PEABODY — The First Tee, an international youth development program that teaches life skills through the game of golf, is teeing off at PGA Superstore in Peabody.
The first of three four-week instructional sessions began Sunday, Jan. 12. and goes through March 29. Each session runs from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and is limited to 12 children from ages 5 to 18.
The cost per child for each session is $30 with financial aid available to those who need it.
“Our outreach has been through our Mass golf connections, but we hope to reach out to schools and area youth organizations eventually,” First Tee of Massachusetts Director of Operations Kyle Harris said. “We are trying to leverage existing golf relationships, but hope to expand our reach. Eventually we hope to expand our programs to 10-12 sites and we are especially looking to add a strong presence on the North Shore.”
First Tee Massachusetts has “green grass” programs at seven golf courses as well as programs at the Melnea Cass Recreational Center in Boston. Children are taught the rules of the game, receive playing instruction from certified coaches as well as volunteer PGA and LPGA professionals and receive life skills coaching.
Founded in 1997 as a partnership among the LPGA, Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA, First Tee’s original mission was to develop affordable junior golf programs in economically disadvantaged areas. Nationwide, the First Tee now reaches 3.4 million kids annually and offers programs in all 50 states.
Through The National School Program, more than 9,000 elementary schools have programs. The First Tee has 150 chapters at more than 1,200 golf courses and 1,300 youth centers. The program is founded on Nine Core Values the organization deems critical to success in life: Respect Courtesy, Responsibility, Honesty, Sportsmanship, Confidence, Perseverance, Judgement and Integrity.
Lynnfield resident Jim Tobin, a PGA of America golf professional since 1975, will be the lead instructor. For Tobin, who is also the lead instructor for the First Tee program at Franklin Park in Boston, the impact of the First Tee has been more than he could have imagined.
“It’s been incredible to see how we can change kids’ lives,” said Tobin. “The response from the kids and parents has been overwhelming. They’re so happy to see the opportunity for these kids, who really enjoy the program and have fun.
“We had six kids today so we were very happy with the response,” he added. “The kids had some fun and were very receptive to the program. This is a very different program from the traditional First Tee programs, but now that we have our first session under our belts, we are in a position to tweak it going forward.”
PGA Tour Superstore general manager Greg Cosgrove said that the chain’s owner Arthur Blank (the co-funder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL franchise) is fully committed to The First Tee.
“Mr. Blank’s goal is to have a program in each store located in a First Tee chapter, said Cosgrove. “He donates $5,000 to every chapter for The First Tee because he plays the game and sees the benefit of grass roots to make golf a lovely game. Exposure to a program like this will help make the game more accessible to kids while teaching them about life skills.”
First Tee’s cites its research indicating that after three years in the program, 75-80 percent of kids said they had more confidence in their ability to do well academically and felt confident socially with their peers. More than 90 percent of alumni performed community service while in the First Tee program and an incredible number of them say their golf and school skills have improved.
Through a collaboration among The First Tee, ANNIKA Foundation and Florida Hospital for Children, First Tee also created Nine Healthy Habits to promote physical, emotional and social keys to promote healthy and active lifestyles for young people.
First Tee sessions include beginner-level classes focused on basic golf fundamentals, including grip, stance, posture, basic golf shots, equipment, and rules of golf.
Session three is an advanced level and will focus on further developing participants’ golf swings and examining more advanced golf skills such as distance control, shot trajectory, and specialty shots
All sessions will also expose participants to The First Tee’s Nine Core Values. Equipment will be provided to those who do not have their own.
To register, go to www.thefirstteemass.org/register.
