Alan Travelbea coaches First Tee participants.
Photo: Jason Payne, PNG, Vancouver Sun
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun
Level 3
Kids learn best when they are having fun. Learning to play golf can be fun.
Kids learn more than golf skills at First Tee. Kids learn the basic skills to play golf. At the same time they learn important values.
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- Learn more about KidSafe
At First Tee kids learn how
• to be honest while keeping score
• to keep going when losing
• to use good judgment while making a play
They learn these lessons and have fun. The lessons last long after the game is over.
The First Tee is a non-profit organization. They work with youth from age 7 to 18.
Qualified First Tee coaches help kids learn core values. These values help youth succeed in life, school and work.
On a rainy day last summer kids learned about chipping. Chipping is a short, little hit from close to the edge of the green. It looks easy, but it is hard. Some kids just want to throw away the club. They want to quit.
The coach helps them to keep trying. The coach says, “They keep at it, shaking off their bad shots and celebrating their good ones.”
Canada has two First Tee programs. One is in Vancouver at the YMCA. The other one is in Montreal. About 600 children went through the program last summer.
Last summer, the program joined with KidSafe and started a First Tee class in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside.