Author: Lindsley Stys

The LPGA/USGA Girls Golf Program of Howard County, MD, is part of First Tee – Howard County.  Girls registering for the Girls Golf Program will have the opportunity to take “girls only” classes during each season as well as participate in the Girls Golf events listed below. Register here for Girls Golf.

2023 GIRLS GOLF EVENTS*

Apr. 18:   Tue/Wed Spring Classes Begin

May 13:  Saturday Mother/Daughter Golf Event (5 to 7 p.m.)

June 3:   Saturday Ball Marking and Rules (4 p.m.)

June 17:   Saturday Father/Daughter Golf (5 to 7:30 p.m.)

July 11:  Tues/Wed Summer Classes Begin

TBD   Thursday Metro Tour  Girls Golf (10 a.m.)

Aug. 4:   Friday TFTHC Golf Tournament (12 to 6 p.m.)

Aug. 12:  Saturday Fun Run on Back 9 (8 a.m.)

Sept. 12:  Tues/Wed Fall Classes Begin                            

Sept. 15:   Friday Foot Golf (5 p.m.)

Sept. 23:   Saturday Mini Golf (2 to 4 p.m.)

Sept. 30: Saturday Night Golf (7 to 9 p.m.)

Oct. 27: Friday Movie/Pizza/End of Year Celebration (5 to 8 p.m.)

*Additional events may be added to this schedule

Congratulations are in order for several members of our First Tee-Howard County community who were honored earlier this month at the Celebration of Sports Banquet, hosted by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks. This annual event honors members of the Howard County community who have represented the best side of sports through good sportsmanship, athleticism, inclusiveness, leadership, coaching and mentoring.

At the banquet on October 18, the following First Tee community members were honored:

• Clare Bowen was awarded Participant of the Year
• Lou Ann Maclay was awarded Coach of the Year
• Karin Van Slyke was awarded Administrator of the Year

Our chapter’s leader, Don Van Deusen, also received the distinct honor of being inducted into the Howard County Community Sports Hall of Fame. Don has been an anchor for youth in our community since the early 1970s, as a teacher, coach, and athletic director, and now as the executive director of First Tee-Howard County. Don also helped launch the Allied Golf Program in 2015 to make the game of golf accessible to kids of all abilities. We are proud to have this remarkable leader on our team!

The importance of programs like First Tee that lift up, support and empower kids to stand strong and grow during challenging situations has only been made more clear over the past several years. We are grateful for our 2022 Mentor Coaches, who are First Tee teen participants who have take on the role of mentoring younger participants, serving as role models on and off the golf course.

First Tee mentors have a sincere desire to be involved with their students, and treat them with respect. They practice active listening skills and empathy, while also seeking solutions and opportunities for those they work with. 

Congratulations and thank you to our 2022 Mentor Coaches:

Clare Bowen

Shrihaan Chaudhary

Andie Chung*

Haley Davis

Kelis Drummond

Isabella Fernandez

Dev Gadhia

Matthew Kang

George Klingler

Chloe Koh

Cate Lee*

Keegan Meecham*

Jonathan Moon

Muyiwa Ogunsola

Eric Park

Krish Patel

Riyana Patel

Chris Poletti

Neev Saraf

Kavya Shah

Akshita Sharma

Samadhi Tennakoon

Norah Vanderpool

Jake Weiderman

*denotes mentor coaches who are not current First Tee participants

Every conversation can be an opportunity to learn something new, build trust with someone, and deepen connections. This happens when we build the skill of active listening and learn to treat listening as an active process – not a passive one. 

What is Active Listening?

Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. It’s about being present, listening to understand (not respond), and showing active interest and engagement in the dialogue.  

Why does it matter? 

Active listening is an important skill for all of us to cultivate. Not only is it an important leadership skill, it has been shown to promote mindful thinking, can reduce anxiety and depression, helps build relationships and can promote empathy.  

How do we practice it?

At First Tee, we use a process called A-L-R to help build connection through active listening. This helps us to deepen conversations, keep them going, and get the most out of them. Here’s how A-L-R works:

• Asking questions: Asking thoughtful questions is not only a way you can keep the conversation going, but it gives you a deeper understanding of the person or topic you are engaging with. 
  • Helpful Tip: Be curious. Try asking questions that dig a bit deeper: How did they feel in that moment? What was going on in their minds during that experience? What would they do differently the next time? These make the conversation richer, rather than closed-ended questions that are typically answered with a simple Yes or No.  
• Listening to understand: When you ask a question, it is important to listen carefully to what the person is saying. We can sometimes be fixated on what we are going to say next, or when it’s our turn to jump back into the conversation, but try not to think about what you are going to say next.. Your focus is on them and their perspective rather than your own. 
  • Helpful Tip: Make an effort to try to clear your mind first of any distracting thoughts. It can help to jot down a mental or physical note of things on your mind in order to give your full attention. 
• Reflect & respond to the reply: Keep the conversation going by responding in a way that connects with what they just said. You can try to restate in your own words what the person said, share what you think or feel about it, or ask another open-ended question that connects with what the person just said.
  • Helpful Tip: Show engagement and interest in what they are saying: look them in the eye when they are talking, use body language like nodding your head.

Active listening requires work, but you’ll be surprised at how much reward there is when you approach conversations and communication with this skill. Active listening is just one of the skills we are supporting kids and teens to build at First Tee. Click here to find out more about our local programs.

PURCHASE YOUR GAMECARD HERE

First Tee-Howard County is once again selling Charity Mania golf sweepstakes tickets for 2022 — a great opportunity to sharpen your focus on the four golf majors, support our area’s premier youth development organization, and have the chance to win cash prizes!

The Masters: April 4-10, 2022

PGA Championship: May 16-22, 2022

U.S. Open: June 13-19, 2022

The Open: July 11-17, 2022

This is “Fantasy Golf” without the work and commitment, for a great cause!

Tickets can be purchased online. We had about 15 winners last year from $25 to $200. 

Still not sure how it works? This quick video explains it! These tickets also come with absolutely free music downloads for up and coming artists. So jump on in! And yes, if you delay until after the PGA Championship cutoff (days before the tournament) your $20 ticket will be good for the next majors, so greatest value goes to the early purchasers!

Why are we changing our program from our current levels to be more age-specific?

 As an organization, we are always striving to create a better and more impactful experience for your child through research and feedback. By delivering our program to participants of the same age range, our goal is to create programs and experiences that are just as fun as they are meaningful, where kids feel excited to grow, safe to fail, and better equipped for whatever comes their way next. 

Research has shown that age-appropriate programming is necessary particularly as youth approach the teen years. If youth feel that program experiences are repetitive year after year or are typically targeted to a younger audience, they will quickly find other activities to occupy their time, rather than returning to a program that is not fulfilling their needs (developmentally or emotionally) or challenging them to accomplish a new task or goal.

Why age-based vs grade?

We are focused on creating a curriculum that is both age and developmentally appropriate. Often, one age can span two or more grade levels, depending on different state laws and school structures. Our age-based segmentation will be recommended and programming will be focused on those specific age groups.

Why the different span of ages in each group?

7-9 (3 years), 10-11 (2 years), 12-13 (2 years), 14+ (3+ years)

The recommended age breakdowns are grouped together according to positive youth development best practices. These groupings are based on similarities in children’s cognitive skills, physical and movement skills, language skills, as well as social and emotional skills, which will allow the curriculum and coaches to meet the needs of participants in developmentally appropriate ways. 

• 7-9: Early Elementary School-Aged
• 10-11: Older Elementary School-Aged/Early Adolescence
• 12-13: Middle School/Early Adolescence
• 14+: High School/Middle Adolescence 

How will current participants transition from their skill levels into the new age-based levels?

Starting with the Spring 2022 Session, participants moved to their appropriate age group (Age 7-9, Age 10-11, Age 12-13, or Age 14+), based on their age on the first day of class. (We are unable to make exceptions to this rule.)

They will be with their peers playing golf and participating in activity-based learning that is helping to unlock good character. The content is fresh and will feel new; we are confident that your children and teens will adapt quickly and enjoy the new format!