For fledgling athletes, the game of golf promises much more than a finely honed swing. The First Tee of Greater Washington, D.C., believes golf can shape a young player’s entire person. That’s the mission behind its First Tee Life Skills Experience certifying classes. Students not only learn the fundamentals of the game but also develop lifelong skills that will be vital both on and off the green.
Students ages 7 to 18 advance through the program’s four certification levels: player, par, birdie and eagle. During the player level, participants learn the game’s fundamental rules and etiquette, while par focuses on individual behavior and communication with others on the course. Birdie-level players work on setting goals, and finally the eagle level leaves students with resilience and conflict-resolution skills.
Along the way, students will pick up the program’s nine healthy habits. However, these habits don’t just address physicality. Though golf certainly encourages activity and fitness, First Tee also wants to instill healthy emotional and social habits that students can take home, to school and into their communities. Those lessons are then compounded with the program’s nine core values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. Together, Executive Director Clint Sanchez says the healthy habits and core values teach students important life skills like how to introduce themselves and to appreciate diversity.
D.C.’s First Tee is one chapter of the nationwide organization, which bears an overarching mission aimed at bestowing students with the skills outlined above in order to keep kids in school, equip them for their everyday challenges and prepare them for the future. According to the nonprofit, 73 percent of participants across the country feel confident in their academics while 82 percent feel prepared in their social lives. Needless to say, First Tee wants to leave a positive impact on young players for a long time to come. However, First Tee’s scope goes beyond its students and into the community at large. The D.C. branch has worked with the likes of the Tiger Woods Foundation, the National Recreation and Parks Association and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Likewise, it is supported by a wealth of big-name organizations in the golf world: the PGA Tour, the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association—just to name a few.
The First Tee has partnered with Fairfax County Park Authority for the Life Skills Experience program’s current and forthcoming sessions. The spring session, which opened on May 10, will be held every Tuesday until June 21 at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton from 5-6:30 p.m. Summer sessions will take place at Laurel Hill, Algonkian Golf Course in Sterling, Dulles Golf Center, Fort Belvoir Golf Club, Pohick Bay Golf Course in Lorton, Sterling Golf Club and Westpark Golf Club in Leesburg. Summer registration is open now.
