Category: Uncategorized

Frame by Frame Program Making an Impact

Our Character Development Mobile Unit has been consistently working with youth in various schools throughout the Springdale School District since January 2021. This program has been an incredible outreach tool for us to be able to impact youth that are in home situations that keep them from being able to participate in our programming at our Lowell facility. We have been fortunate to have some incredible teachers, counselors, and staff at the school district that has helped us with this endeavor. One staff member that has gone above and beyond with our students is Mr. Omar Gonazalez.

Omar and his family had the opportunity to move to the United States just prior to the pandemic in 2019. Omar and his wife, Mary, have three children – Diego Rivera (21), Dario (12), and David (8). The two youngest sons are students in the Springdale School District. Upon moving to Springdale, Mr. Omar was a volunteer facilitator for the George Elementary School Education

Accelerated by Service and Technology program until 2021, when he was then hired on as the school district’s Multimedia Specialist in their Communication Department.

Mr. Omar’s background includes a Bachelors in Communication Sciences and a Masters in Film Direction. While living in Mexico he was a Communications Advisor for the State Commision for the Victims of Crime Attention as well as the Head of Information and Multimedia Design of the Commision for Security and Integram Development for Michoacán. He also was the co-founder of the multimedia company Captura Visual where he had many roles – video producer, multimedia designer, editor, aerial and ground filmmaker, and photographer. 

At the beginning of the First Tee Character Development Mobile Unit programming, both of Omar’s younger sons were original program participants. This is how Mr. Omar became connected with our Director of Programming and Outreach, Isaac Tellez. They began collaborating and working together on ways to improve the local community, and how Mr. Omar’s experiences in the film industry could be helpful, and the First Tee Frame by Frame program was born. 

The Frame by Frame program is a unique group of kids that are learning the ins and outs of filmmaking. They have worked on the creative side, coming up with ideas for the films, and then followed up with the execution of making the film. They have taken turns being actors, videographers, and collaborated on editing the films before production. Mr. Omar has taken great pride in overseeing the design and development of the Frame by Frame curriculum. Through this program he is able to encourage the children that he meets with to be inspired to participate in the learning of audio and visual techniques, and using these tools to share their stories, be a voice, and be proud of their background. Mr. Omar helps the students to identify adversities they face and use them to produce impactful videos to better tell their own personal story. The focus is to highlight values, goals, and morals with their short films, while also allowing the participants exposure to different environments, experiences, and jobs that the world of cinematography can open up to them. His favorite part of working with the youth is seeing a boost in their confidence as they enhance their skills abilities through teamwork and hands on projects.

We are incredibly grateful to have Mr. Omar leading our Frame by Frame program. It is obvious he has a huge heart for youth and is making a huge impact with the kids he interacts with. Mr. Omar says he lives by the wisdom imparted on him by his father, 

“In your life you must do good and correct things and share love, compassion, and gratitude with people. Then you just have to wait for the best things to happen in your life.”

What great words to live by, and what an amazing example Mr. Omar is for youth today. 

Jose Perez Makes an Impact at First Tee – Monterey County

Jose Perez grew up in Salinas, California where his family loved watching different professional sports, but primarily soccer because of their Hispanic heritage. It wasn’t until Jose was 8 years old when he was first introduced to the sport of golf – and instantly he fell in love. “In other sports, you have to rely on other people. With golf, you only have to rely on yourself and that’s why I love the game,” said Jose.

Jose became a participant at First Tee – Monterey County after being introduced to the game, loving the programs he took part in. So much so, after graduating from the program, he became a First Tee coach in 2013. “Monterey County had a summer program which I applied to that summer. I took my first class and loved it. First Tee – Monterey County has helped me a lot in my career. The coaches I had gave their best at everything and gave me values and skills I could use in my life. The least I could do is give back,” said Jose.

While coaching at First Tee – Monterey County, Jose is also studying to get his degree in accounting. Once he completes his bachelor’s degree, he will apply to get his master’s degree and become a CPA. One day, Jose hopes to do accounting for businesses all over California and take over his dad’s pallet business.

“If there’s anything I could teach my participants, it’s to be patient, be positive and always be willing to ask for help.”

2022 Impact

We want to take some time and reflect on what an incredible year we have had impacting youth and families here in NWA throughout 2022. Take a look back with us as we go by the numbers, where each one stands for a specific way we are making a difference in the community.

1928. The number of youth that were impacted at our facility through our programming: First Tee Classes, Spring, Summer, and Winter Camps, Operation 36, Fassi’s Friends, High School Development, Play with Me Class, and our new Intro to Golf course. That is not just 1928 kids that we taught golf to, but rather 1928 kids we were able to impact with our character development and life skills curriculum.

These kids learned: Respect – for themselves and for others. Integrity – keeping their own score, and being honest. Good Sportsmanship – encouraging to their peers. Goal Setting – holding themselves accountable to improve. Perseverance – not giving up when things get hard

All of these things can be taken with them in other areas of their life, outside of golf. School. Home. Future workplace. We are teaching more than golf, we are Building Game Changers and preparing these kids for the future.

1090. This is the number of hours we spent in 2022 programming at our Lowell facility. We offered more camp options and new classes this year, therefore allowing more opportunity for us to impact youth in NWA. Although the majority of these hours were spent doing something golf related, through each golf lesson and drill, we are incorporating the First Tee Key Commitments and teaching so much more than just golf to our participants.

A highlight for us is when a participant comes to class and is able to make the connection of something they learned and how they applied it in other areas of their life. A connection to their classes at school, other sports they play, or even at home with their parents or siblings.

Family-friendly is one of the top things we want people to relate to our Par 3, Nine hole course at our First Tee – NWA facility. In 2022 we had three different Adult/Child scrambles, and 54 different families represented.

One of our favorite things is watching kids come out and learn the game, or give it a try for the first time, with their parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, or grandparents. One of our tournaments we had six family members across THREE different generations represented. What a sport golf is that it can bring together families from across many generations to play and enjoy the game together; and what a blessing for us to be able to offer a safe and kid-friendly environment where these family memories can be made.

This year was our 2nd Annual Confidence Classic High School Tournament, and we had 130 high school golfers from NWA and beyond come to Bella Vista to compete in a tournament to ready their teams for post-season play. This is an opportunity for schools of varying sizes to compete against each other, building confidence in their game, and meeting other like-minded students who share a love for the game of golf together.

In speaking with coaches, this tournament has been a favorite among their teams because it allows them to play multiple different schools at once, versus the 2-team matches that regular season offers. Some of the smaller schools that attend our tournament enjoy the chance to play at a bigger course than they are used to. We are grateful to provide opportunities to these youth as we continue to work toward growing the game of golf in our area, and impacting youth beyond the boundaries of our facility in Lowell.

Our Character Development Mobile Unit program offers a program within the program called Frame by Frame. We have had 12 students participate in this program in 2022. These students have the opportunity to learn about the world of video and cinematography. They are encouraged to identify the adversities they face and use them to produce impactful videos to better tell their own personal story. Led by the incredible Mr. Omar from the Springdale School District, he is showing them how film can be used to tell about their personal experiences as well as helping out in their communities and their school. 

Over the last year, our Frame by Frame kids have had the opportunity to interview the Razorback Men’s Basketball team, write, film, and produce short videos, as well as filming different events with our First Tee programming.

Thanks to some community grants we were able to provide 3 training opportunities for our staff. They were trained and certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED. This gave them knowledge and a higher comfort level of preparedness in case a medical emergency situation came up during classes or camps. They were also trained by an Ability Tree representative where they learned to effectively communicate and work with participants with disabilities or physical challenges. The third training session covered social and emotional behavior skills conducted by a licensed counselor and clinical social worker. This session helped our staff to be prepared to be more understanding of the various social and emotional needs of children, and meeting those specific needs in appropriate ways.

These training sessions elevated our staffs confidence level in working with kids, and we had a lot of positive feedback from both staff and parents thanks to these training sessions. As the world around us continues to change, we are adapting in order to better meet the needs of the families we serve.

Looking back over all of the events First Tee – NWA participated in throughout 2022, there were 17 events that did not fall under our regular programming that we participated in. We are so grateful when we get to take part in community events, and help with other organizations to make an impact with kids right here where we live. We love all of our event opportunities, but some definite favorites this year were: Fassi’s Friends Festival held at our own facility, Blessings Collegiate Junior Invitational Clinic with the Arkansas Razorback men’s and women’s golf teams, and the Confidence in Sport activation tent at the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship tournament.

So many kids, from so many backgrounds, and a reach like no other. We are grateful for opportunities to grow our impact beyond our facility.

It has been an incredible year of impacting kids – 977 to be exact – with our Character Strong curriculum through our Mobile Unit at several different schools across Springdale School District. We had Mobile Unit participants come to our camps this summer, and many of our kids who would love to attend our program again and again. We are grateful for the incredible community partners that help us provide snacks to the kids we serve, and those that come out to teach them about their business or share their expertise on things such as our local water supply or financial literature.

We love the direction things are going and can’t wait to see where the Mobile Unit takes us next – literally!

This year at our first ever Game Changer Banquet, we gave out 20 awards based on character! It was an incredible evening of celebrating the accomplishments of these young participants. The character and life skills these youth demonstrated in class are skills that will grow with them beyond our First Tee programming, and prepare them for other areas in life – school, home, and their future workplace.

We also honored someone who has helped us tremendously with our Character Development Mobile Unit’s drives to help underserved kids. Our winner, Morgan England, is a true example of the great things that can be done, when equipped with great character. She is the epitome of a Game Changer in the community, and when she sets her mind to something, amazing things happen. This award will be named after Morgan going forward – The Morgan England Community Game Changer Award – and we look forward to seeking out other individuals in our community, and in our classes, going into 2023.

Our Mobile Unit hosted three different Drives to benefit underserved students and families this year. The total impact of all three of these efforts was 699 people served!

Back to School Drive – We kick things off in August gathering backpacks, lunchboxes, and school supplies! At this event, students leave with everything needed to start the year off on the right foot, the opportunity for a FREE haircut, and we feed event attendees lunch – this year we served 289 kids!

Thanksgiving Drive – this year was our first to have a Food Drive, and thanks to Central States Manufacturing and the help of several donors we were able to gift 150 families a complete Thanksgiving meal.

Holiday Toy Drive – This is our 3rd year to host a toy drive, and we have accumulated enough toys to gift 1-3 toys per kid – total impact of 260 kids served. We love putting the Happy in the Holidays for so many kids!

Giving back to the community is not only a need, but as a true privilege for us to be in a position to do. We teach our participants to be Game Changers, and what better way to model that for them than giving back to our community when we are able. Each year our impact with these Drives have grown, and we can’t wait to see what next year will bring in ways we can impact NWA in a positive way. 

As much as we loved making an impact in 2022, and it’s fun to reflect on the great things that happened, we can’t help but look forward to what 2023 will bring. We will continue to elevate our programming and increase our impact – and we are able to do so thanks to the incredible support of sponsors and donors, alike. As we close up this year, if you are looking for a way to make a difference with your dollars, please consider supporting First Tee – NWA. We’d love for you to be a part of the great things happening right here in our community.  

Game Changing Alumni

For over 25 years, we’ve used golf to teach lessons about life. We’ve spun the unexpected challenges on the fairway to coach kids about adversity in the everyday. It’s not just a game, its game-changing.

Our alumni are a reflection of that commitment we made to building game changers. Below are just a few of our exceptional alumni who are making a difference in the world because of the lessons learned at First Tee.

Marcus Freeman Pays it Forward

First Tee is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month, and over the years, it’s helped produce no shortage of game changers. 

One example is Marcus Freeman from First Tee – Greater Charlotte. He says the organization has helped him grow as a golfer and person. 

“Being a part of this community has helped me get through hard times. First Tee – Greater Charlotte was a safe place for me in 2020. During this time my grandfather was going through end stage pancreatic cancer and my family, like the world, was navigating COVID-19 and social distancing,” he says. 

The support he received from First Tee inspired Freeman to pay it forward. 

He completed more than 300 hours of volunteer work for First Tee in 2021. He collected more than 500 books for a First Tee book drive, and he’s a member of the chapter’s participant advisory council. Freeman has also volunteered for his swim team and tutored students in Japanese.

“An aspect of volunteer work that I enjoy is seeing the impact that giving to others can have,” he says. 

Freeman is one of 28 First Tee participants from across the country who’ll attend Innovators Forum this November in Dallas. The workshop empowers First Tee teens to develop a meaningful service project in their community focused on education, health or sustainability. Eight participants will be awarded scholarships totaling $32,000 after the event.

A junior at Palisades High School, Freeman is an accomplished violinist, and he won a medal for performing Japanese poems in 2019. Freeman aspires to study sports science in college. “I enjoy learning more about physical fitness and how the body works,” he says. Freeman spends his free time researching training tips and injury recovery. 

As he progresses as an athlete and student, Freeman says he’ll continue to use the lessons and qualities he’s learned at First Tee, including confidence. 

“When I first joined the program, I was a little shy when meeting new coaches, parents and other players. I spent time observing the instructors and how they interacted with all the different people coming and going. I saw them shake hands, make eye contact, smile and speak confidently,” he says.  

“I knew I wanted those skills as well. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and I started to apply what I observed to my own social skills. I practiced a strong handshake. I introduced myself to people I didn’t know, and I have met many interesting people, like professional golfer Davis Love III, all because I have improved in sharing my personality.” 

Learn more about Innovators Forum. 

Alumna Hannah Rens Reaches for the Stars

Lots of kids aspire to become astronauts but few go on to build careers in space exploration. That hasn’t stopped Hannah Rens from chasing her dreams into orbit. 

The 24-year-old is a systems engineer for Boeing Space and Launch, working on Boeing’s Starliner, a commercial crew and cargo vehicle that will be transporting NASA astronauts to the international space station.  

“My ultimate career goal is to be chief engineer of a permanent human habitat on the moon,” says Rens, a former participant at First Tee – Siouxland and First Tee volunteer. “To achieve that goal, I need to develop advanced business skills, gain industry experience and further my engineering technical education.” 

That’s why she’s attending the First Tee Alumni Summit presented by Gallagher this November in Dallas. The event provides an opportunity for selected alumni to advance their career by building new skills while reconnecting with fellow alumni and chapter leaders. 

“I’m looking to learn more about working in a rapidly evolving industry, startups and founding your own business, and how to develop an effective personal brand,” she says. 

Rens says her nine years in First Tee helped shape her future. “It provided me with a structured path to improving my golf game, peer and trusted mentors, and interpersonal and professional skills that have been essential in achieving my goals,” she says. 

While in First Tee, she was selected to attend the Leaders and Entrepreneurs Forum at Disney World. “Getting to meet other students from across the U.S. while listening and working with successful business owners and entrepreneurs was unlike any other experience I had in high school,” she says. “The business principles and goals I learned have stayed with me.” 

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Rens began her career with internships focused on aircraft maintenance and repair. As Starliner prepares to expand its service to additional sites in Earth’s orbit, Rens works on vehicle life span and sustainment. Ultimately, Starliner will become one of the first spacecraft with turnaround times closer to traditional air traffic. Talk about a Game Changer. 

Rens now serves as a mentor for high school and college students who want careers in the space industry, and she’s enrolled in an astronautical engineering master’s program at the University of Southern California focusing on human spaceflight. 

Rens still golfs, and she’s a certified open water and dry suit SCUBA diver. Learn more about the accomplishments of First Tee alumni. 

Intro to Golf Class a Success!

One of our goals at First Tee – NWA is to make golf, an oftentimes considered expensive sport, be more affordable and available to any youth who wants to give it a try. Our programming is affordable, we have scholarships available, and equipment that can be borrowed if youth do not have their own. Although we offer these solutions to some of the barriers that might keep kids from getting to experience the sport, we still found there were some that were hesitant to sign their child up for our program without knowing if their child would like it.

This fall we debuted our “Intro to Golf” program to allow participants to get a feel for what golf and First Tee was all about, before jumping into our membership program. We have seen huge success since offering this course. We’ve had many parents comment they had been eyeing First Tee, but were hesitant, and this program was enough to get them to jump in and let their kid try it. 

One participant, Liam, had never played golf before, and his mom was unsure if he was “too old” to join in a class, because at the age of 10, she thought others maybe had started younger and he would be behind other participants his age. Liam took our new Intro to Golf starter course, and he came away LOVING it. He confidently joined the next month’s First Tee class, and felt he had the knowledge of technique and terminology to feel comfortable. Liam’s success, and his mom’s praise, tells us this class is a perfect way to ease newcomers into the sport of golf as well as our First Tee curriculum and programming.

This new class was an idea that came to fruition thanks to one of our coaches, Coach Madison. Her goal going into the course was to help each kid grow individually and provide a personalized experience for them at First Tee. She worked hard to help each kid get familiar with not only golf, but the facility, the coaches, and the expectations set forth for golfers that come into our program. Her favorite part has been getting to know each kid from the very beginning of their golf journey, and seeing them come into the next month of First Tee classes with their heads held high, confident because they know what to do and what to expect. 

Confidence is key when Building Game Changers – we are glad to continue finding opportunities we can help youth build their confidence, make new friends, and find a sport they can spend the rest of their life enjoying!

The Key to Setting Reachable Goals

Have you ever thought about your achievements in life? What were the dreams and ambitions that you wanted to work towards? How did you get there? At First Tee, these are the type of questions we propose to kids and teens to help them understand the process of attaining goals; but to reach their goal, they must first understand how goals are formulated.  

A goal is something that you want to do, be or have, but it’s not something that you can do, be or have right at this moment. It’s something you must work to get in the future, and you can apply that to any challenge in life. For example, if your child wants to achieve Honor Roll and receive all As and Bs in school this year, what would that require them to do? They would need to do well on tests and assignments. How would they accomplish that? Encourage them to take good notes, turn in their work on time, and study for their tests. 

For kids, having guidelines or tools can effectively help them identify their goals and make them feel comfortable about reaching them. At First Tee, we utilize four guidelines to do this. Talk to your child about the dreams they currently have and try these out for yourself. 

Four Guidelines for Setting a Reachable Goal: 

  • The goal is Positive: 
    • I want to achieve a passing score of 80% or higher vs. I don’t want to fail this test 
  • The goal is Important to You: 
    • The goal needs to be important to you, not to someone else. You should be able to explain why you want to achieve it and why it will make a difference for you. 
  • The goal is Specific: 
    • You want to know exactly what you’re working toward. 
  • The goal is Under your Control: 
    • Your efforts will allow you to achieve this goal vs. Something that is out of your control like becoming famous or winning the lottery. 

Goal setting is a strategy kids and teens will apply for the rest of their life. When we set our goals, we want to be very clear about them so that we have the best chance to achieve them. The key to remember is that goals come in all shapes and sizes. Just because it doesn’t work for someone else doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve it. Your kids will learn from both their achievements and setbacks, but as they begin to set personal goals, they will learn and grow in ways that you did not think possible. 

Want to get involved with what we are building at First Tee? Click here to find out more. 

Making An Impact With Mobile Unit Youth Through Golf Camp

When the Character Development Mobile Unit began classes at George Elementary there was a quiet, shy 5th grader in class. She kept to herself and didn’t talk much, even after attending for a few weeks, but still she kept showing up every single day. Her mom worked at George and felt her daughter would benefit from the program to help build her confidence, work on her social skills, and bring her out of her shell. Quiet as she was, she joined every Mobile Unit session that was offered at her school. She always had a good attitude, but continued to keep to herself.

This summer we had the opportunity to offer some scholarships to Mobile Unit participants to attend our Summer Golf Camps held at our Lowell facility. This girl and her brother had the chance to come to our facility for the first time to experience golf. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she really enjoyed golf, and that it made her happy. Before long, she wasn’t as quiet and she wasn’t as shy. She began to come out of her shell, started smiling more, and was engaging in class. The change didn’t happen overnight, but after consistent exposure to our programming, and coaches who were pouring into her on a regular basis, she started to show more of her true personality.

This girl’s name is Kynli. She will be an upcoming 6th grader this next year, and feels better equipped to head back to school. According to her mom, the reserved, quiet girl she once was has turned into a more confident, outgoing girl who is not as afraid to try new things. Because of Kynli’s newfound confidence, and her growing interest in the game of golf, our goal is to help her get plugged in with our programming classes that are more golf-centric than the Mobile Unit classes provide.

When we say we are impacting kids, Kynli is a tremendous example of what that looks like. Yes, we teach golf, but we are so much more than that. Donations to First Tee – NWA allow us the opportunity to take the Mobile Unit and our Character Strong curriculum out into the communities. Donations to First Tee – NWA allow us to help kids like Kynli – coming out of her shell, growing confidence, being more comfortable trying new things. Golf was not a sport she had tried before, and wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do so without our programming. We love seeing the game grow, but also seeing how golf can intrinsically teach such vital life skills and help to build character in today’s youth. We are BUILDING GAME CHANGERS and cannot wait to see what Kynli’s future holds. 

Why Girls + Growing through Golf = Empowerment

Did you know more than 80 percent of First Tee chapters offer programming specifically for girls?  

“Growing up playing golf, I never imagined being in the golf industry,” said Rebecca Caimano, assistant executive director at First Tee — Greater Philadelphia, who joined the chapter in 2011 to help grow its girls programming. “It was tough being the only female who played golf.” 

Now, Rebecca is among thousands of leaders/coaches who are involved in First Tee. 

First Tee views golf as a metaphor for life. It’s not the score that counts, but what you learn along the way. The game is a perfect practice ground for learning skills that extend far beyond the course. Let’s face it, digging deep when things get tough is a natural part of our sport – and life – experiences. 

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary (& Women’s Golf Day), First Tee is proud of the role we’re playing in helping more young girls embrace the sport and what they can learn through it. Thanks to many female coaches and leaders throughout our network – like Rebecca – we are a safe place where girls can come, be themselves and learn from coaches and role models on the course and in the business world.  

Also, thanks to organizations like USGA (a Founding Partner), LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and John Deere, sponsor of the Drive Your Future Academy, a national leadership development opportunity for female First Tee teens, we continue to intentionally offer opportunities for girls’ personal growth and development in many ways.  

Empowering girls for a brighter future 

While many First Tee alumnae have gone on to work in golf, others have excelled in different areas, including medicine, journalism and public affairs. And we think that’s great for them, and for the world around us. 

Studies have shown that women leaders are engaging and collaborative, yet it hasn’t always been easy for women to break into many top leadership roles. Golf can help. 

Ninety percent of Fortune 500 CEOs play golf, according to the PGA of America, and more than half of all businesspeople believe golf is a valuable networking tool. Women executives believe that a background in sport was helpful to career advancement because it prepared them to work better in teams, and behaviors and techniques can be applied to the corporate setting (Women’s Sports Foundation).   

First Tee teaches valuable life skills that can help girls as they become leaders. Through our personal growth and junior golf programs, we encourage girls to build self-confidence that they’ll carry with them into their future.  

“I originally stuck with it [golf] because I wanted to beat my brother,” Rebecca continued. “And now, here I am, using a sport that changed my life to change others.”  

Now, that’s girl power.  

Approximately 25% of First Tee’s coaches are women, and we’d love to increase that number! If you are interested or know of a passionate female leader in your life, please point her here to get involved: https://firsttee.org/get-involved/coach-volunteer/  

Catching Up With the Inaugural First Tee Scholar

Sixteen-year-old First Tee – Lake County (Hammond, Ind.) participant, Steven Outlaw, was notified during the 2001 First Tee Network Summit, the annual gathering of those within the First Tee network, that he was going to have to make his speech earlier than originally scheduled. The events to follow happened in a way that only fate decides.  

Steven describes it as “being in the right place at the right time.” Using one of the first skills instilled into First Tee participants, as well as taught within his own household, on how to properly introduce yourself to others, Steven walked right up to one of the other speakers of the evening, former president of Georgetown College, Dr. William Crouch, and shook his hand. Steven’s demeanor stood out to Dr. Crouch and gave him quite the idea.  

Following Steven’s speech, Dr. Crouch scrapped his own prepared comments and surprised Steven with a full scholarship to Georgetown College and news that he planned to provide a full scholarship to First Tee participants every year following. This full-ride scholarship would alleviate the financial burden of furthering Steven’s education. 

Bob Krause, former vice president of institutional advancement at Kansas State University, followed suit with Dr. Crouch’s pledge. The First Tee Scholars Program was born and set to begin by 2003 with the inaugural class of Scholars, many of whom Steven is still in touch with today.  

L to R: Christopher Hawkins, First Tee – Metro Atlanta alumnus and First Tee Scholar Class of 2003; Adam Ruegg, Troon Golf; Steven Outlaw, First Tee – Lake County alumnus and inaugural First Tee Scholar; Rod Jackson, First Tee – Metro Atlanta alumnus; Brandon White, current Program Director First Tee – Lake County. 

As the inaugural First Tee Scholar, Steven graduated from Georgetown College with a degree in political science. After college, he enrolled in the PGA, PGM Accelerated Program. After completing two levels of the program, he secured an internship with Troon Golf, a leading golf management company. He has since worked with Troon Golf for nearly 15 years, starting in Arizona and traveling overseas to work in the Middle East, and in Malaysia managing The Els Club Teluk Datai (rated #83 in the world by Golf Digest in 2016).   

More recently, Steven serves as the PGA Director of Golf at Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club, managed by Troon Golf.  Steven has been a PGA Class A Professional for more than 10 years and currently serves on the Southwest Section PGA Board of Directors and is very active with Troon’s D&I Council. Going forward, Steven aspires to ascend the ranks in the PGA of America, with a passion specifically around diversity, equity and inclusion and positive change within the game of golf. 

Though Steven had numerous amazing opportunities during his time as a First Tee participant, he now prides himself in exploring what he can do for First Tee as an adult. He works closely with First Tee – Lake County, often supplying the chapter with donations.  

“These opportunities would not have been possible without First Tee and the core values instilled in me such as perseverance and confidence. Much of what I learned during my time with First Tee I use now to strengthen and empower my team. I am forever grateful and honored to be part of such a great organization. I look forward to the future of First Tee and the path they will pave for the next generation.” 

Eleven years after Steven’s speech, the First Tee Scholars Program continues to thrive. It has since received a face-lift following Greg McLaughlin being named First Tee CEO in 2019.  

Relaunching officially in 2020, President George W. Bush, honorary First Tee chair, congratulated the first class of the revamped program. First Tee College Scholarship Program now extends its impact to alumni beyond financial support, providing personal and professional development throughout their post-graduate careers.  

Each of the Scholars is paired with a dedicated, trained adult mentor who helps encourage and guide them throughout the college experience, including virtual and in-person meetups. The program also provides professional development workshops held in-person throughout the year, and up to $5,000 per year toward tuition.   

“First Tee aims to inspire and empower every young person in the program to set goals and begin pursuing them,” said McLaughlin. “The First Tee College Scholarship Program is intended to motivate young people to stay in the program and support alumni as they matriculate through the college.” 

In recognition of First Tee’s 25th anniversary, the Class of 2022 includes 25 First Tee Scholars. This time, Steven Outlaw has turned the tables, joining as a mentor to one of the Scholars.   

“I was extremely fortunate to be surrounded by great professionals as I progressed through my time with the First Tee.  These individuals helped me grow not only in golf, but personally and professionally.  I consider myself lucky to be able to return the favor to the next generation!” 

We believe in helping youth succeed – on the golf course and in life. Learn more about our programs and how you can get involved.