Category: Blog

About a year ago, I wrote a blog about how The First Tee integrates the Nine Core Value of Honesty into our curriculum programs. How golf is unique from other sports in that players regularly call penalties on themselves and report their own score. Golf was built on the concept of a gentleman’s game. A game were honoring the rules is taught at a young age. From how you are supposed to dress, to behavior on course, and properly conducting play. The game was developed in an era that didn’t include technology, cell phones, email and DVR. This module of a gentleman’s game has continued through the sport today with athletes showing sportsmanship and respect to one other and their spectators. Frequently calling self-imposed rules violations, never even noticed by those in their pairing, and potentially costing them a friendly bet or a prestigious trophy. This year, The First Tee Organization celebrates its 20th Anniversary. For the last 20 years, at The First Tee, we’ve taught children that golf is a self-refereed sport. That between ourselves, our competitors and individuals in our pairing, we are responsible to make rules decisions to the best of our ability, displaying integrity and honesty along the way. And, when there is a rules official nearby, we are able to request their support for making a decision or play two balls and determine which score should be counted once we complete our 18th hole and can speak with a rules official that is at the scoring table. But, if the professional sports organizations running worldwide golf tournaments continue to allow individuals outside the ropes, and potentially thousands of miles away, to suggest rules violations; then how can we continue to call ourselves as self-refereed sport based on honesty and integrity? We, the athlete, are trained to embrace and follow the rules of play, whether in the final group, being followed by hundreds of fans with every shot captured on television or in the first group off with no spectators or television…. Even when we tee it up on Sunday by ourselves or with buddies. It’s imperative that the current model of fan commentary is resolved immediately. Before young people begin to think that the values our game were once based off, no longer exist. Please, for the good of the game.

A key component to an effective and sustainable Non-Profit Organization is a strong Board of Directors. The board must go through phases of evolution – from the Founding Phase to Super Managing Phase and eventually the Corporate Phase. In the early phases, Board Members will serve for personal desires, providing significant involvement and support to overall organization operations. As the board transitions to the next phase, original members will begin to roll off and new members will be recruited for their skills sets and community engagement abilities. Overtime, creating not only an extremely capable and successful organization, but a Board of Directors and Chairman Emeritus whose sphere of influence spreads deep throughout the footprint of the organization and sustains past their formal time with the Board. Since 2003, few have given their time to The First Tee of the Sandhills and left a lasting impression like that of recent Board of Directors retiree, Bob Hepner. While the record books are not clear if Bob began his tenure with the organization in 2006 or 2007, one things for sure, his ten – or – so years were filled with passion, vision, action and cooperation. Bob’s peers recounted his tenure candidly, pointing out that he would do whatever it took to complete a task – successfully. Whether that meant subbing as a caddy during a junior event, flipping burgers during a get together or selling flashing light buttons as raffle tickets to push a fundraising goal over the edge. Bob’s name, smile and stamp were all over it. When Bob joined the Board of Directors, his friends and peers were soon to follow in support. He truly wears The First Tee of the Sandhills on his sleeve – a golf sleeve that is. Thanks to Bob’s enthusiasm the Pinehurst No 7 community and the Tin Whistles have embraced The First Tee of the Sandhills with open arms – stepping up to create, organize and operate The Tin Whistles First Tee Junior Tour and regularly filling annual fundraising event tee times and dinner tables – ensuring that no child is left behind in our programming and outreach efforts. Bob has truly been a tireless recruiter, contributor and action based member of the Board of Directors. While always a team player, his passion was to ensure the organization never stayed still. Bob was willing to take risk for positive change, make improvements and press forward. But, let’s not forget, behind every great man is an incredible women. And in this case, her name is Jimmie Hepner. Together, they have made a great team for The First Tee. Jimmie has been an extension of the board in her own right – volunteering her time, talents and passions – a willing spirit that embraced Bob’s desires for The First Tee and helped expand their sphere of influence. We are thrilled to know that while Bob Hepner’s time as a member of the Board of Directors may have come to an end, his support, involvement and enthusiasm for our programs remains steadfast. On behalf of The Board of Directors, Volunteers, Staff and thousands of youth that have benefited from Bob’s generous spirit and tireless enthusiasm – THANK YOU for your years of dedication. And to many more years of continued growth, thanks to Bob and Jimmie Hepner.

Enthusiasm. Dedication. Compassion. Integrity. Perseverance. These, and many more, adjectives describe Caroline Rea on and off the golf course. While my personal experiences with Caroline only date back to February 2015, her track record with The First Tee of the Sandhills began formally in 2006. Don’t let that date fool you, Caroline has been hanging out around The First Tee since its inception, in 2003, patiently waiting to be old enough to officially join. Caroline has been actively involved in our programs as a participant, volunteer, junior leader and community advocate for almost eleven years! In addition to staying active and engaged at a high level in her curriculum programs, Caroline has provided volunteer support for projects in our administrative office, at special events and fundraisers in the community, and serving as a junior coach with our TARGET and PLAYer level programs. In 2014, she began offering her time to junior coach to the seven, eight and nine year olds on Tuesday afternoons during our Just for Girls PLAYer Program. Today, her commitment to the Just for Girls program has not wavered. First hand, I’ve seen positive interactions between Caroline and these young ladies. Moments of weakness where she provided them encouragement, moments of frustration where she taught them perseverance and moments of just silliness where they could giggle together through the activity of the day. Young girls at The First Tee look up to Caroline. Seamlessly, Caroline gives back by providing the same experience she had to the next generation of youth in our community. Her giving doesn’t stop with us. Caroline is active as a volunteer at Prancing Horse, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and area elementary schools as a Teacher’s Assistant. Caroline’s character shines when she speaks to others about her favorite core values, Honesty and Perseverance. Whether having to call a golf penalty on herself, when no one else noticed, or pulling a teacher aside to point out a miss-score on a test, resulting in a lower grade; Caroline knows that doing the right thing can be difficult, but is always worth it. She credits The First Tee for teaching her perseverance. Accepting and understanding that in order for her to be successful, she may fail a few times, but she can appreciate life’s successes and handle life’s failures all while staying resilient and focused on her goals. Just last year, Caroline decided to pursue the possibility of continuing golf at the college level. A goal that she previously didn’t feel she has the opportunity to pursue. I am happy to say that a few weeks ago, Caroline sign a letter of intent to play golf a Pfieffer University. We are so proud of Caroline Rea and know she will be a wonderful representative for The First Tee of the Sandhills. Just next time, as an Alum!

On August 28, 2016, The Pilot ran our bi-weekly blog titled, “School Program Presents Golf As Part of an Active Lifestyle.” The piece explained how The First Tee’s National School Program brings curriculum to gyms, hardtops and green spaces across elementary schools in the Sandhills – teaching students The First Tee’s Nine Core Values and Nine Health Habits – through their favorite local physical education teacher. Last Monday, we delivered this message again, except this time, in a slightly different tone. Instead of focusing on the continued education we provide physical education teachers to stay up to date with national standards or the volunteers we recruit to join PE Teachers in program delivery; Monday’s message was about the importance of continued partnership and delivery in Moore County Schools. Today, we would like to re-iterate this message. In partnership with the school system, during the 2012 and 2013 school years, we introduced all 14 elementary schools in Moore County to The National School Program. While the up-front investment for this program was about $5 per elementary age child, the equipment carries a long life expectancy and there is no annual financial up keep cost incurred by the physical education department. The National School Program is a structured physical education curriculum that promotes motor skills as well as health and character development in every lesson. Four objectives of the program include: To develop student appreciation for the positive personal and social values associated with golf. To present golf to students as a lifelong, health-enhancing activity. To engage students in activities that lead to motor skill development. And, to enable physical educators to introduce golf in a developmentally – appropriate manner, consistent with national standards. In 2013, The First Tee commissioned a case study to examine the National School Program in districts across the country that included chapters of The First Tee. (Like us here in the Sandhills!) Findings supported the long-standing belief in the power of the additive effect when promoting positive youth development. Kids who attended The First Tee Chapter Program in addition to exposure in the elementary school physical education setting showed the most benefits from exposure. These youth self-reported knowing how to behave, knowing how to work well with others, taking care of equipment and playing for fun! While, generally speaking, some families steer clear of golf as an activity due to the misunderstanding that it’s too expensive… today, that child has the chance to learn golf and life in PE class, then continue into program at The First Tee of the Sandhills, where no child is turned away because of financial need. The impact that the sport provides to youth strongly out ways its financial misconceptions. Remember, at The First Tee, golf is merely a vehicle for us to deliver character development programs to young people. In my eyes, our mission is very similar to that of Moore County Schools. We both want to be a part of developing a well-rounded child that is a productive citizen of the community upon graduation. The First Tee of the Sandhills would like to continue to fund, grow and expand the National School Program and its benefits within Moore County Schools. However, if funding for Physical Education is drastically reduced or eliminated, we will be unable to do so. A healthy PE Partner is essential to continue to make an impact! Thank you to the physical educators for sharing in our advocacy of young people. We hope to be able to continue to grow good kids, together.

Even though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Thursday, teasing us with the idea of six more weeks of winter, Spring is in full swing at The First Tee of the Sandhills. Remember, Punxsutawney Phil has only been 39% accurate since 1887! This week marked the opening of registration for spring programs across the Sandhills with classes beginning the third week in March. Our spring offerings include six options for families with five and six year olds to join the TARGET program and ten options for families with kids age seven and older who are new to The First Tee in our PLAYer program. As always, our goal is to grow quality and offerings simultaneously; we feel this year is no exception. Some new offerings on the spring schedule include a co-sponsored TARGET 1 program with Southern Pines Recreation Department on Tuesday’s at the Campbell House Field, an additional PLAYer option on Thursday’s at Knollwood Fairways and a new program location in Fayetteville at Gates Four Golf & Country Club where we will offer both TARGET 1 and PLAYer programs on Wednesday’s. In a snapshot, TARGET 1 is a program geared for those youngsters eager to try out golf while still being able to run around and express themselves away from the quieter confines of the golf course. It’s sure to be a fun mix of learning and structure along with challenges and games. PLAYer is the first curriculum level of The First Tee and is a required starting point for any child age 7 and up. During the PLAYer curriculum a child is introduced to playing the game of golf while emphasis is made to learning The First Tee Code of Conduct, appreciating the rules and etiquette of the game and developing a game plan for golf and life. A child will spend between one and three years participating in The First Tee at the PLAYer level. Variations occur based on the child’s age, frequency in attendance and readiness to advance to the next level through our certification process. Every class at the PLAYer level includes a warm-up, focus of the day (golf skill, life skill and behavior), and a wrap-up. In addition, beginning this spring, PLAYer participants will get to interact with a special guest each week, a PGA Member who’s ready to help them hone in on their golf skills while continuing to develop their life skills through the curriculum program and its Nine Core Values, delivered by our nationally trained lead coaches and local volunteers. Whether you have a 5 yr old, teenager, or someone in between, we have 20 programs lined up this spring. Make sure to visit our website now, www.firstteesandhills.org, to find the right fit for your youngster. But Hurry! Registration closes Wednesday, March 1.

“Like the health of one’s body, it is important to also explore the health of one’s community and discover how one can give back and care for its environment and safety.” – Community, one of The First Tee’s Nine Healthy Habits This fall the Midland CC and Knollwood Village Family positively invested in community by generously sponsoring two curriculum programs at The First Tee of the Sandhills. To be clear, this was not a donation made by facilities management but by individuals within the neighborhoods challenging one another to come together in small increments for a larger impact. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Much, they did, indeed. Their efforts aided in supplying scholarships for participants in need, additional training for coaches delivering programs and the ability to ensure that a diverse group of young people are provided opportunities to develop and grow while enjoying the game of golf. This group’s impact wasn’t over when the final donation was collected. A seed was being planted in our community. This group of individuals from Midland CC and Knollwood Village have now taken their success ‘on the road’ to challenge others. Via a video message, they challenged the Pinehurst Sunday Couples. Thanks to Frank and Deb Marois leadership, the Sunday Couples accepted the challenge and came together to sponsor a curriculum program! And now, the Sunday Couples used their success story to challenge another group of individuals in our community to do the same. As Vincent Van Gogh once said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” These groups have become a catalyst for The First Tee of the Sandhills, supporting our efforts to positively impact the lives of young people – one step at a time. The future of youth in our communities is bright. Today, I challenge YOU – reach out to me for details on how a group your involved in can come together to sponsor a class and challenge others. Want to check out our latest video challenge? Visit firstteesandhills.org/challenge and watch the Sunday Couples video! Let’s get ready to SOAR in 2017! GLOW BALL UPDATE: We’ve had great turnout via registration four this first ever event. The event is FULL for ages 5 to 12 with limited spots remaining for teens. Have a teenager wanting to try it out? Act fast and register at firstteesandhills.org/glowball. Great News! We’ve added a second Glow Ball Night to the winter calendar for Friday, February 17, 2017. Same location, time, cost and age brackets. Here’s the kicker – wait list participants (for our upcoming event) will have first right of registration. This means you MUST join the December event wait list to ensure a private registration opportunity for the February event. Looking for communication from us in January regarding a one week window to early register before remaining sports are opening to the public. We are so excited for this first fun event on Friday! It’s going to be glow-tastic!

Winter at The First Tee of the Sandhills can feel like an eternity, as our formal ‘off season’ from curriculum programs runs November through February. It’s our goal to find fun, unique ways to keep existing participants engaged and connected while encouraging new families to check out our programs and meet our volunteers. We’ve decided to combine some of our favorite things – golf, bright lights, and food – into one fun night for kids. On Friday, December 9th we’re hosting our first Glow Ball Night Event at Pinehurst No. 8. The fun and games are open to all youth age 5 to 18. Past participation in The First Tee is not a requirement. While some golf experience is encouraged! Just imagine Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory converted into a glowing masterpiece and you get Night Golf. Participants will have their chance play a four-hole glow golf putting course, a cosmic chipping challenge on Hole 16 green and a glow ball up and down contest by Hole 18 green. Hot cocoa and hand warmers will keep everyone warm during the outdoor games while pizza and prizes will provide refuel indoors. Friendly competition will ensue, by age group, with winners taking home glow-tastic prizes! There will be a staggered start for participants based on age. Five and six year olds start first at 5:15pm and teenagers, last, at 7:30pm. Cost to participate is $10 per child. To learn more and get your family registered, visit firstteesandhills.org/glowball or call our office at 910.255.3035. We’re looking forward to a great winter break, and this is just the start!

This week I came across a new commercial from Pedigree featuring a ‘lost’ dog, a golden retriever, that was ‘found’ by a lady attending a campaign rally, wearing the opposing candidates logo. During the commercial you see people with opposing election views come together, initially hesitant to do so, for the love of pets, to find the owner of the ‘lost’ dog. Once the video captures the rally goers ‘change of heart’ for the girl with a differing t-shirt and her need for help, the ‘owner’ comes running up to retrieve her dog. While Pedigree staged the experience, and told those captured on camera afterwards, the attendees were able to put aside their differences for their love of dogs. The video was heartwarming and got me to thinking about diversity and inclusion at The First Tee. Diversity is at the core of The First Tee’s identity and an essential component to success. Diversity is not seen as a project or special event, but an expression of our organization and an intentional process to ensure that our mission is fulfilled. In the Pedigree video, diversity was a variety of similar and different characteristics among the people. Obvious differences included their political view points, gender and race. But, similar in their love for pets and sadness that this golden retriever was lost from its owner. It’s important at The First Tee to embrace diversity, to encourage growth in low percentage areas, be it with teens, females, varying ethnicities, or children with disabilities. The real impact comes when we create a culture of inclusion that is accepting of differences and open to new ideas that can boost creativity and innovation, while responding to the needs of the community. One thing that I truly love about The First Tee module is our drop off policy. When children are dropped off to attend programming in the care of a mentor, their opportunity for positive interaction with fellow participants grows. While they may have obvious differences from one another upon arrival, their love for the program bonds them to open conversation, learn how to work together as a team, and develop a friendship. Like the Pedigree commercial showed us, we do all have our differences. Even within our group of volunteers, board members and supporters – we are a diverse group of people that have found common ground – our love for the mission of The First Tee and the positive impact it will have in our communities. If you haven’t done so already, and plan to vote on Tuesday, remember no matter what box, your fellow voters waiting in line, check on their ballot, at its fundamental root you both care about others, care about children, and care about making our communities better – it’s your common ground. Sometimes we are quick to forget that young people from all backgrounds represent 100% of our future. Therefore, making diversity and inclusion a priority will drive long term positive outcomes. It all starts with us. It’s a mission we can all be a part of.

During week five of programs this fall our PLAYer participants learned about Sportsmanship; one of the Nine Core Values integrated into our weekly curriculum lesson plans. The First Tee defines Sportsmanship as observing the rules of play and winning or losing with grace. Players must know and abide by the rules of golf and be able to conduct themselves in a kind and respectful manner towards others, even in a competitive game. For a participant to know how they act and react, they must be purposely exposed to games and activities that reinforce showing sportsmanship. Participants will play a game, like golf baseball, tic tac toe putting or twenty one, learn behaviors that are reflective of sportsmanship and work towards controlling their emotions throughout the activity. Over the last few year’s golf’s social media platforms have been a-buzz with sportsmanship hashtags. A few key moments have stood out to me. On Sunday of the 2012 British Open Championship, Adam Scott bogeyed the last four holes, allowing Ernie Els to sneak in and win the event. Els finished two groups ahead of Scott, and while he played brilliantly on the back nine, he was emotionally conflicted. He felt sad for his good friend, Adam. He awaited Adam’s arrival in the scoring area and told him, “I’m sorry how things turned out, I’ve been there many times and you’ve just got to bounce back quickly. Don’t let this thing linger.” Ernie’s compassion and sportsmanship didn’t stop there. During his media interviews, he was very balanced with his words and emotions, happy to win but not overboard. #Sportsmanship Annually, during the Tour Championship, the PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award is presented. Handed off to a player who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship. This year, Jim Furyk was the recipient. Furyk said that while Payne was a friend, peer and accomplished player on the Tour, he looked up to him. He wanted to emulate him. During the award ceremony, Jim said, “it’s easy to look at a career and think of all the successes you’ve had. All the times you remember to say and do the right thing. To thank the right people.” “But, if you play golf long enough, the game will beat you up. Times where you finish second more than first, or miss more cuts than cash paychecks. That’s when it’s easy to not act the proper way.” He went on to say, “what Payne Stewart taught me was that in the toughest of times, you have to have character, keep your chin up and be someone that others will want to look up to. In bad times you will be tested the most.” #Sportsmanship A final example that may be most relevant to our mission here at The First Tee of the Sandhills is the story of a 7 year old boy from Spain. In May, he won a golf tournament thanks to a score of 50. But, after receiving the trophy and arriving back home, he realized he had actually shot 51. Instead of staying mum about his error, the boy wrote a letter to his golf association, the Royal Andalusia Golfing Federation. Explaining that his dad taught him that accidentally signing a lower score is grounds for disqualification and that he wanted to return the trophy so that it could be given to the player who deserved it. The response from their golf association? “A wonderful gesture of a player who, a mere seven years of age, has proven to be a true gentleman. He has already learned the most important thing golf can teach us: Honesty and a respect of the rules and of your peers.” #Sportsmanship Parents, Grandparents, Caregivers and teachers – Whether while at home, school or playing sports – I would encourage you to write down when you see your child show sportsmanship. How they displayed sportsmanship and the parameters of the situation. Later, you will be able to reference their positive actions, in turn encouraging future positive outcomes.