Good Golfers. Better People. the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia
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2017 ANNUAL REPORT Good Golfers. Better People. The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia 1.Welcome Dear Supporters of The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia: AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE SUCCESSES and activities we have going on within The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, all made possible through your generous donations! These donations provide thousands of kids, of all privileges from I myriad backgrounds, the opportunity to learn life skills essential to navigating life’s challenges through the game of golf. Some of the 2017 highlights include taking Lenny Gipson and Riley Quartermain to Naples, FL for the Golf to Paradise Challenge as part of the PGA Tour Champion’s Chubb Classic. These participants had the opportunity to meet and talk with tour players, get interviewed by the Golf Channel and be in the Media Room, in addition to playing in a team event representing our Chapter. This past June, we sent a group of nine participants and two coaches to North Carolina for The First Tee Carolina’s Leadership Academy. Here they each had the opportunity to meet other TFT participants and learn leadership skills while gaining confidence to set them up for success in life. TFTGP also sent a team of four kids to Raritan Valley, NJ for the TFT Northeast Regional Challenge golf tournament where they finished in second place! Of special note, congratulations to Andrew Magno on having his first hole-in-one! While there, the kids had the opportunity to visit the Statue of Liberty with participants from 12 different First Tee chapters. Other highlights included our kids caddying for sports legends at our Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament. TFTGP participant alumni and Intern Kyle Spaulding said, “It was an exhilarating experience to caddy for such a legendary person as Julius Erving T and absorb all the advice I could in our time together.” Thanks to the generosity of Merion Golf Club for hosting our participants each week at the Merion West Golf Course. Over 50 kids benefitted from this experience and we were pleased to see that these opportunities further kindled their passions for golf and The First Tee. The Philadelphia Cricket Club and James Nam were also generous in allowing 24 of our kids to play the St. Martins course in a fun event to get some of our less experienced golfers playing a different course. Lunch and ice cream at the pool was a big hit to top off the day. The First Tee was excited to merge this year with the Kids on the Hill organization, which was started by Jim Sykes. In honor of Mr. Sykes, we are pleased to continue his vision promoting youth golf through this program supporting over 75 Police Athletic League kids each summer for eight weeks. We aim to increase the partici- pation numbers to well over 100 in the coming years. I continue to be amazed at how many good people we have in our community, who embrace what we do, and generously support our efforts.” Walnut Lane Golf Club had a tremendously successful year with rounds up over 15 percent from the previous year and the course in fabulous condition the entire season. Ben Davies stepped in to become our new Superintendent and his team could not have done a better job in making the course better each day. The entire staff welcomed all of the positive comments about the condition of the golf course and facilities. We could not do what we do to promote public golf and our youth without the support of many key individuals and companies. We wholeheartedly thank you because we could not operate without your help. Thanks to: Lawn & Golf Company, Asplundh Tree Experts, Mike Cavanaugh and Floratine Products, Philadelphia Golf Course Superintendents Association, Frank Shuman, Bill Corcoran, Jay Perisian, and Rob Nolek. We are looking forward to continuing the great work done in 2017 to springboard the course conditions in ‘‘ 2018. It will be an even better year than the last. I continue to be amazed at how many good people we have in our community, who embrace what we do, and generously support our efforts in so many ways. It is wonderful to see that golf has positively impacted so many of you, as it has me, and that you desire to pass this impact on to our next generation. As a result, we are making our community a much better place and are poised for great success in the future. From all of us at The First Tee, thank you. Sincerely, William Hyndman V Executive Director, The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia 2 2017 ANNUAL REPORT 2.About Us The First Tee Changes Lives. The mission of The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia is to positively impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. OUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY are facing critical challenges. Among these challenges include the fact that eleven million young people do not have a safe place to be after the school bell rings, one in three will reach Y adulthood not ever having a positive mentor, one in six children are food inse- cure, one in five students are leaving our schools each year and do not graduate. The First NINE CORE VALUES: Tee is addressing these challenges intentionally through character education in its programs, seamlessly integrated with a golf curriculum. • Honesty • Integrity T The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia introduces young people to The First Tee Nine Core • Sportsmanship Values, Nine Healthy Habits and Life Lessons inherent in the game of life and golf, preparing • Respect • Confidence them for success both on and off the course. In 2017 alone, through providing equal access to golf, we positively impacted the lives of more than 17,000 kids. In 2018, our goal is to • Responsibility • Perseverance reach 24,000 young people in our eight county footprint. • Courtesy • Judgment 9 An investment in The First Tee is an investment in Good Students, Good Citizens and eventually, Good Employees. The First Tee has developed pro- grams built on the positive youth de- velopment framework. Our programs provide safe places, intentional and trained caring adults, and develop- mentally appropriate and empower- ing curricula. At elementary schools, Paula Creamer youth centers and golf facilities, stu- LPGA Professional & dents participate in a seamless golf First Tee Supporter and character education program, promoting physical activity, intro- “ A golf tee supports the ball so you can lift ducing them to a lifelong sport while embedding core values and wellness in every lesson. it and make it fly a little farther down the Our kids are different than other kids. They look you in the eye when saying hello. They shake fairway. The First Tee works much the same your hand. They are respectful. Because of you, our mission and momentum will continue to prepare the next generation to be the best they can be. way but instead of lifting golf balls we lift young people. It teaches them values like perseverance, confidence, and judgment. We like to say that The First Tee creates Values that will help them fly and go a little Good Golfers but Even Better People. bit further in life.“ 3 The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia OVER 13 Years 17,000 The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia KIDS REACHED Chapter 2019 Estimated 30,000 2018 Estimated 24,000 2017 Actual 17,000 2016 Actual 10,000 Girls Golf Program The First Tee National Schools Program: 172Girls 33 schools 12,000 students The First Tee Life Skills Program: The Jay Sigel Learning Center and Walnut Lane are official 1,500 students LPGA Girls Golf Sites. The First Tee DRIVE Program: 2,000 students Four Life Skills: The First Tee Outreach Program: Interpersonal, Self Management, Goal Setting and Resilience 2,200 students NINE HEALTHY HABITS: fifteen Energy, Play, Safety, Vision, Mind, Family, Friends, part-time coaches delivering The First Tee curriculum School and Community make a difference with our kids. 4 2017 ANNUAL REPORT 5 The First Tee National Schools Program has been a huge success in my P.E. curricu- Green lum. Not only do my students get a chance to participate in and learn about a lifetime sport which is golf, they also learn valuable life skills/core values that are applicable Grass to any facet of life. The First Tee also fits seamlessly into our school’s EIC Model (environment as an integrating context for learning) because golf requires a lot of Facilities respect for the environment as well as discipline for golf course maintenance.” • Walnut Lane Golf Club ‘‘ – Albert Juliano, Physical Education Teacher, Greenwoods Charter School • Jay Sigel at FDR Golf • Bensalem Township Country Club • Spring Mill Country Club • City Line Avenue Sports Center The First Tee 155 National Chapters with a National reach of 5.3 million young people “ A coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime.” – Billy Graham Life Skills Program 54% of our students are from diverse backgrounds 55% of our students receive program financial aid 100% of our students graduate high school 100% of our students participate in higher education 5 The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia 3.Programs The First Tee Life Skills Program Young people progress in our program by moving through the levels of Player, Par, Birdie, Eagle and Ace. The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia offers programming and educational classes at 5 Green Grass locations. Each level introduces our kids to new and more advanced concepts of golf.