FIRST TEE FILES: Getting clubs into kids’ hands

By George Maxe

Anyone who plays the game of golf cherishes that one great shot they hit over the course of a round and only wishes they could replicate it. “If only”¦!”

There’s one great “shot” at The First Tee of Silicon Valley that I cherish, and that we are replicating because of the generosity of donors. That “shot” is the joyful look on a young person’s face when she or he receives their very own set of clubs. Then that joy is replicated every time that young person shows up at the course for a life skills class. 

At least once a week, we receive donated clubs from folks who want to see them used to benefit kids. We resize and re-grip the clubs then put them in a new or lightly used bag for any young person in our program that needs a set. 

We all know that the game of golf can be expensive, so we do this to make the game and our classes financially accessible to all youth regardless of background. Variations of this sort of policy are in place at The First Tee of Silicon Valley, Oakland, Tri-Valley and Contra Costa. All four of us will be together providing a club to the first 250 youth who visit our booth at the upcoming Bay Area Golf Show in Santa Clara from March 2-4. 

Volunteer coaches at The First Tee walk alongside young people in their character development. They form safe, trusting relationships with the kids. Helping participants feel a sense of belonging in our programs and at the course is critical. Clubs for kids ensures that all the kids belong “” nobody is excluded. 

Each kid has an equal chance to learn about the game while learning important values and life lessons. I’m convinced that the care our young people feel when they receive their very own set of clubs “” and not the clubs themselves “” is the true source of their joy. 

Attendees at the Golf Show will see it when the witness the faces of youth who stop by our booth. And new volunteers can share in it again and again as they mentor youth in classes at The First Tee. While I cherish my own (infrequent!) great shots, I cherish the joyful faces of kids much, much more. 

First Tee Files is a rotating column featuring administrators of four Bay Area chapters of The First Tee “” Contra Costa, Oakland, Silicon Valley and Tri-Valley. George Maxe  is the executive director for the The First Tee of Silicon Valley. Check out your local chapter by visiting one of the following websites: www.TheFirstTeeContraCosta.org,  www.TheFirstTeeOakland.org, www.TheFirstTeeSanJose.org and www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.