First Tee Foundation
FIRST TEE FOUNDATION
The National Youth Golf Center has been designated as a chapter of The First Tee foundation. An initiative of the World Golf Foundation, The First Tee's mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.
The goal is to provide the golf learning facilities and the experience that will enable kids from every walk of life to partake of a game that teaches values for life and which can be played for a lifetime.
History and Background
Through research it was determined that the primary reason more children, and especially economically disadvantaged children, did not play golf was a lack of places that welcomed them, places they could physically get to, and places that they could afford. The World Golf Foundation created The First Tee in November of 1997 as a way to bring golf to youngsters that otherwise would not be exposed to the game and its positive values.
The World Golf Foundation also played an important role in garnering the support of golf's major organizations to grow and promote The First Tee. The program is overseen and has the active support of a committee comprised of members representing the Ladies Professional Golf Association, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, United States Golf Association and the Augusta National Golf Club. In addition, former President George Bush serves as Honorary Chairman.
Along with establishing an initial goal of having 100 golf-learning facilities in some form of development by the end of the year 2000, The First Tee realized that there existed a larger opportunity than just teaching the game of golf. The primary objectives began to evolve around providing young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. This immediately led to the development of The First Tee Life Skills Experience.
The First Tee Life Skills experience was formulated with the help of academic, coaching and golf experts. Although there are many sports that teach valuable lessons, The First Tee is unique in that it proactively teaches these lessons for life as part of the basic instruction program. A child cannot participate in The First Tee and opt out of the Life Skills instruction and learning because these lessons are seamlessly integrated into the physical instruction.
The First Tee surpassed its initial goal of developing 100 golf learning facilities across the country in 2000. Since then, The First Tee has redefined its goals for the long term by pledging to impact the lives of 500,000 youth by 2005. Currently, The First Tee has over 145 programming facilities and more than 30 in development, spanning 38 states and three countries, which include chapters in Canada, Australia and Singapore.
SPONSORS
