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!
