While The First Tee celebrates 20 years of positively impacting lives, we also celebrate our “Chief Evangelist” as he enters retirement this year.
There’s no question Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. brought The First Tee a long way these past 18 years as CEO. Beginning with reaching a few hundred kids and teens to now impacting more than 5 million youth annually, Joe’s leadership is nothing short of visionary.
Celebrating Joe’s Work & Leadership
How do you thank a man who dedicated more than 18 years of his life, talents, and career to making a difference in young people’s lives? Countless messages poured in from across the country to wish Joe well and thank him for his leadership.
“I have the greatest respect for Joe Barrow. He’s done a fantastic job of leading The First Tee. Without Joe, The First Tee, I don’t think, would have gotten where it is.”
– Jack Nicklaus, Trustee of The First Tee“You’re the one that gave it [The First Tee] life, who gave it energy. You’re the one who took those nine values and inserted them into the program… You’ve done a great job, Joe.”
– Gen. Collin Powell, Founding Chairman, America’s Promise Alliance“You have been a pioneer, and a leader and a groundbreaker in the effort to bring golf to millions of young people. On behalf of everybody in the game of golf, congratulation on a tremendous job well done.”
– Tim Finchem, Former PGA TOUR Commissioner and The First Tee Board Chair
Thousands of chapter leaders, coaches, educators, industry leaders, participants, partners and alumni gathered in Orlando for our biennial conference and bid farewell. We took the opportunity to pay tribute to our fearless leader.
Donated and painted by artist Lee Wybranski
“A few months ago, an artist named Lee Wybranski reached out to The First Tee to see if there was something he could do to honor Joe’s retirement,” said Tim Finchem, former PGA TOUR Commissioner and Chair of The First Tee and World Golf Foundation boards. “Everyone across The First Tee network knows how much our country’s young people mean to you and how much of a champion you have been for them. We think his painting captures this beautifully.”
Thanks to an outpouring of our very generous supporters, we surprised Joe with a gift that keeps giving.
“I want to endow the Life Skills & Leadership Academy in Joe’s name,” said Fred Tattersall, Trustee of The First Tee. “And I am leading the effort with a $1M grant that started an endowment in your name. Beginning in 2018, we will now hold The Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills and Leadership Academy in perpetuity.”
An Impact on Golf, Character Education & Youth
Joe’s leadership brought about significant growth and distribution of golf and character education to young people from all walks of life across the United States and in select international locations.
The First Tee’s mission evolved from a focus on providing affordable access to the game to flourishing as a positive youth development organization, bringing the game of golf and intentional, character-building programs to young people at more than 1,200 golf courses, 9,000 schools, and more than 1,000 after-school locations.
“Joe has served The First Tee organization, the golf community and the young people of this nation well through his visionary and impassioned leadership,” said Finchem. “There is little doubt that his guidance has been instrumental in bringing the organization to where it is today. We are incredibly proud of and thankful for his service to the game of golf and young people through The First Tee.”
Golf is more than a game; it’s an opportunity to learn life lessons. At The First Tee, we center all of our lessons on positive youth development. That’s why The First Tee is honored and proud to be a 2017 National Sports Organization of Character.
Bringing Character Education to Sports
Character.org, the nonprofit organization that validates character initiatives in schools and communities around the world, began a new initiative. The Sports Organization of Character program seeks to recognize exemplary organizations beyond traditional schools.
“We recognize The First Tee as a genuine leader in today’s field of comprehensive social-emotional character development,” Doug Karr, president & CEO, Character.org. “As one of two organizations in the nation to receive this honor in its inaugural year, The First Tee has shown itself to be deeply committed to character.”
Our recognition comes after an almost two-year-long and detailed period of data collection, analysis, feedback, revision, field visitations and final submission of information.
“We are extremely proud of the inaugural group of National Sports Organizations of Character,” said Karr. “Their dedication to character development has proven over time to increase the well-being of so many young people, their families and their communities.”
Join The First Tee
Values like sportsmanship, confidence and perseverance — these are traits you expect youth to acquire through sports. At The First Tee, we include these values in each lesson as part of our curriculum. We use golf as the platform to help youth learn our Nine Core Values. Students learn about honesty by keeping track of their own score. Youth learn respect by beginning each game or round of golf with a handshake. Furthermore, we train our coaches to help students apply these values beyond the course.
Offered are 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. Chapters offer full scholarship or reduced fee programming for those with financial need.
FIND A CHAPTER
Milestone celebrated during biennial Network Meeting attended by 1,000+ representatives
The First Tee, a youth development organization introducing golf and its inherent values to young people, is hosting its 20th Anniversary Network Meeting in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 8-11.
Hosted at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, more than 1,000 representatives will be in attendance. This is the largest showing for The First Tee’s biennial gathering, demonstrating the network’s growth. Launching in 1997, the organization is now reaching more than 5.3 million young people annually through programs offered at golf courses, in elementary schools and at youth centers. Representatives from each area will be in attendance, as well as select participants, and for the first time, alumni.
The 20th Anniversary Network Meeting will kick off with a performance by Javier Colon, winner of the inaugural season of the NBC television show, “The Voice”. Throughout the meeting, attendees will hear from a variety of speakers including activist, fundraiser, and TED Talk speaker, Dan Pallotta; businessman, educator and New York Times bestselling author, Stedman Graham; Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Diversity & Inclusion at Northern Trust, Chicago, Connie L. Lindsey; and Dr. Ken Blanchard, leadership expert and co-founder of The Ken Blanchard Companies.
Golf Channel personalities Todd Lewis and Lauren Thompson will emcee The First Tee Gala Dinner on Saturday, November 11. At the diner, The First Tee Founding Corporate Partner Shell Oil Company will present eight “outstanding participants” with college scholarships.
Throughout the three days, attendees will participate in educational classes featuring professional speakers and networking sessions where they will exchange best practices.
During the meeting, Character.org will present The First Tee with the designation of 2017 National Sports Organization of Character. Character.org has been the national governing body validating school-based character development initiatives for nearly 20 years through the Schools of Character program. The Sports Organization of Character program is a new initiative that seeks to recognize exemplary organizations beyond traditional schools. This recognition comes after an almost two-year-long review process.
“This is a special moment in time for The First Tee,” said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of The First Tee. “This week we will look back and celebrate the success of positively impacting more than 14 million young people since 1997. At the same time we will be inspired to drive forward and be positive force for good.”
Barrow, who has lead the organization for the last 18 years, will retire at the end of this year. Former Nickelodeon executive, Keith Dawkins, will take over as CEO in January.
Held in conjunction with the meeting is the Outstanding Participant & Leadership Summit and the inaugural Alumni Summit. These summits are both interactive and educational. They focus on developing and honing skills so that young people can become leaders in their communities. Additionally, the Outreach Summit brings in-school and after-school partners together to interact and learn practical strategies for delivering The First Tee programs.
To learn more about The First Tee and its 20th anniversary, visit firsttee.org/20years.
For many kids and teens, meeting new people is intimidating. What you may not know is for most people, shyness is a learned behavior. Currently, as many as 40 to 60% of adults report being shy.
Effective meeting and greeting is a basic communication and social skill that can help build confidence in young people. But learning how to introduce yourself is just the first step! As youth become comfortable meeting new people, they start to learn more advanced communication skills for everyday social situations.
Developing Interpersonal Skills
Understanding how to form relationship is vital to young people’s success. While learning effective ways to meet someone and start conversations may seem basic, these skills are the foundation of positive values like confidence, respect, sportsmanship and courtesy.
We’ve heard story after story from young people that start just like this:
“When I first joined First Tee, I was a super shy kid… after a year in the program, I could easily go up to someone and introduce myself with no problem.” – Luke Shrestha, alumnus
Building Confidence Through Golf
82% of The First Tee participants felt confident in their social skills with peers.
How do youth overcome shyness and build confidence through golf?
Golf is all about socializing! Golf provides an experience to spend a few hours getting to know someone. Starting with that very first encounter on the tee box, to the very last putt, every round of golf begins and ends with a handshake. Throughout our curriculum, coaches and other mentors serve as models of effective communication skills. They help lead the way in communication techniques for youth.
5 Steps for Meeting Someone New
How can you make a good first impression? A greeting is a combination of speech and gesture. It involves the tone and pitch of the voice, as well as one’s expressions and body language. In short, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it.
When you meet someone for the first time, make sure you:
1. Face the other person.
This first step is easy. There’s no work involved – just turn your body to face the person you are meeting. You don’t have to hide!
2. Smile and look him/her in the eye.
Sometimes when we’re nervous, we look at the ground or avoid eye contact. But if you give a genuine smile and look someone in the eye, both of you will be more at ease.
3. Give a firm handshake.
A strong handshake creates a bridge for communication between individuals of all ages and backgrounds and sets the tone in showing respect for others.
4. State your name clearly.
Make sure you aren’t mumbling your name; speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard.
5. Begin a conversation using the Ask-Listen-Respond method.
Ask-Listen-Respond (A-L-R) is a conversation model for learning more about others and building relationships. Let’s think about what happens when you are talking to someone:
First ASK the other person some questions. Open-ended questions are usually the best conversation starters.
Then LISTEN to what the other person says.
Finally, RESPOND to what the other person has said.
Help Your Child Overcome Shyness
Is your child struggling with shyness? The First Tee may be the perfect place for you and your family. Research shows 82% of our participants felt confident in their social skills with peers. Our life skills lessons are woven throughout each and every golf class. And each of our coaches is trained to deliver our positive youth development programs.
Visit our locations map and find a chapter in your area.
Find a Chapter
Golf requires more than a good swing; it takes personal responsibility. Junior golfers must learn to be accountable for their own actions and be dependable. Each person to keep their own score, understand the rules, take care of their equipment, repair divots and rake bunkers. As youth progress through the program, they demonstrate even greater initiative and personal accountability.
Responsibility ON THE GOLF COURSE
Playing golf is about more than learning the basics of a golf swing. Succeeding in golf also means showing consideration to the course and other players.
On the golf course, junior golfers can practice Responsibility by:
Keeping accurate score
Repairing divots
Raking bunkers
Repairing ball marks on the green
Keeping up with the pace of play
Responsibility AT HOME OR IN SCHOOL
At The First Tee, our goal is to help youth take the skills they learn on the golf course and bridge these skills to life. We encourage parents and guardians to reinforce these values in everyday life, off the course. Coaches encourage kids and teens to practice this core value at home, at school or out in the community.
Here are 3 Ways Junior Golfers can Apply Responsibility Off The Course:
At home, remember to pick up your room and do your chores without being told.
Turn in your homework or projects whenever your teachers tell you they are due.
Wherever you are, always leave things better than you found them.
Why GET INVOLVED WITH THE FIRST TEE?
Golf is so much more than a game. Our programs use golf as a way to help your child learn how to set goals, resolve conflicts, develop leadership skills and more—all while having fun! With more than 1,200 locations, The First Tee offers programs to youth from all backgrounds and no golf experience needed! If you know a young person who would enjoy The First Tee, visit our locations map to find a local chapter!
Chapter Locations
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
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.
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:
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.”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
One of the most valuable lessons youth can learn in their pursuit of success is to learn how to react to failure and to persevere.
PERSEVERANCE ON THE GOLF COURSE
Playing with perseverance is a lot like playing with self-determination. Whether or not a junior golfer decides to keep going after a less than favorable outcome depends on how they:
1) like the challenge of a test,
2) view failure as an opportunity to learn new things and
3) make an effort to figure out things on their own.
Players will deal with errant shots, mistakes and face challenges that feel like roadblocks. At The First Tee, junior golfers learn to view challenges as opportunities to try something new as they pursue their goals.
PRACTICING Perseverance AT HOME
At The First Tee, our goal is to help youth take the skills they learn on the golf course and bridge these skills to life. As a result, we encourage parents and guardians to reinforce these values in everyday life, off the course.
Here are some ways kids and teens can practice perseverance at home or in school:• Ask the teacher to go over the answers you missed on an exam at school
• If you have a disagreement with your parent or friend, reflect on your role and have a conversation to better understand their perspective
• After missing the potential game-winning free-throw, stay after practice to shoot 50–100 extra free throws per day
• If you don’t get the score you want on the SAT, develop a different approach to better prepare and re-take it
• When you are struggling in a class or with an activity, keep giving your best effort regardless of the outcome
GET INVOLVED in the first tee
Perseverance, one of The First Tee Nine Core Values, means to persist in an idea, purpose or task despite obstacles. With more than 1,200 locations, The First Tee offers programs to youth from all backgrounds—no golf experience needed!
If you know a young person who would enjoy The First Tee, visit our locations map to find a local chapter!
Our Chapter Program
The First Tee teaches youth to be good golfers and better people. Find out more
From the school yard to the work place, we experience conflict in every stage of our life. The ability to resolve conflicts with one another is a critical life skill, especially in today’s divisive world. At The First Tee, we encourage participants to work out disputes for themselves whether they arise on or off the golf course.
4 steps To resolve Conflict: CARE
Looking for ways to resolve a conflict that meets the needs of both parties is challenging, but something youth should learn to strive towards. As participants of The First Tee proceed through the program, they learn CARE:
1. Communicate
Open communication is key in a dispute. Expressing how you feel about the situation and sticking to the facts will let the other person know you’re genuine in your actions. Focusing on the problem at hand and not what the other person did will avoid unnecessary conflict.
2. Actively Listen
Listen to what the other person has to say, without interrupting. Try to be objective. Then, ask open-ended questions to make sure each side understands what the other person thinks and how he/she feels.
3. Review Options
Talk over the options, looking for solutions that benefit everyone. Do not feel pressured to come up with one answer immediately. Bring in objective third party for ideas, if necessary.
4. End with a Win-Win Solution
This is the ultimate goal—to agree on an option that benefits both sides to some extent. When one party wins by aggressive behavior or one party simply gives in, someone is losing. And that means you get outcomes that do not resolve the underlying causes of the conflict.
More than a Game: The First Tee uses golf to teach youth ages 7 to 18 life lessons and leadership skills.
More Than a Game
Offered are more than 1,000 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. Chapters offer full scholarship or reduced fee programming for those with financial need so that no one is ever turned away for inability to pay.
It’s no secret perseverance is key to achieving your goals. Even the most successful individuals face their share of defeat – it is part of the journey in reaching goals. One of the most valuable lessons youth can learn in their pursuit of success is to learn how to react to failure and to persevere.
to persist in an idea, purpose or task despite obstacles
To succeed in golf, players must continue through bad breaks and their own mistakes, while learning from past experiences.
In golf, players come across hazards, which stand in the way of the pin. Life is the same way – obstacles stand in the way of our goals. Whether you hit your golf ball into the water or didn’t get the test scores you wanted in school, use these steps to drive yourself beyond failure.
4 Steps for Responding to Failure
The 4Rs can help you stay cool and control yourself in anything you do; in golf, other sports, at home, at work or school.
Step 1 Replay
Think about what you did and what you wanted to do. Did your expectations match your actions? If they do, then take a second to enjoy what you did well and store it in your memory. If you didn’t achieve what you desired, move to the next step.
Step 2 Relax
Feel yourself taking a deep breath, with a slow exhale. The more frazzled or upset you are after a fumble, the more likely you are to make another mistake. Make sure you are calm before moving forward.
Step 3 Ready
Think about what you will do differently next time. Say to yourself, “Next time I will …” and decide what your action would be in that situation.
Step 4 Redo
Imagine yourself doing it better. You can also take a physical practice swing or stroke that matches what you imagine. Visualize the success you desire and keep going.
FIRST TEE – IT’S MORE THAN A GAME
At First Tee, we use golf to teach youth from all backgrounds life lessons and leadership skills—and you don’t have to come with any golf experience! The First Tee helps youth become good golfers and even better people.
Our Programs
We all face challenges in life. Whether it is a sport like golf or life in general, few goals are ever achieved without encountering some obstacles along the way. Part of our mission at The First Tee is to equip youth to deal with challenges, no matter how big or small. Youth in our junior golf programs learn practical skills they can apply to any situation—on the golf course, at school, and at home.
how do we use golf to learn about reacting to challenges?
The First Tee coaches emphasize the need to make good decisions when facing a challenge. They introduce participants to the acronym: STAR.
STOP and take a deep breath.
When you face a challenge in life, the first step in deciding how to overcome it is to STOP what you are doing or what you are getting ready to do. This allows you to pause and gives your mind a break.
Think of all your choices.
The next step in good decision-making is to THINK of your choices. What are some of the choices you have in this situation? Take time to think of as many choices as possible.
Anticipate what could happen.
The third step is to ANTICIPATE the consequences (good or bad) of each choice. When you anticipate the consequences of each choice, think how the choice will affect your ability to reach your goals.
Respond by selecting the best choice.
After you have identified all your choices and you have anticipated the consequences of each choice, the final step is to RESPOND by picking the best choice. What makes something the best choice? The best choice is the one that helps you get to your goal. What one person considers the best choice may differ from what another person thinks is best.
The First Tee – It’s More Than a Game
With more than 1,080 locations in the U.S. and several other countries, The First Tee uses golf to teach youth ages 7 to 18 life lessons and leadership skills. Teaming up with experts in positive youth development, The First Tee helps youth become good golfers and even better people.
Learn More
During the 2016 Ryder Cup held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., The First Tee of the Twin Cities located in St. Paul hosted a private luncheon with special guest Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR. One of the chapter’s outstanding participants, Parker Reddig, was given the opportunity to speak to the guests about his how The First Tee taught him perseverance and how that core value has shaped his life.
I started playing golf from the time I could walk.
“Rain, shine, cold or snow, I found a way to hit balls. My parents knew at an early age I had a unique passion for a game, that, quite frankly, they knew very little about.
Being a young Midwestern kid in a state that lives and breathes hockey and other sports like baseball or football, I was quickly out on an island in terms of having friends to enjoy, play and practice golf with. It actually got to the point that I was being teased about what I loved to do as early as kindergarten.My friends did not understand my love for the game.
My parents came across The First Tee chapter in St. Paul and signed me up for the summer classes. Little did I know, at the young age of 6, that this would have such a major impact on my life.
Fast forward to today.
Looking back and being able to understand life lessons, I want to share what The First Tee has really meant to me.
Sure, the program and my instructors taught me about putting, chipping and hitting balls, but the real value I will take with me for the rest of my life are the Nine Core Values and the opportunities The First Tee has provided me through the years.
Of the Nine Core Values I was taught, I feel that perseverance has, and will continue have, the greatest impact for me into my adult life. Perseverance is having the ability to persist and succeed in the face of obstacles and adversity. To do this, you need to have confidence and believe in yourself. Not only are these the situations we all face in every round of golf we play, it is experienced everyday of our lives.
How i use PERSEVERANCE in my life
Growing up in a snow-covered state loving a game that you can only play four months a year was the beginning of my lesson in perseverance. Now I use it:
Doing my nightly homework
Learning challenging subjects in school
Helping friends and family when in need
And, most recently, writing and giving my senior speech (on perseverance) in front of 400 students and faculty
OPPORTUNITIES
Through The First Tee, I was fortunate enough to have been a junior on-course reporter for my chapter at the 3M Championship, a PGA TOUR Champions event. I also attended the 2013 The First Tee Life Skills & Leadership Academy in San Diego where we not only worked on our game but also learned even more about how to apply the Nine Core Values to everyday life.
Lastly, I need to share the most important and lasting memory The First Tee has given me.
I was selected to play in the 2013 Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach where junior golfers were paired with a PGA TOUR Champions player. My main goal was to have fun, but I also really wanted to make the cut.
Only the top 23 teams of 81 would tee off on Sunday. After Day 1, my partner, Jeff Sluman, and I sat pretty far outside that cut line at 1 under par. I could feel that goal and dream slipping away and knew we needed a strong Day 2. By the end of day two we climbed the leaderboard and found ourselves shooting 11 under par as a team that day and sitting in 2nd place.I found myself being announced on the first tee box, in front of a large crowd of spectators in the final round of a professional event at Pebble Beach on Sunday. This was another lesson in confidence and perseverance. I achieved my goal, which in turn created a dream come true.
What DOEs this all add up to?
On November 9, 2016, I will sign my official national letter of intent to attend and play college golf atFlorida State University.
Thanks to The First Tee and a long road of perseverance, this life goal has been achieved.”
Character.org, the nonprofit organization that validates character initiatives in schools and communities around the world, began a new initiative. The Sports Organization of Character program seeks to recognize exemplary organizations beyond traditional schools.
“We recognize The First Tee as a genuine leader in today’s field of comprehensive social-emotional character development,” Doug Karr, president & CEO, Character.org. “As one of two organizations in the nation to receive this honor in its inaugural year, The First Tee has shown itself to be deeply committed to character.”
Our recognition comes after an almost two-year-long and detailed period of data collection, analysis, feedback, revision, field visitations and final submission of information.
“We are extremely proud of the inaugural group of National Sports Organizations of Character,” said Karr. “Their dedication to character development has proven over time to increase the well-being of so many young people, their families and their communities.”
Values like sportsmanship, confidence and perseverance — these are traits you expect youth to acquire through sports. At The First Tee, we include these values in each lesson as part of our curriculum. We use golf as the platform to help youth learn our 
For many kids and teens, meeting new people is intimidating. What you may not know is for most people, 
Keeping accurate score
Playing with perseverance is a lot like playing with self-determination. Whether or not a junior golfer decides to keep going after a less than favorable outcome depends on how they:
1) like the challenge of a test,
2) view failure as an opportunity to learn new things and
3) make an effort to figure out things on their own.
Players will deal with errant shots, mistakes and face challenges that feel like roadblocks. At The First Tee, junior golfers learn to view challenges as opportunities to try something new as they pursue their goals.
It’s no secret perseverance is key to achieving your goals. Even the most successful individuals face their share of defeat – it is part of the journey in reaching goals. One of the most valuable lessons youth can learn in their pursuit of success is to learn how to react to failure and to persevere.
Step 1 Replay
The First Tee coaches emphasize the need to make good decisions when facing a challenge. They introduce participants to the acronym: STAR.
I started playing golf from the time I could walk.