Girls who participate in sports and are physically active:*
have greater levels of self-esteem and self-image
are associated with a lower prevalence of sexual risk-taking behaviors
are more satisfied with their weight (regardless of how much they weigh)
are significantly less likely to have ever used illicit drugs
Are you looking for a program that will empower your daughter to succeed? Our golf and life skills programs may be just what she’s looking for.
Girls are encouraged to join any of the programs offered at First Tee-Howard County, and we also provide programs geared exclusively for girls. Often led by female coaches and role models, the programs are designed to empower and inspire girls on the golf course, in the classroom and as they pursue college and careers. The programs provide them with the confidence and skills to become tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, please contact Karin Van Slyke.
GIRLS WILL:
Learn the many life-long benefits from golf
Build lasting relationships with other girls
Experience competition in a fun, supportive environment
PROGRAMS CAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BUT MAY INCLUDE:
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf
Personal interaction with LPGA professionals, EWGA members and female PGA of America members
One-on-one mentoring programs that pairs girls with positive role models in their community
Assistance with college applications and scholarships
At First Tee, we’re teaching more than the game of golf – through the program, girls are empowered and inspired to succeed in the game of life.
Happy New Year!
There will be some subtle changes in registration for 2019 classes beginning with the Spring Session (4/24-6/25 2019). We want you to know about those, and also make a few requests to ease the administrative burden on us and you in registering your children this year. So here are Seven Things That You Should Know:
Schedules are now posted on the Registration Page for all three sessions for planning purposes only. Registration will open on February 2 for all three sessions.
PLAYer and Par classes will be separated. To provide a better product at each level, we have gone back this year to the structure observed by most First Tee chapters, separating the PLAYer (7-8 year old) and Par (9-10 year old) levels. We believe this will be a better and more consistent teaching/learning environment for your participants and our coaches. As has been the case previously, ALL participants 7 or older regardless of age, must start at the PLAYer Level.
Please remember that when you register, your registration is not “Complete” until you have processed your payment (or requested financial aid). If you begin a registration and do not take it through payment within 72 hours, it will be marked “Abandoned” so that it does not deny others who are ready to pay, a chance to register. This is not controlled by us, but by the Salesforce registration software.
Please be judicious in registering your child for ONE class only in each session in which you register. The registration software is not a smorgasbord of alternative registrations. It is a straightforward class list like those used in any school that uses electronic registration. There were entirely too many Cancellations, Abandoned/In Process and re-registrations last year (almost 14%).
There have been some subtle changes in rates this year for TARGET ($65), PLAYer ($100), and Par ($110) levels.
IMPORTANT: For children who will be 12 or older on their first day of class, if this is their initial First Tee experience, we would strongly recommend that they participate in our Rising Teens Class (#150 Spring, #151 Summer, #152 Fall) on Monday evening (ONLY), where they will have an opportunity to complete the first two levels of the program in 8 weeks. Should they fail to complete Par certification, they must enroll for another Par class in the subsequent session. With the split of PLAYer and Par, that means that 12 and olders who cannot make that Monday class will be placed with 7 and olders in a PLAYer class, and while we will do our best to accommodate them, we cannot make any guarantees about advancement beyond the PLAYer level in that session.
The discounts (sibling and military*) will continue in effect.
*The Military Discount will be applied automatically if the Account Holder has identified him/herself as Military when entering a participant for the first time. If you are Active Duty Military and your file is not so annotated, please contact us at 410-730-1114, or via email at [email protected] to have your file updated.
Before the year ends, we are thrilled to share well-deserved recognition for The First Tee of Howard County participant Karlie Zamora, who was named Capital Gazette Sports female Golfer of the Year.
We are incredibly proud of her hard work this year, her camaraderie with the other golfers in Anne Arundel County, and that she stuck with it through all 18 holes of the Division V match even though she knew she wouldn’t make it to the State Championship this year. She remained incredibly supportive of the other golfers throughout the final holes that day.
From The Capital Gazette, December 14, 2018:Improvement was the key word this year for Addison Wells and Karlie Zamora.Both had strong seasons last year, but this year their work in the offseason paid off as they won county championships and are the Capital Gazette Communications Golfers of the Year.Just a sophomore, Zamora not only had the best nine-hole average among the county’s female golfers, she was among the overall leaders in the county. Her 43.9 average over nine holes was 12th best in the county.Her defining moment, though, came at the county championship. She finished tied through 18 holes with Broadneck’s Samantha Lynchard, so the county champion would be decided with a one-hole playoff. The pair tied on that hole, so a second playoff hole was required. Zamora won the second playoff hole by a stroke, thanks to a 20-foot putt.“She really was cool under pressure,” North County coach Don Usewick said. “I think that had to do with her years of playing in tournaments.”Usewick said Zamora had a goal to win the county championship, which she did, and qualify for the state tournament. Though she didn’t qualify for the state tournament, she was the top female golfer in the county and finished in the top four of the three girls only matches, including winning one. She also won an overall B Division match when she shot a 41 on Aug. 27 at Compass Pointe for her best round of the year.“She improved from last year to this year,” Usewick said. “It’s her passion, more or less.”Zamora’s performance at this year’s county championship was an 11-stroke improvement from last year when she shot a 98 and finished third.In the first girls only tournament last year, Zamora finished tied for second. This year, she finished first by three strokes on Sept. 18 at Renditions, was second at South River on Aug. 28 and fourth at Bay Hills on Sept. 7.Consistency was a key for Zamora this year. Of the B Division matches where she didn’t finish first, she was two strokes back in one, three strokes off the lead in another, four shots back twice and and five back in the other.
“Golf has meant a lot to me. It means friendship, integrity and character.” -George H.W. Bush
George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States and former Honorary Chairman of The First Tee from its inception in 1997 until he was succeeded by his son, President George W. Bush in 201, passed away last night at the age of 94. He was a lover of the game of golf and a devotee of youth development.
Former PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said at Bush’s induction ceremony that The First Tee had reached 4.7 million youngsters and “but for President Bush, that would not have happened.”
“He attended openings of facilities. He wrote letters to people that gave money. He traveled, he spoke, he got on the telephone,” Finchem said. “He wasn’t a chairman in name only. He worked at it.”
The First Tee community will miss his presence. We offer our profound and sincere sympathy to the Bush family and the nation on the loss of a dedicated public servant, patriot and family patriarch.
We’re pleased to announce that this year’s raffle winner of the all-expenses paid trip for four to Pebble Beach is Fred Yoo of Turf Valley! Congrats, Mr. Yoo!
Special thanks to R.L. Gladden and Lonnie Robbins who generously donated their winnings back to The First Tee of Howard County.
Thank you to everyone who purchased and sold raffle tickets! For the second year in a row, all 400 tickets were sold, which means that approximately $25,000 in proceeds will benefit our youth programs. We are so grateful to each of you for helping keep our programs affordable, high-quality and accessible to children throughout Howard County.
This month, we connected with Coach Jon Johnson, who recently received the Howard County Recreation and Parks “Good Sports” award for Coach of the Year. Jon is celebrating his 10th year as a coach for The First Tee of Howard County, and although born in Germany while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army, has lived in Columbia since childhood. He works as an account executive at an IT consulting firm focused on cloud solutions and security. When he’s not coaching golf, playing golf or working, you can find him coaching wrestling, enjoying fantasy football and rooting for the Dallas Cowboys.
Q: When did your love of golf begin?
A: I became interested in golf at a very young age. I was fortunate to have a father who played the game and taught me. The appeal for me was in how difficult the game. I loved being taught how to swing the club and the instant feedback you receive from the results on every swing. No matter how good you get, there is a never-ending quest to get better. Some of my fondest memories in life are of times spent with him on the course.
Q: What is your favorite part of coaching?
A: I currently coach in our Target, Player, Par and Birdie levels. There is nothing more fun or gratifying than seeing a kid struggle to hit the ball, and then showing them how to do it and then seeing them light up with joy when they hit a good shot! Though I suppose I would say my favorite part is getting to know the kids, watching them grow up and seeing the great people they become as they move on to high school and college!
Q: What do you think sets The First Tee apart from other youth golf programs?
A: What I think sets the First Tee apart from other youth golf programs is that we are a youth development program. We spend a significant amount of time focusing on not just golf skills, but also life skills and our Nine Core Values (Confidence, Respect, Judgement, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, Courtesy, Honesty, Integrity and Perseverance). While we would love to produce great golfers, we are more focused on producing great young people who love and respect the game.
Q: What piece of advice would you share with other coaches?
A: What I would share with other coaches is that coaching kids is not a one size fits all proposition. All kids don’t respond to or receive coaching in the same way, so it is important to be patient, take time to get to know your kids, and understand their needs and how to motivate or inspire them.
We would need to place our shirt order by mid-February in order to put our Birdie and higher kids (11-17 year olds) in royal blue collared polo shirts with coordinated hats. We would embroider a sponsor logo on the sleeve of each polo shirt, in addition to The First Tee of Howard County logo on the left breast.
This initiative would require approximately 250 shirts per year, at a probable cost of $4,000 to $6,000 per year, depending on shirt and embroidery cost. We plan to continue with cotton t-shirts for the younger participants.
While the t-shirts are fine for our younger kids, our older participants should dress appropriately here and at courses where t-shirts are not appropriate attire. Costs for collared shirts however, even for reasonably priced polos in a modern fabric with embroidered First Tee of Howard County logo will run $20-$30 based on prices we have solicited. Without a sponsor, we will not be able to absorb this cost.
So, if you are interested in becoming or know of a potential shirt sponsor, please contact us at [email protected], or call our office at 410-730-1114. We thank you for your consideration.
We are delighted to announce that Golf Galaxy is a new partner supporting our youth development programs. Our chapter looks forward to including the golf experts from Golf Galaxy at future events.
Unfamiliar with Golf Galaxy? Our local store is located right in Elkridge at 6650 Marie Curie Drive. There, you can:
Shop the Baltimore area’s best selection of golf clubs, apparel, footwear, tech and accessories.
Test the latest clubs in one of our hitting bays, or try out new putters on our huge indoor putting green.
Schedule a custom club fitting with Certified Fitters — they’ll make sure your new equipment is a perfect match for your swing.
Take advantage of expert golf club repair, everything from regripping to shaft replacement.
You can also trade in your golf clubs for Golf Galaxy gift cards, or shop a large selection of gently used golf clubs from top brands–each club is cleaned, inspected and graded on condition.
Thank you to all of our sponsors, players, volunteers, board members and especially our tireless committee chairs, Nicola Morgal and Phil Bryan, who made our 17th Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, August 10 at Fairway Hills a great success in raising funds for our youth programs. Check out photos from the event on our Facebook page and feel free to tag yourself!
This month, we’re catching up with Kassie Zamora, an Eagle-level player with The First Tee of Howard County who has been part of our program for the last six years, along with her two sisters, Karlie and Kara.
Q: Why did you first get involved with The First Tee of Howard County?
A: My younger sister, Karlie, wanted to try The First Tee so I decided to go along with her.
Kassie with her sister, Karlie
Q: Did playing with The First Tee motivate you to get involved with your school’s golf team?
A: I joined the golf team at North County High School this year as a sophomore to play on the team with my sister. We were two of three girls on the golf team.
Q: What has been your favorite experience with The First Tee?
A: The extra Girls Golf events and special events like Mother-Daughter and Father-Daughter Golf have been the most memorable to me. Night Golf is a good time, too!
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from participating in The First Tee?
A: Learning to play golf with different people.
Q: How do you see your experience with The First Tee impacting your future?
A: I think The First Tee will give me a better chance of being able to play college golf.
Q: What would you tell other students who are considering getting involved?
A: Make sure you know all of the mandatory requirements and be sure that it fits in your schedule. There are also weekly homework and playing tests, as well as tests on the rules and core values at the end.
Thank you, Kassie, for sharing your experience with us!
The Maryland State Golf Association (MSGA) Scholarship was organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including to award educational scholarships to students having completed junior year of high school with a bonafide connection to golf.
Awards/Announcements: The MSGA will award scholarships in the order and in the amount recommended by the Scholarship Selection Committee, although the MSGA has the discretion to decrease the number of scholarships to be awarded. The MSGA will publicly announce the scholarship recipients at the year-end annual banquet. The MSGA will be identified clearly as the grantor of the awards. Each scholarship recipient will be notified of his or her award pursuant to a letter from the MSGA.
Eligibility: The scholarship program will be open to those individuals who have provided services as employees and/or their children to MSGA member clubs/courses for a minimum of two (2) years, and/or students who have completed their junior year of high school with a bonafide connection to golf. Scholarship applicants will be evaluated on uniform objective standards. The same application form and evaluation system will be used for all applicants. All applicants must meet the minimum admissions standards of an educational institution (college, university, junior college, or vocational school) and must reasonably be expected to attend such an educational institution. All eligible applicants must be considered without regard to race, sex, religion, or national origin.
Selection: The scholarship recipients will be selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee based solely on objective standards related to the purposes of the scholarships.
Each applicant must submit a completed application form. Forms must also be completed by the applicant’s school principal, if applicable. The applicants should be evaluated on objective standards such as past academic performance, performance on tests designed to measure ability and aptitude for higher education, the candidate’s class rank, and financial need. Recommendations from instructors or other persons unrelated to the candidate, extra-curricular activities, and leadership contributions should also be considered. The school principal will submit the completed applications (other than the Candidate’s Statement, which will be submitted by the applicant) directly to the Scholarship Selection Committee in care of the MSGA.
The MSGA will determine the amount of funds available in the aggregate for scholarships on an annual basis and will notify the Scholarship Selection Committee of the aggregate available amount prior to the Scholarship Selection Committee’s deliberations. The Scholarship Selection Committee will determine the dollar amount to be awarded to each recipient.
We hope that any and all eligible participants of The First Tee of Howard County will apply for this incredible opportunity for college scholarships! Please note that the deadline is approaching — all applications must be received by August 31, 2018.
Del. Frank Turner
The First Tee of Howard County is honored to have Maryland State Delegate Frank Turner join our Board of Directors.
A resident of Columbia, Delegate Turner has served in the Maryland House of Delegates since 1994, and currently serves as vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees legislation relating to education, elections and taxation.
Delegate Turner made history when he was elected, becoming the first African American to represent Howard County in the general assembly. He also spent 41 years as a professor of business law at Morgan State University.
An avid golfer and champion of children, Delegate Turner will be a tremendous asset to our Board of Directors.
Girls who participate in sports and are physically active:*
