What happens when you provide free programs? The results are game-changing.
With support from Southern Hills Country Club, host of this week’s PGA Championship, First Tee – Tulsa provides free character-building programs to everyone who walks through their door. JP Ray is one of many participants impacted by the program.
Riley Lisenbee
Riley is a fun young man to have at the First Tee. His creativity is evident, and it is no surprise that he enjoys playing the tuba and piano. He dreams of becoming a chef or inventor. His honest approach to practice and building relationships with his peers makes him a fitting recipient of this award. Riley has been a participant for 2 years now.
We are so proud of Riley and all the fun he brings out in everyone. He truly embodies this Core Value Award with his interactions with peers and coaches on and off the course!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a great time to check in with yourself and consider how you might be able to support others.
“Showing up for others means that you are there for someone when they need you,” explained Emma Laker, a participant with First Tee — Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky. “You show kindness by helping others and not just thinking of yourself. You give people the respect they deserve.”
Mental health challenges can affect anyone – from professional golfers to friends and family. In 2019, a third of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All of that is to say: If you’re struggling, you’re not alone.
Emma said it feels good to have people she can count on. “It shows me that I am surrounded by friends and family that love me no matter what. I can look up to my friends and family to help me through the rough times,” she said.
Who is on your go-to team? Maybe it’s family, friends, teachers and coaches. Building strong relationships is one of the best strategies for improving your mental health, according to the CDC.
Game Changers seek out good groups of people that lift them up and allow them to feel safe to be themselves.
If you’re feeling alone, there are organizations that can help.
It takes lots of courage to speak out about mental health issues you may be facing. By sharing your challenges, you’re not only helping yourself but others, too.
Recently prominent members of the sports world, from Simone Biles to Michael Phelps, have talked about their own struggles and the importance of destigmatizing mental health challenges. No one should feel embarrassed or scared to acknowledge the difficulties they’re facing.
Talking about your problems is the best way to find help! Some mental health situations do require bigger interventions, which is why it’s important to talk to adults about how you’re feeling.
As we’ve all seen over the last few years, there are periods when unexpected challenges appear. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many kids experienced the difficulties that come with virtual school, family financial troubles and even losing loved ones.
Fortunately, there are ways to help prepare for tough times.
The First Tee – Greater San Antonio was excited to host our inaugural Game Changer Luncheon, where we celebrated, in 2021, the over 1000 youth that were impacted by our First Tee programs. We awarded the Nine Core Value awards to 9 participants, as well as an overall Participant of the Year award and $2,500 scholarship to Kyle Mahan. Two corporations were also awarded for their Distinguished Service to the First Tee – Greater San Antonio. Mary Carriker, former executive director of the organization, was also awarded the inaugural Mary Carriker Commitment Award. Jeff Traylor, Head Football Coach at UTSA, was our guest speaker, with former FTSA Board Member Richard Oliver as emcee.
At the First Tee – Greater San Antonio, we empower youth to build character and life skills through the game of golf. The Game Changer Luncheon is our way to recognize our standout participants from the past year! These kids have gone above and beyond just being a participant in our program. They have made friends, been a mentor, volunteered, shown passion, and many other character traits that the First Tee instills. Below are the award winners:
Isabella Coronado – Courtesy
Hailey Creech – Confidence
Michelle Lee – Integrity
Zayden BroadnaxDeBerry – perseverance
Armond Walker – Respect
Jack Polansky – Responsibility
Dax Spencer – Sportsmanship
Honesty – Riley Lisenbee
Judgment – Riley Yount
Participant of the Year – Kyle Mahan
We cannot thank our donors and sponsors enough. Their continued support allows us to keep expanding our programs and allowing more kids than ever to learn about golf, but more importantly the character and life skills that First Tee instills in them. Congratulations to all award winners.
40 of our First Tee participants had the opportunity to celebrate with the Valero Texas Open Champion, JJ Spaun! Our players got to experience the emotion of a first time winner of a PGA tour event. There were many smiling faces with the excitement of meeting someone who has fulfilled the dream of working hard through the game of golf. Our game changers are inspired by players like JJ to be the best in a sport that they work so hard at every day. Due to the record setting charitable amount raised by this event, our players also got the pleasure of meeting PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan, and Valero Energy Corporation CEO, Joe Gorder who spoke with them about the importance about golf on and off the course. First Tee – Greater San Antonio is grateful for events like the VTO that creates special moments for our participants.
-Charlotte Davis
Every conversation can be an opportunity to learn something new, build trust with someone, and deepen connections. This happens when we build the skill of active listening and learn to treat listening as an active process – not a passive one.
Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. It’s about being present, listening to understand (not respond), and showing active interest and engagement in the dialogue.
Active listening is an important skill for all of us to cultivate. Not only is it an important leadership skill, it has been shown to promote mindful thinking, can reduce anxiety and depression, helps build relationships and can promote empathy.
At First Tee, we use a process called A-L-R to help build connection through active listening. This helps us to deepen conversations, keep them going, and get the most out of them. Here’s how A-L-R works:
Active listening requires work, but you’ll be surprised at how much reward there is when you approach conversations and communication with this skill. Active listening is just one of the skills we are supporting kids and teens to build at First Tee. Click here to find out more about our programs.
This week we’re highlighting one of our favorite father- daughter duos to have on our range! Russell (aka Hunter) is one of our Tiny Tiger lead coaches at the First Tee Learning Center. He leads the class his daughter, Loreley John, is a participant in!
Loreley John – Tiny Tiger participant
How long have you been golfing?
“I don’t know” – for a couple of years.
What are some activities you like to do outside of school? What other sports do you play?
Play with my friends and go to the park. Soccer, basketball, and swimming.
What’s your favorite golf activity?
Hitting balls really high!
What’s your favorite lesson you learned in class this session?
Hitting a ball sitting on your knees and with one leg.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
An architect!
Russell John – Tiny Tiger Lead Coach
Where are you from?
I grew up in a little town in central Missouri called Huntsville.
How did you first get involved with the First Tee?
I started volunteering right before COVID shut everything down and then started volunteering again last year.
What has your First Tee experience been?
I’ve appreciated the professional but still fun nature of the leadership and organization. They really seem to care about the kids and want to help you succeed as a coach.
What is your favorite part about being a lead coach for the Tiny Tigers?
I have seen a lot of young kids who sometimes have very little or no experience with golf having fun for an hour through golf. I love watching the kids get one in the air and look sheepishly back at you like it was an accident or excitedly yell something about their amazing air shot. It’s really fun to the see the growth and excitement every week.
What do you love most about golf?
I would give two key loves of the game. First, I get to spend an extended time in a relatively quiet and peaceful corner of nature. No chaos, no noise, and generally around enjoyable people. Second, the only person you have to blame or congratulate is you. There are bad breaks or unfair bounces, but it is a game, for me at least, where I compete with myself first and everyone else second. Because of that, it has taught me to compartmentalize bad shots and control my emotions that I maybe wasn’t so good at when I was a junior golfer. I can also go out and play with people who maybe aren’t as good and people who are much better without it impacting my game.
A bad day on the golf course is better than a great day in a lot of other places!
Charlotte Davis is a Corpus Christi native who has loved golf since the age of 10. After her first clinic of Girls’ Golf, golf became a huge part of her life story. She went on to play for the University of the Incarnate Word. After the completion of a Bachelors of Business concentrating in PGM, Charlotte worked to raise over $30,000 for non-profit, Broken Chains Recovery Center, through the organization’s annual golf tournaments. With the opportunity to continue to change lives through golf, Davis became a part of the First Tee staff as Program Specialist.
Tell us a little bit about your role as First Tee Program Specialist.
As Program Specialist, I serve as lead coach for our classes. I teach Tiny Tigers, PLAYers/Advanced PLAYers, and Par classes. I also help our coaches prepare for class by organizing lesson plans and set up. I will also be assisting in event coordination for the First Tee Invitational and our Annual Game Changers Luncheon.
What do you value most about your work with the First Tee?
I value the ability to reach the youth in San Antonio and teach them the skills that allowed me to have such a meaningful career in golf. The character skills that we instill in our program are so important, and it feels good to be apart of making the next generation great.
What kind of impact do you hope to have on our participants?
I hope to let them know that through persistence and confidence, they can accomplish many things. Through hard work, our kids can accomplish anything they can imagine. I hope to help them reach their goals in life and in their golf game by not only serving as a coach but a mentor as well.
What impact has golf had on your life?
Golf was the one sport I was good at as a kid. Through the Girls Golf program, I was able to overcome my circumstances and become a college golfer. The sport taught me how important and valuable hard work is. If I went to practice every day, it would allow me to preform better. Golf also showed me the importance of developing a strong mental ability to persevere in every situation I am in. Golf not only brought me my “Why,” but it brought me an education and a lifetime of friendships and memories.
What do you think is the importance of implementing our nine core values/life skills curriculum in our lesson plans for our participants?
The core values serve as great addition to the curriculum because they teach our players that it is equally important to be a great person as well as a great player. If we can develop our students to understand these values early in life and their career, success will come very easily for them. It feels great to contribute to the next generation of role models.
Golf is Cheap! Well it can be if you are part of First Tee – Greater San Antonio!
We are always looking for ways to add value to our program without increasing our costs and provide additional opportunities for kids to get on the golf course. THANK YOU to the Texas Golf Association Foundation for extending a discounted registration fee for the Youth on Course Program (https://youthoncourse.org) to all First Tee Greater San Antonio participants for $5! Youth on Course is a program dedicated to help junior golfers play golf at affordable prices. With a YOC membership, your child will be able to go play golf at 11 different courses in the greater San Antonio area for just $5 per round! Kids will also have access to over 1,700 courses across the country as well for just $5 a round!
We are also excited to announce that due to the generous support of the Kolitz Family Foundation, all participants will receive the membership for free. Families have received a special link to sign up their children for this amazing benefit! We estimate that approximately 500 kids will have this opportunity in 2022.
“Being able to provide affordable golf course access to our First Tee participants is a crucial element of our program. Getting kids on the golf course not only helps improve their golf game but teaches them the life lessons they can take with them on and off the course,” said Carrie Kimbell, Chief Executive Officer, First Tee – Greater San Antonio.
Thank you to the Texas Golf Association Foundation, Youth on Course and the Kolitz Foundation for this amazing opportunity.
Hi! My name is Marlo Zamora. I’m a Junior at Smithson Valley high school. I’m 16 years old and currently an Eagle participant in the program at the First Tee – Greater San Antonio. You will usually find me on the golf course. I also compete in numerous STPGA, Prestige, and TJGT, as well as high school tournaments. Golf has been a big part of my life since I was in first grade and has taught ME many life lessons. Outside of golf I really love competing in cross country races as well mini triathlons. I am also very involved in being an advocate in LGBTQIA+, racial equity, and women’s rights.
Over 8 years ago my mom took me to First Tee, little did I know it would change my life forever. The First Tee brought me a new love and competitiveness for golf as well as life long friends. This program has put many powerful and successful female role models in my life, showing me I can be and do whatever I put my mind to. It is my ambition of mine to get accepted into a D1 college for golf; through all the opportunities this program has given me has put me a few steps closer to my goal and I believe they will continue to do so.
Vincent Kabaso is the first PGA golf professional from Zambia. His path to PGA membership has been highlighted by Golf Digest magazine and was recognized in the US House of Congress for his achievements. He is also a published author of the book titled Raised by the World which highlights his journey to PGA membership from Zambia. Vincent currently serves as the First Tee’s Program Ambassador and has positively impacted the lives of over 350 youth just in the past year.
Tell us a little bit about your role as First Tee Program Ambassador.
My role is primarily focused on supporting our participants to develop essential life skills while also playing an active role in their career development. I am also tasked with identifying new program partners especially within lower income school districts. We have three new school partners this winter.
What do you value most about your work with the First Tee?
Playing an active mentorship role and seeing the impact of our program on out participants and their families
What kind of impact do you hope to have on our participants?
I want to be a go to person for all of their needs: career questions, development needs, and general youth development advise
What impact has golf had on your life?
Life changing, from the opportunity to travel and see the world to having the opportunities to give back in many different forms, I simply wouldn’t be close to where I am without the game of golf.
What do you think is the importance of implementing our nine core values/life skills curriculum in our lesson plans for our participants?
I think the core values are really the key to everything we do. The First Tee has a phenomenal record of helping in the development of young men and women who have integrated in society with distinction. The ultimate lesson about how to become a better and responsible human being far supersedes any athletic talent or achievement and being a part of that process is a great privilege.
Can you tell us a little bit about Zach, Timothy, and Michael individually?
Zach, the oldest of 4 kids, is a hard working high school graduate. He loves golf, is currently working at San Antonio Country Club, and is heading to Sam Houston State University in the Fall of ’22 to study business in the PGAM program. He is active in his church serving in the worship band and leading young boys in AWANA club. He enjoys hanging out with his family and friends. He enjoys hosting friends for game nights, playing his guitar, and playing ultimate Frisbee and golf.
Timothy, our third kiddo, is an 8th grader who loves catching lizards and drawing dragons. He is a cross country runner in addition to being a golfer. He enjoys helping in the kitchen cooking and baking, especially brownies. He is a thoughtful kid who thinks of others first. He enjoys serving at church in the youth program helping with the tech team, helping with preschoolers at VBS, and is a current participant in AWANA, studying God’s Word and memorizing Scripture. So far he has memorized over 250 verses. He enjoys hanging out with his family and friends reading, watching movies, and drawing.
Michael is our youngest in the family and he is in 5th grade. He enjoys golf, throwing the football with his brothers, wiggle boarding on his ripstick, reading, watching movies, and drawing. He is an active participant in AWANA studying God’s Word and memorizing scripture. He has memorized over 180 verses so far. He also enjoys learning Greek and playing dodge ball at Sunday school. He enjoys hanging out with his family and friends. He spends his downtime fine tuning his drawing skills and action figure model building.
What has each of their favorite experiences with the First Tee been?
One of Zach’s most favorite experiences with the First Tee would be participating in the first Game Changer Shootout, when Bobby Diaz helped coach the team. He made his best put to win his match. He also enjoyed participating in classes and growing his friendships with golf buddies. He was honored to have received a Perseverance award and Participant of the Year award in 2020.
Timothy is an overall easy guy. He really has enjoyed being able to attend classes, learning the life skills, and working with the coaches at the First Tee.
Michael has really enjoyed taking classes at the First Tee and has enjoyed his different coaches, playing the golf games, and he especially liked setting his personal record for his longest drive!
How and when did you all first get involved with the First Tee?
When we moved to San Antonio, 11 years ago, we wanted to continue golf as sport for our oldest. Coming from a smaller community that didn’t have something like the First Tee, we were really excited to find the program. Our oldest, Zach, started taking classes when he was 7, and as each one of our boys reached that age, we put them in the program too. Overall, we have ben a First Tee family for over 10 years.
In what ways do you feel the First Tee has impacted Zach, Timothy, and Michael positively?
The First Tee has a great impact on each one of our boys, in similar and unique ways. For each of them, they have benefited and enjoyed learning and implementing the life skills in their daily lives. I can see how each one of them strives to work hard, be better, and to pass on what they have learned to others. They really try to live out these skills in their daily lives. For Zach, we have seen him grow and mature at the First Tee. The First Tee was his first job and he got to Coach/Intern at summer camps. For Timothy and Michael, they have been able to fine tune their skills and they like to help collect baskets for Coach Steve, when they come the driving range.
What does the game of golf mean to your family?
I truly can’t say enough about how amazing the First Tee has been for our family. It has grown my sons in golf and life skills. It has allowed opportunities that have been financially beneficially for our family, such as the bucket discounts to encourage practicing more, the golf classes that set up playing opportunities, being able to participate in tournaments at private clubs and with pros, that we otherwise would most likely not get to play, such as the Brady-Nittoli, and getting to build skills for a life long sport. Since all my boys play, my husband gets to take them out for some great father/son time which have made for some great memories. It allows my daughter and I to cheer them on and be spectators. Being at the First Tee has allowed us to make great connections with golfers and golf friends.
And as parents, we are glad to have great coaches speaking wisdom and encouragement into our kids. It is great to see how those who work/volunteer for the First Tee classes, all love the game and want to see kids succeed on the course and in life. The First Tee has brought opportunities, friends, life long skills, and great joy to our family.
