Visit our 25th anniversary page for more impactful stories and videos from our alumni.
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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.
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.
2022 STEMLinks Camp
Last Week we had an amazing time hosting our STEMLinks Camp. We traveled around the Upstate to show our participants different parts of the golf industry, and the science behind it all. We would like to thank all of the venues that hosted our campers to make this a memorable week!
On Monday, we went to Beau Welling’s office, a world renowned golf course architect. His design team taught the kids how to create a 3 hole golf course design on paper. They went through all of the steps and created their own course. Beau Welling then judged all of the courses, and picked a winner, Julia Conroy.
On Tuesday, we went to ByPass Golf. Todd Webber showed us around, and told us all about the golf industry. The kids also got to experience a golf club fitting. They got to hit shots on the track-man, and learned what all of the numbers meant.
Wednesday, we went to 3’s Greenville and the campers learned more about their golf game. They had to figure out their average distance on certain chips and pitch shots. They also learned how to use a stimpmeter. Lastly, they played the humps and bumps course.
Thursday, we went to Legacy Pines with Tommy Biershenk. He took time to help each kid individually. He recorded their swings and helped them better themselves mechanically. He taught them a lot.
Friday, we went to TopGolf. They let us learn the technology behind the popular venue, and how to run the day to day operations. Afterwards, we played in a private bay, and had some friendly competition between the campers.
Participant Jonathan Roe’s favorite part was going to Legacy Pines. “My favorite part was going to Legacy Pines. Coach Biershenk took some time and helped me with my driver. He recorded my swing and helped me make corrections.”
Another participant, Julia Conroy, expressed how much fun going to 3’s Greenville was. “I enjoyed going to 3’s Greenville. We got to play the humps and bumps course and it was a fun way to putt.”
Parker Fain, our summer intern, expressed his joy about being able to put the camp on. “Overall, the camp was a huge success. The kids had a great time and learned so much about golf and themselves. The best part for me was watching the smiles on the kids’ faces as they succeeded and grew as golfers. It was a great experience and I can not wait for the next time.”
Overall, our STEMLinks camp was a huge success! We would like to thank Parker Fain, participating venues, our campers, and their parents for helping to make this a memorable week!
Jonathan Roe Selected to the First Tee Game Changer’s Academy
We at First Tee – Upstate South Carolina would like to congratulate our own Jonathan Roe for being selected to the 2022 First Tee Game Changer’s Academy in Philadelphia, PA! Jonathan is one of 72 participants being invited to attend the 2022 First Tee Game Changer’s Academy.
Jonathan has been a First Tee participant for 10 years and was our 2021 Male Participant of the Year. He has been a veteran participant of First Tee within our chapter taking classes at Woodfin Ridge. Jonathan sang the National Anthem for us on First Tee Night at Fluor Field at the Greenville Drive game in the Summer of 2021. He also attended our Winter Workshop and plays for Boiling Springs High School JV golf team. Below is a video for a story WSPA did on Jonathan!
The First Tee Game Changer’s Academy received 115 applications this year and selected 72 participants to attend. The 72 participants were chosen based on their activities chart, letters of recommendation, their essay, and a chapter participation survey. The program will be centered around conversations and workshops on identity, racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Once again, congratulations to Jonathan and to all who were selected! To learn more about the First Tee Game Changer’s Academy, click on the link below.
Nelia Leong Selected to The First Tee College Scholarship Program
We at First Tee — Upstate South Carolina would like to congratulate our own Nelia Leong for being one the 25 participants selected to the First Tee College Scholarship Program. Nelia has been involved with First Tee for three years, where she has worked as a part-time employee back in the summer of 2020. In 2021 she attended the First Tee Innovators Forum, where she developed her idea to provide environmental sustainability sessions at her chapter with younger participants. Nelia was the senior class vice president at Southside High School her Senior Year. She started the girls’ golf team at her high school and was the captain, while also played varsity tennis and ran cross country. Nelia finished high school with a 3.5 GPA, a score of 1400 on the SATs, and a score of 32 on the ACT. On top of all her academic and athletic success, she also found time to regularly volunteer in her community. She is excited to continue her education this fall at the University of Florida where she plans on pursuing the pre-dentistry track by majoring in public health. She plans on going into pediatric dentistry and have her own practice.
The First Tee College Scholarship Program supports selected alumni throughout their college career. The need and merit-based program provides scholarships up to $5,000 per year, renewable for up to four years of college admission. The program also provides professional development workshops, access to internships and full-time employment placement post-graduation. One of the key factors of the program is pairing Scholars with a dedicated adult mentor who will help encourage and guide them throughout the four years.
Once again congratulations to Nelia and all she has accomplished!
2022 GolfBodyFitness Invitational
This past April we were pleased to once again be apart of The Annual GolfBodyFitness Invitational. It was a great event that supported the missions of First Tee – Upstate South Carolina and RezMissions. We would like to thank Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System for once again being the Title Sponsor the event, and First Tee – Upstate South Carolina board member and owner of GolfBodyFitness, Jonathan Seymour, for once again putting together an amazing tournament. Jonathan and his wife Mandy continue to put their time and energy into this event and have made it one of the best golf charity events in the Upstate!
There was great food, great golf, and again there was even a helicopter involved! Everyone was again excited to see the Golf Ball Drop on the short game area at The Carolina Country Club! The Golf Ball Drop worked by purchasing numbered Golf Balls. If your ball ended up in the hole, you won half the pot. If no ball landed on the target, the closest ball got to keep 1/4 of the pot. We had five winners splitting half the pot this year! The remainder went to RezMissions and First Tee — Upstate South Carolina. Below is a link to the video we shared earlier this year of the Golf Ball Drop!
We would like to once again thank Jonathan and Mandy Seymour and all the volunteers from First Tee and RezMissions for putting together a tremendous event! We look forward to another amazing event in 2023!
To learn more about GolfBodyFitness, it’s mission and more about the event, please visit; www.golfbodyfitness.com.
2022 BMW Charity Pro-Am Week
We had an amazing week during The 2022 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX and corresponding events last week! We hosted four clinics in total throughout the week. On Monday, June 6th we had a huge day with three clinics in total. We had our general programming clinic, a girls only clinic, and our Els for Austin #GameON Clinic with record participation. We had Korn Ferry Tour Pros Peter Kuest, Conner Godsey, Jay Card, and Jimmy Gunn at each of our three clinics that day. They showed us their incredible golf skills while also telling us about how golf has had a positive impact on their lives on and off the course. We would also like to thank Pacolet-Miliken for being the presenting sponsor of all the clinics for the second year in a row and Dick’s Sporting Goods joining in on the fun by presenting a $10,000 check in support of our clinics and providing volunteer support at the clinics and our concession stands!
On Wednesday, June 8th we hosted our first ever Spanish Speaking Clinic in conjunction with Hispanic Alliance with three Spanish speaking Korn Ferry Tour Pros Nelson Ledesma, Martin Cortini, Roberto Diaz, and professional boxer and golf enthusiast Canelo Alvarez! We were very happy Canelo took time out of his busy schedule last week to speak to our participants and share how golf has impacted his life and his boxing career. We would like to thank all the volunteers, coaches, and participants who helped make these junior clinics a huge success!
During the tournament from Thursday, June 9th to Sunday June 12th, we operated concessions on Holes 5 and 14 at Thornblade Club with all the proceeds from those concessions being generously donated to First Tee — Upstate South Carolina. With the help of some very generous volunteers and staff the concessions were a huge success! We would like to thank all who came and out and volunteered to help run those concession stands! Special thanks to our summer intern Parker Fain for being so crucial to the execution and smooth running of the concessions.
Some of our participants also had the chance to be directly involved with the tournament as standard bearers. Pictured are participants Julia Conroy and Julian Martinez. They got the chance to meet Anthony Anderson, Canelo, and some amazing Korn Ferry Tour Pros! We are glad they were able to have this amazing opportunity to get a first hand experience of The 2022 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX!
Lastly, this was the first year that one of our participants interned at The Carolina Country Club under Matt Sharkey (First Tee Recognized Coach and Tournament Director for Carolina Country Club). Pictured below is Evan Conroy, a Birdie Level Participant. Evan helped Coach Sharkey with everything behind the scenes to help run a Korn Ferry Tour Event! We are excited to hope to expand this week-long internship opportunity to more participants in 2023!
Overall, we hope all of our participants and volunteers who came out to our clinics, volunteered at concessions, and those who attended The 2022 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX had an amazing week of events and fun! We can’t wait until next year!
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.
Three Ways to Help Kids Develop a Positive Self Identity
Experiences are our greatest teachers. They shape how we treat others, how we see the world around us, and how we view ourselves. How we view ourselves is also known as our self identity and is defined as the qualities and potential you possess. It can influence the choices you make, the attitude you have day-to-day, and ultimately, it becomes your inner voice. For youth especially, a positive self identity can have a massive impact on who they become as adults. There are many ways parents can help their kids develop a positive self identity, and at First Tee we pride ourselves in nurturing a positive self identity for youth. Here are three ways you can help your kids develop a positive self identity inspired by our core values.
Live Your Values
Kids watch and learn from the adults in their lives every day. Studying their actions and responses, they develop their identity based on their guardians and the other mentors in their life. If you live according to the values you want your kids to have, then they are more likely to absorb that into their own independent lives. That being said, having a mentor is a great way to ensure this happens. At First Tee,youth learn from their coaches by:
- Treating others with respect and honesty
- Experiencing the value of teamwork, not just by being told to act as a team but by witnessing their coach lead with teamwork.
- Watching their coaches exercise positive self talk and kindness to others around them brings out the best in themselves and their self identity.
Create a Culture of Acceptance
When there is no room for failure there is no room for growth. Fostering an environment that is not only safe for kids to fail but encourages them to try again, helps kids develop a strong sense of self. Acceptance also transcends just failure; it also means that every person, regardless of their background, is welcome. We work together to actively create a space of belonging for every kid— no matter what walk of life. Through example we encourage youth to accept their team members for who they are, treat each other with kindness, and create that culture of acceptance everywhere, so that when they reflect on themselves and their own identity they treat themselves with the same level of respect and positivity that they give others.
Empowerment Through Experiences
For kids, experiences shape their inner voice that gives them confidence and character. Not all experiences in life are easy, and when we empower youth to persevere and stay true to themselves, we bring out the best that’s inside of them. First Tee exists to enable kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. As time goes on, that empowerment creates a strong sense of self, and encourages a positive self identity even in difficult situations.
Though a positive self identity may seem like something only some people are born with, it is really something that can be cultivated through leading by example, an open culture of acceptance, and consistent empowerment through all experiences. What do you want your child’s inner voice to sound like when they grow up? Nurturing their self identity can make all the difference in that. We guide kids and teens to strengthen what’s inside and put it into action. If you are interested in getting your child involved with First Tee, you can learn more and sign up today!