Category: Blog

For most golf fans, the PGA Championship is something you watch from the gallery or on television. For four young people from First Tee – Greater Philadelphia, it’s where they’ll go to work. 

Lewis Cantres, Jake Ruppert, Hank Charlton and Andi Jones will serve as standard bearers at this year’s PGA Championship, walking inside the ropes alongside the world’s best golfers. It’s the kind of experience that doesn’t just make for a great story. For participants who are beginning to think seriously about their futures, it’s a glimpse at what a career in golf can actually look like. 

That glimpse is something First Tee – Greater Philadelphia is intentionally creating. 

The week before the tournament, dozens of participants attended the PGA’s Career Exploration Day, an event designed for young people who are curious about the golf industry, whether that’s merchandise and marketing, technology, engineering or tournament operations. 

Participants rotated through stations covering each of those areas, getting a firsthand look at what it takes to pull off one of professional golf’s major championships. They’ll also receive a ticket to attend a practice round the following week, so the learning doesn’t end when the event does. 

Learning the craft 

First Tee – Greater Philadelphia’s 2026 Caddie Academy graduated 67 new caddies this year, including seven girls, and several have already taken their skills onto real courses, including 14-year-old Sydney Schafer, who completed her first loop at Philly Cricket Club.  

“The Caddie Academy was an incredible experience for me. The trainings taught me all the rules I needed to know, along with respect for the players and the course,” Sydney said. “The training helped me realize the responsibility I need to take on for a job, caddying and beyond. The Caddie Academy has really set me up for success and prepared me for my future.” 

For these participants, caddying is more than a job. It’s professional experience in the golf industry, made possible through the training and connections of First Tee – Greater Philadelphia. 

In 2025, the chapter launched a new initiative in partnership with other local organizations: a greenskeeper training program designed to prepare students for careers in golf course management. 

The program reflects the chapter’s broader belief that the golf industry needs people who understand how to build and maintain the game from the ground up and that those people should reflect the diversity of the communities First Tee serves. 

Making sure the door is actually open 

To make First Tee’s golf and life skills programming more accessible, First Tee – Greater Philadelphia’s Access 2 Golf initiative provides transportation and meals to participants from partner organizations in specific zip codes from which getting to a golf course is a genuine challenge. 

In 2025, Access 2 Golf reached 21 partner organizations and 545 students, 88% of whom came from diverse backgrounds.  

From the standard bearer assignments at a major championship to the students caddying their first loops, First Tee – Greater Philadelphia is building something more than a youth golf program. It’s building a pipeline, one that connects young people to real opportunities in an industry that has historically been hard to break into. 

This spring, First Tee – Greater Philadelphia participants will walk through the gates of the PGA Championship not as fans, but as future professionals exploring what’s possible. 

Growing up in the Golden Isles, Addison Seban began playing golf because it meant time with her grandfather.

“He would bring me out to the golf course with him, and those are some of my favorite memories,” she said. “I didn’t really know much about the game at first, but just being out there with him made me fall in love with it. He was always really patient with me and encouraged me to keep trying, even when I got frustrated.”

Those experiences lit a spark in Addison that she carried to First Tee – Golden Isles, where she would go on to develop her golf game and grow as a leader.

Candles, clubs and commitment

Along the way, Addison found a creative solution to a familiar challenge: She wanted to play more golf, but new clubs weren’t in the budget. She started making and selling candles. What began as a practical workaround became a passion.

Her favorite scents? Pine during the Christmas season for that classic, cozy feeling, and eucalyptus.

All her hard work on the course, in the classroom and in service to others as a First Tee junior coach recently led to a major milestone. She earned an Evans Scholarship, a prestigious honor for young caddies.

“Finding out I earned the Evans Scholarship was honestly such an exciting and emotional moment,” Addison said. “I felt really proud of myself, but also just so grateful for everyone who supported me along the way. It made me reflect on all the time and effort I’ve put into golf, school and volunteering, and it felt amazing to see that pay off.”

The lasting impact of First Tee

As she heads to college, Addison said she’ll continue to use the values she learned at First Tee – things like integrity, confidence and perseverance. “Those are things that apply to so much more than just golf. First Tee has taught me how to stay positive, work through challenges and carry myself with respect both on and off the course.”

Those aren’t just words for Addison. They’re the foundation of everything she’s built and everything she’s building toward.

As for what comes next, Addison has her sights set on a career in professional golf, not as a player but behind the scenes. She hopes to work with the PGA TOUR and be involved in tournament operations someday. “I think it would be really exciting to be part of organizing or running events and being around the sport at that level,” she said. “Golf has been such a big part of my life, so I’d love to stay connected to it and build a career around it.”

With the Evans Scholarship opening new doors and a lifetime of lessons from First Tee behind her, there’s every reason to believe she will.

Being shy can come with lots of overlooked benefits. Shy people tend to observe carefully before jumping in, which means they can notice details others miss. They’re often good listeners, empathetic and self-aware. 

Still for parents of shy kids, it can be difficult to watch your child struggle to connect with their peers. You want them to experience the joy of friendship, but pushing too hard can backfire. Sports offer a unique environment where shy kids can build friendships at their own pace. In fact, our research with The Harris Poll shows that 94% of parents believe playing sports helps children build confidence and social skills. 

Compared to many team sports, golf provides a more measured environment. There’s time between shots for conversation, opportunities to observe others before acting and a shared focus that takes the pressure off constant eye contact or quick responses. At First Tee, we’ve seen countless shy children blossom as they discover that the golf course is a safe space to practice being themselves. 

But making friends doesn’t happen automatically. Even in the most welcoming environment, shy kids might benefit from a little coaching on how to connect. 

Facilitating connections with A-L-R 

At First Tee, we teach a simple framework that can transform how shy kids approach new friendships: Ask, Listen, Respond. 

Ask questions: Encourage your child to become curious about others. Asking questions isn’t about filling awkward silence but about discovering who someone really is. Help your child understand that questions about a person’s background, experiences or interests can reveal commonalities they never expected. 

Listen to understand: Many shy kids are already good listeners by nature, but in social situations, they may be preoccupied by worrying about how to respond. Introduce the concept of active listening: focusing genuinely on what the other person is saying because you’re interested, not because you’re preparing your reply. 

You can practice this at home during dinner conversations or car rides. When your child shares something, model active listening by giving them your full attention, asking follow-up questions and reflecting back what you heard. Then gently encourage them to do the same when others are speaking. 

Reflect and respond: The final piece is showing others that you were truly listening. Teach your child that responding doesn’t mean having the perfect comeback or the funniest joke. It means acknowledging what was shared and building on it. 

A simple, “That sounds really cool. What was your favorite part?” or “I’ve felt that way too,” can be enough to keep a conversation flowing and signal genuine interest.  

The beauty of First Tee is that it provides natural, repeated opportunities to practice these skills. As a parent, you can support this process by encouraging participation in group activities, celebrating small wins and being patient; some friendships develop quickly, while others take a full season to form. 

Learning to ask thoughtful questions, listen actively and respond with authenticity can help prepare your child for success in school, future careers and all of life’s relationships. At First Tee, we’re committed to creating an environment where every child can discover their potential both on and off the course, because golf isn’t just about the game; it’s about the friendships formed, the confidence built and the life skills that last forever.