacCurrach was the ED. I was interested in volunteering, and I walked out with a job. I was simply going in to inquire about the program and fell in love with the mission, Jennifer and the then-program director, Kaitlyn Jarman. The three of us had SO much fun that first year. Every day was an adventure, to say the least. Without Jennifer (now the Executive Director in Austin) as my mentor, I wouldn’t have caught on as quickly as I did. I didn’t realize how many hats you have to wear in this job.

How long have you served as a Coach, and how has your job evolved over the years?

I initially started as a program coach. I moved to NYC and started at the Metropolitan New York chapter. There I started an all-girls program which evolved over the past seven years to include all of our campuses called Girls Golf and FORE. I took over running the Newark campus and have been overseeing the operations in Newark for the past six years. Because of our huge footprint in the NYC/NJ area, I’ve taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer for our organization, assisting our Executive Director in all things: fundraising, curriculum and staffing.

What was the biggest impact First Tee has had on your life?

I think it’s the moment you realize the kids watch every single detail about what I do. If I eat apples, the kids eat apples. If I look at my putt from the other side of the hole, the kids look at their putt from the other side. If I think my mom is cool, they think their mom is cool. Knowing you have that kind of influence is a special feeling and not one to take for granted.

What is the best part about your job?

Aside from the obvious that you get to help shape the lives of kids, the unpredictability of my day. One minute you can be wiping a kid’s nose, the next you’re giving a tour to a potential million dollar donor, and the next you’re helping a parent sign her daughter up for a college tour. No two days are ever the same, and I love that part.

What accomplishments are you most proud of, and what goals do you have going forward?

We’ve had so many success stories I am proud to be part of. I started Katie’s Golf Academy for the kids that are really taking to the game. We push the kids harder than they have ever been pushed, and that’s always exciting to see them start the program nervous and intimidated and finish more confident and proud of themselves for doing something so physically demanding. Recently, I’m most proud of being part of the team that helped bring a girl over from Kenya to play college golf. She grew up in the slums of Kibera and is now getting an American education and playing college golf. It’s wild to think that I was able to help another person in such a profound way.

Biggest takeaway from First Tee:

It boils down to the saying that if you don’t feel like you’re working, you must be doing something you love. This job is a labor of love. I always have a good time with the other First Tee coaches talking about all the little things we do on a daily basis that will never go recognized, but are the reasons a lot of us keep showing up.

You change kids’ lives every day as a First Tee Coach. Tell us a bit about a time when you witnessed such a change.

One moment that I always think back on…  I took some kids who had never been on the golf course before just to see it and experience what it was like. We were on the 9th hole near the clubhouse, and from the other side of the fairway I saw a kid pull a six-iron from about 100 yards, which was way too much club. Not too concerned because he hadn’t exactly gotten any off the ground yet, I didn’t say anything. Wouldn’t you know, it was the most beautiful shot that unfortunately sailed over the green, over the fence and into the parking lot right on top of the hood of a brand new car. Talk about a teachable moment. We left a note on the car with our names on it. The poor kid was a nervous wreck. Everything turned out fine and the owner of the car was really nice about it. Fast forward to the end of the summer, I was asking the kids what their favorite day of the summer was with us. The little guy that hit the car told me that was the best day of his life. When I asked him why, he told me that was the first time he had ever taken responsibility for something.  It was an “ah-ha” moment for me for sure about the impact we have.

Any other standout moments?

Too many to put into words! Does your child have a mentor like Katie in their life? They could! Learn more about our programs and find a location near you.

Why Should You Become A Mentor?

Mentoring relationships are a shared opportunity for learning and growth. Yet many who consider mentoring a young person don’t know where to start or are concerned they won’t be a good fit. It’s good to put away your worries and focus on not only what the relationship will do for the young person, but what the benefits of being a mentor could do for your life.

6 Benefits of being a Mentor1:

  1. Have fun
  2. Achieve personal growth and learn more about yourself
  3. Improve self-esteem and feel that you are making a difference
  4. Gain a better understanding of other cultures and develop a greater appreciation for diversity
  5. Feel more productive and have a better attitude at work
  6. Enhance relationships with your own children and family
During National Mentoring Month and all year-long, The First Tee celebrates and recognizes our coaches. Research has shown that young people in The First Tee refer to their coaches as mentors.
  • 84% of teens & 87% of alumni at The First Tee said their relationships with their coaches were meaningful and grew stronger over time.

The Power of Relationships:

Without caring mentors, positive youth development just doesn’t happen. At The First Tee, we take coaching seriously. We believe that a meaningful, quality relationship between coach and participant is vital to our program. See what our coaches have to say about the relationships they formed. https://youtu.be/gsG1WAYy3dE

Make a difference today

Offered at more than 1,200 locations, The First Tee program was developed by experts in the field of positive youth development and is delivered by trained coaches who thrive off the relationships made with our participants. Check with your local chapter to see if becoming a coach is right for you and change the life of a young person….and yourself! Find a Location
1 mentoring.org

What makes a good mentor?

If you’ve been fortunate enough to have had a teacher, supervisor or coach who has been a mentor to you and made a positive difference in your life, you know he or she wore many hats. Mentors act as role models, cheerleaders, policy enforcers, advocates, and friends. Mentors assume these different roles during the course of a relationship, and share some basic qualities.

A good mentor has:

• A sincere desire to be involved with a young person • Respect for young people • Active listening skills • Empathy • Ability to see solutions and opportunities • Flexibility

Above all, a good mentor is willing to take the time to get to know their mentee, to learn new things that are important to the young person, and even to be changed by their relationship. During National Mentoring Month and all year-long, The First Tee celebrates and recognizes our coaches. Research shows that The First Tee participants think of their coaches as mentors. Take a look at what some of our junior golfers have to say about their coaches.

How my mentor made a Difference

Braxton Caldwell, The First Tee of Pine Mountain “Coach Donnie Caldwell, PGA has given me great advice with my golf but more importantly, in my life. He has told me “make choices today that you’ll be proud of tomorrow.” I use to just make choices that seemed the easiest or most convenient. But now I take time to think about those big decisions and how my choices may also affect others. Without him and his advice, I don’t know where I would be with my life, and that’s scary. He has made me a better person and he has shown me how to make the most of my life.”
Coach Matt Bassler caddies for Charles Blount during the 2017 PURE Insurance Championship
Charles Blount, The First Tee of Greater Baltimore “My relationship with Coach Matt is extremely significant to me. He believes in me when I’m having an awesome time and when I’m having a horrible day. He was there for me when my father passed away and showed me that we don’t have to be blood to be family.” Alyssa Caraballo, The First Tee of Roanoke Valley “Coach Mary Beth McGirr has been a major influence in my life, helping me with golf and with learning critical life skills that will aid me throughout my life. She took me under her wing and has been a shining example for me to follow. Additionally, as a woman, she has been an amazing mentor and example of a strong , confident female for me to look up to and admire. Coach Mary Beth has been one of my biggest fans and encourages me to do my best. She takes time to talk about my golf, life, family and personal struggles. She has been an excellent example of a strong leader and businesswoman who consistently gives back to the game and the community.”

mentoring matters

Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter.

More Than a Game

Offered at more than 1,200 locations, The First Tee program was developed by experts in the field of positive youth development and is delivered by trained coaches… or as our participants say, mentors! Check with your local chapter about how you can become a mentor to a junior golfer in your community! Or how you can register your child. Locations

Mentoring Relationships Change Lives

Relationships matter. Especially mentoring relationships. In fact, they’re life-changing. Oprah has said, “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” And she’s right.

With a mentor, at-risk youth are1:

Research has shown young people in The First Tee refer to their coaches as mentors.
  • 81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities
  • 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities
  • 55% more likely to enroll in college
Yet 1 in 3 kids are growing up without a mentor in their lives.2 During National Mentoring Month and all year-long, The First Tee celebrates and recognizes our coaches. Research has shown that young people in The First Tee refer to their coaches as mentors. Our youth participants believe coaches care about them, help them set goals and inspire them to use the skills they’ve learned far beyond golf. The First Tee coaches build supportive relationships based on 1) empathy, 2) high positive expectations and 3) advocacy.3 When these elements are in place in a young person’s life, they experience better outcomes in academic motivation, social and emotional skills and personal responsibility. And high-risk behaviors decrease.4

How does it happen?

New research confirms after participating in The First Tee’s multi-level and multi-year coach development program, coaches are transformed over time from quality coaches to community advocates.
  • 90% believe they are better at coaching
  • 89% believe they are better at building relationships with youth
  • 86% believe they are a mentor

MORE THAN A GAME

Offered at more than 1,200 locations, The First Tee program was developed by experts in the field of positive youth development and is delivered by trained coaches. Our mission is to help prepare kids and teens from all backgrounds for success in all areas of life. Find a location near you
1,2 Mentoring.org 3 “A Lasting Impact: The First Tee’s Role in Fostering Postive Youth Development,” 2015, Springfield College Center for Youth Development and Research 4 Roehlkepartain, E. C., Pekel, K., Syvertsen, A. K., Sethi, J., Sullivan, T. K., & Scales, P. C. (2017). Relationships First: Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.  

Volunteering with Heart: Billy Brent Recognized as Volunteer of the Year

Billy Brent makes remarks during his acceptance speech.
What does it take to be a volunteer? It takes heart. And William “Billy” Brent has that and so much more when it comes to volunteering at The First Tee of Northwest Florida. “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” — Elizabeth Andrew Brent was recently recognized as The First Tee’s 2017 George H.W. Bush Shell Oil Volunteer of the Year during our bi-annual Network Meeting. A prestigious honor as The First Tee hails more than 24,000 volunteers. Executive Director Marty Stanovich shares why Brent is deserving of this recognition.

William “Billy” Brent has been a volunteer with The First Tee of Northwest Florida since the day we opened the doors at our first programming site, Osceola Golf Course—14 years ago this year. But he is much more than just a volunteer—he has been a Board Member, an Annual Donor, Mentoring Program Director and a friend to so many young people inside The First Tee and outside as well—and has privately funded multiple college scholarships for deserving at-need students from our area.

In his personal life, “Coach Billy” is a model for what we would hope our children would grow up to become. He began his adult life by joining the U.S. Army and serving with honor and distinction in Vietnam. Through his professional career he has been an area manager for Goodyear, a District Manager of the Pensacola News Journal and a truly talented and accomplished golfer in his own right, he played professional golf for five very successful years. Experienced as a caddy as well, he has long been involved in minority and junior golf circles as a teacher and mentor with the Par Four Golf Club.

While volunteering for us in the early days, he still worked 40 hours per week as an IT Specialist/Computer Programmer for the U.S. Government at Naval Air Station Pensacola—but he always made time after work and on the weekends for The First Tee of Northwest Florida. He has never taken a dime for his teaching; in fact, he has spent a great deal of his own money in support of our programs and our juniors and continues to do so even to the present day.

Following our chapter’s founding in 2004, he immediately stepped forward and volunteered his support and over the course of the last five years he has never missed a class. Recently, after playing in a weekend golf tournament out of state, he drove through the night and early morning back to Pensacola to attend a voluntary day-long coach training session—and then spent two hours that afternoon teaching and mentoring our participants. Such is his passion for The First Tee and for our junior golfers.

Coach Billy is a crowd favorite, always teaching with conviction and enthusiasm, with a great smile and animated personality. He truly has a unique gift: To always be able to communicate on the level of his students, no matter their age, ability or walk of life. A parent who has had two children in the program recently sent me a text message that simply said: “Coach Billy is The Man.” I couldn’t agree more, hence his nomination as our Volunteer of the Year.

Do you have a heart for volunteering? Join us at The First Tee.

Start Volunteering

Developing Leaders: Impact Beyond the Golf Course

How do youth at The First Tee grow up to be leaders and positive influences in their community? It starts with positive youth development. Developing leaders requires recognizing and enhancing young people’s strengths. That’s what The First Tee is all about. We use golf a way to create supportive and positive environments needed to build on those strengths. Through opportunities and positive mentoring relationships, youth today become leaders of tomorrow. Alumni, like 21-year-old Luke Shrestha from The First Tee of Fresno, amaze us with their talents and accomplishments. Luke shares in his own way how his chapter helped him become the person he is today.

Luke’s Leadership Journey

Luke Shrestha, alumnus, The First Tee of Fresno
When I first joined The First Tee of Fresno around the age of 10, I was a super shy kid that would be more likely to look at the ground than look someone in the eyes. I didn’t know how to introduce myself to another person properly and I hardly talked at all. I remember being skeptical of having to learn life values along with golf since I just wanted to learn about golf, but my mom signed me up anyway. After that day, every class that I went to I started to open up more and more and the shyness started to go away. After a year in the program, I could easily go up to someone and introduce myself with no problem.

Growing in Confidence

As a kid, I struggled with confidence, but The First Tee classes helped me become more confident as well. After many years in the program, I started applying to go to national academies that The First Tee offered. I got accepted to go to Kansas one year for a Life Skills & Leadership Academy, and to Virginia the next year for the College Golf Prep Academy. In both of those experiences, I met people that I still keep in contact with today and play some of the best golf courses in the country. I will always treasure those memories. Without The First Tee of Fresno, none of those life-changing experiences would have happened.

Giving Back to the Community

For a couple years during college, I coached for The First Tee. This was such a rewarding and educational experience for me to not only be able to help kids that may have been in the same situation I was in at their age, but I also learned how to teach and give back. I had to learn how create a lesson plan, deal with rambunctious children, and how to be a leader. Learning life skills, especially leadership skills, in The First Tee helped me many times and even got me a job organizing and partly leading a company.

Pursuing a Career with Courage

Today, I am in Los Angeles working fulltime as a music producer and songwriter. Through the things I learned in The First Tee, I have been able to work on platinum selling records and billboard number ones. I have been able to be in the studio with some of the biggest artists of today, and I have the confidence to know my skills and creativity are valuable. I know for a fact that without The First Tee, I would not be down in LA making music like I am now. The First Tee of Fresno not only instilled confidence in me, it also made me more driven, showed me how to go after my goals and dreams, and how to approach stressful situations. All the life lessons that I was taught as a kid, I still use today. Every session I walk into, I walk into with the same mindset I used to walk onto the golf course with. A mindset of leadership, confidence, courage, patience, perseverance and every single Nine Core Value.

Thank you so much to all my Fresno coaches for the guidance and support throughout the years. I would not be the person I am today without that guidance.

WHY CHOOSE THE FIRST TEE?

Research shows our youth development program has a lasting impact, creating better citizens and lifelong golfers in the process. Our program aims to get young people ready for life’s challenges and pursue their goals. Find a chapter in your area to get started! Our Program

How the Game of Golf is Making a Difference

Golf is Making a Difference

When you think of golf, you may see it as just a game. You go out on the course, swing a few clubs, play a few holes and tally up your score.
golf Noor Ahmed, Billy Hurley III, Adam Zakaria
Noor Ahmed, PGA TOUR player Billy Hurley III, Adam Zakaria
How can a game like golf make a positive impact on lives? Just how can golf make a difference? On April 26th we celebrated National Golf Day and why golf is much more than a game. Industry and political leaders came together on Capitol Hill to discuss golf’s benefits to the economy, charity, fitness and the environment. PGA TOUR player Billy Hurley III, along with U.S. Representatives, Senators and invited guests also heard touching stories about golf’s personal impact from two participants of The First Tee.

excerpts from their stories:

 
Congressional Breakfast golf speech
Noor Ahmed, The First Tee of Greater Sacramento

Noor Ahmed, The First Tee of Greater Sacramento

“In my very first moment with The First Tee, Coach Angie taught me how to goal set. I learned whilst standing on the first tee box how to shake hands with my playing partners, look them in the eye, say my name loudly and clearly and to tell them it was nice to meet them. I know that it sounds so silly but that was a huge accomplishment for me. Coach Angie noticed me—the shy, introverted girl in the corner that no one saw before—and through her small action she told me that I was a part of a group and that I was wanted. My journey with The First Tee began there. I made friends with other golfers my age, that would mold me in ways that I would never have imagined. My friends at The First Tee of Greater Sacramento helped me indirectly in other ways. I am an American Muslim, but for a long time I struggled with that aspect of my identity. When I chose to begin wearing the hijab, or headscarf, in 7th grade, I lost a lot of friends. They couldn’t see past the way I dressed or my faith, which made me question whether being American and Muslim were antithetical. I remember the first time I went to my chapter after beginning to wear the hijab and nobody even noticed, or if they did they didn’t seem to care. I was still Noor to them. I was a part of our chapter’s family and that was all that mattered to them and that is what I learned they mean to me.”
2017 Congressional Breakfast golf speech
Adam Zakaria, alumnus, The First Tee of the Central Coast

Adam Zakaria, The First Tee of the Central Coast

“In addition to the guidance I received as a participant of The First Tee, the lessons I learned have helped me succeed off the golf course. By embodying the core values of responsibility and confidence, I graduated as the Salutatorian of my high school and was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley as a Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholar, a distinction awarded to the top 2% of the incoming class. However, the academic rigor that I encountered at UC Berkeley was much greater than what I was accustomed to in high school. Rather than panic or allow myself to become stressed out, I decided to implement The First Tee strategy STAR, which stands for Stop, Think, Anticipate, Respond. After analyzing the situation, I realized that what I was missing in Berkeley was a Go-to Team, and therefore I began branching out to those around me for support. I got to know my classmates, attended my professor’s office hours, and spoke with major advisers. By forming support networks with those around me and putting a great deal of time into my studies, I have been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA as a graduating senior in the competitive major of Molecular and Cell Biology, and will be moving on to medical school this upcoming fall.”

MORE THAN A GAME

Offered are more than 1,200 locations, The First Tee golf and life skills program was developed by experts in the field of positive youth development and is delivered by trained coaches . Our mission is to help prepare kids and teens from all backgrounds for success in all areas of life. Chapters offer full scholarship or reduced fee programming for those with financial need. No one is ever turned away for inability to pay. Find The First Tee Location in Your Community