Author: Lindsley Stys

Meet and Greet with Coach Stephanie Stoutenborough

The spring 2017 Allied Golf team before practice.
Did you know that The First Tee is a family affair for the Van Deusen family? Our executive director, Don Van Deusen, is also the proud father of our two Allied Golf coaches, Stephanie Stoutenborough and Brian Van Deusen. This month, we’re catching up with Stephanie, a native and current resident of Columbia, about coaching this very special team. When she’s not coaching, the mother of two works as the business manager at River Hill High School.
Q: How and when did you first get involved with The First Tee?
A: I first started with The First Tee about 10 years ago as a coach for the PLAYer level.
Q: When did your interest in golf begin? Coaching?
A: I have been coaching varsity soccer at Atholton High School for 15 years.  I come from a family of coaches, between my dad, Don Van Deusen, and brother, Brian.  Once the Allied Golf Program started in Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) in 2009-2010, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Q: Tell me about The First Tee’s Allied team.   
A: Allied Sports is a totally inclusive program for high school students that gives students with special needs an equal opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports along-side their non-disabled peers.
Q: What type of background prepared you to be a coach of the Allied team?
A: I worked in the Special Education department at River Hill for seven years before switching positions.
Q: What makes coaching this team rewarding?
A: The most rewarding thing about coaching Allied Golf is seeing the athletes smiles and their excitement when they hit a good shot or sink a putt.
Q: What are some of the biggest surprises you’ve encountered from coaching? Biggest lessons you’ve learned? 
A: The best thing about Allied Golf is that we are giving athletes with various disabilities a chance to learn a sport they may never have thought they could compete in, and with the right coaching and resources, it is amazing to see what they can accomplish.
Q: How have you seen The First Tee benefit Allied participants? 
A: The First Tee paired with HCPSS in 2010 to help kick start the Allied Golf Program.  We use The First Tee Core Values to teach good sportsmanship, positive self-esteem, respect, honesty and responsibility.  The First Tee equipment, such as the snag equipment, gives us the resources we need to work with students of all levels and abilities.
Q: What would you tell parents considering enrolling their child on the Allied team?
A: This program has helped athletes of all ability levels to participate in competitive athletic activities. It allows students athletes with and without disabilities to appreciate the value and strengths of each other as individuals as well as athletes.

Meet & Greet with Dee Abrams

This month, we’re talking with Dee Abrams, mother to ACE-level participant and Howard High junior Alex Abrams. The Abrams family resides in Elkridge, and also includes Dee’s husband of 21 years, Clarence, and 20 year old daughter, Taylor. Read on to learn more about this First Tee parent’s perspective on how the program has impacted her daughter. If you missed last month’s interview with Alex Abrams, you can check it out here.
ACE-level participant Alex Abrams with her mother, Dee Abrams.
Q: How and when did you first hear about The First Tee? 
A: Our family first heard about The First Tee program in a school newsletter about 5 years ago at the time we were looking for extracurricular activities for our daughter.
Q: As a parent, what appealed to you about the program?
A: There were many things that were appealing about The First Tee program but what stood out the most was that the program provided an inexpensive way for our daughter to learn the game of golf as she advanced through each educational level of the program.
Q: What has been the most surprising impact of the program on your family? 
A: The biggest surprise is not only did our daughter fall in love with golf but now the entire family has some type of interest in the sport.  Alex wants to play golf in college and is working hard to earn a college scholarship, her sister has participated in the Allied Golf program and we all spend time watching golf on TV as a family.
Q: How have you seen The First Tee benefit Alex as she’s moved up levels? 
A: The First Tee program has benefited Alex by improving her golf game as she progressed up to the ACE level and strengthening her confidence in herself along the way.  First Tee has played a big role in Alex being able to make her High School Golf team as a freshman and her being a key member of the team that has won multiple county championships.
Q: What would you tell another parent considering enrolling their child in The First Tee? 
A: I would recommend The First Tee organization to other parents as not just a quality program that will teach their child the game of golf but also a place that will emphasize important values that will build their child’s character.
Q: How do you believe parents can be most effective in supporting The First Tee? 
A: The biggest support parents could give would be to make sure that their child takes full advantage of all of the different opportunities that The First Program provides.  There are quite a few different events and making sure that their children are active participates helps make each event a success.
Q: Any advice for the program staff or board about how the program can be improved? 
A: I would recommend adding more opportunities for parents to get involved in either volunteering or having more golf activities where parents who play golf could bond and create memories with their children.    

Meet & Greet with Alex Abrams

This month, we’re talking with ACE-level participant and Howard High junior Alex Abrams. Read on to learn more about this young star, and look forward to next month’s issue, where we’ll share an interview with Alex’s mother, Deneen Abrams.
ACE-level participant Alex Abrams with her mother, Deneen Abrams.
Q: How long have you been a participant with The First Tee of Howard County, and what made you first get involved?
A: I began with The First Tee  six years ago. My mom encouraged me to experience different sports, and discovered that The First Tee was a way for kids to become involved with the game of golf. I’m currently playing at the ACE-level.
Q: Did playing with The First Tee motivate you to also get involved with your school’s golf team? 
A: Yes, The First Tee introduced me to the sport and helped me get to a point where I was confident enough to try out for the golf team at Howard High school. I am now in my junior year and have been on the varsity team for three years. My proudest accomplishment as a part of the team was having an undefeated season and becoming county champions. I am also proud of my placement at the District V Championship; this year, I came in second place.
Q: What has been your favorite experience with The First Tee?
A: Helping with the annual golf tournament at The First Tee has been my favorite experience. I enjoy getting to meet people that care about the program as much as I do.
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from participating in The First Tee?
A: I have learned patience from being in The First Tee. It takes time for your skills to get to a point in which you are able to pass the level certification tests, so I had to be more patient with myself and practice more so that I would be able to pass.
Q: How do you see your experience with The First Tee impacting your future?
A: The First Tee has provided me with a network of people that care about my well-being and are in my corner. They also have provided me with tools like the Nine Core Values and the Nine Healthy Habits, which will be useful in college but also life in general.
Q: What would you tell other girls who are considering getting involved?
A: I would definitely recommend to start playing golf. When I first started, I thought golf would be a sport that no one my age played. The First Tee helped me realize that other girls my age were involved, too. As I continued to become more competitive, I joined more tournaments where I have met and become friends with some amazing female golfers. So to any girl considering getting involved in golf, I say go for it and have fun!

Q&A with Isabel Trojillo

For Ace-level player Isabel Trojillo, The First Tee of Howard County has been much more than just a golf program. Read our recent Q&A with the junior at Centennial High School to hear in her own words how the program has impacted her since joining at age ten.
Q: Why did you first get involved with The First Tee?
A: When I was 10 years old, I grew an interest in golf and started learning and playing the game. My parents and I wanted to take it a step further and looked for programs to improve my understanding and skills, and along came The First Tee.
Q: Did playing with The First Tee motivate you to also get involved with your school’s golf team?
A: The First Tee had a huge influence on me joining Centennial’s golf team, which is something I am extremely grateful for. My greatest accomplishments for my high school career were consistently qualifying for the county and district tournaments each year. During my most recent season, my coach assigned me as the team captain, which I was very humbled and honored by. I placed third at the county and district level, and qualified to play at the state tournament. After two grueling days of cold and windy golf, I was among the only two girls from Howard County to make the cut to play in the final day. It was a very memorable experience, one that I was take and learn from as I enter my senior year. Because of my progressing achievements throughout the following years, I am proudest of my growth as a player and leader for Centennial’s golf team.
Q: What has been your favorite experience with The First Tee?
A: During the summer of 2016, The First Tee gave me an opportunity to apply for the Life Skills Academy in Minnesota. My application was accepted and I was incredibly excited and thankful for this chance. I had the time of my life during my week in the program, and I can honestly say that is my favorite experience with The First Tee. I was able to develop friendships, most of which I still keep up with today, but more importantly I learned valuable lessons that will benefit my future.
I also loved how The First Tee allowed me to mentor young golfers. It was exciting to see their eyes light up because of the fun they were having. They brought me back to memories of when I started and it’s incredible to see things come full circle.
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from participating in The First Tee’s program?
A: The Nine Core Values has had the most influence in my life. It taught me not only to play the game with etiquette, but also how to carry myself as a person and how to be the best citizen I can be. Overall, it taught me how to respect the game of golf, others and myself.
Q: How do you see your experience with The First Tee impacting your future?
A: There are many things to take away from this program, but I think the most important one is how The First Tee is able to shape their students to be respectable and dependable. Lessons like these prepare us not only to become great golfers, but also to have proper etiquette and overcome challenges. By using STAR and the 4R’s, I believe we are conditioned for whatever may come in the future.
Q: What would you tell other young girls who are considering getting involved?
A: I would definitely recommend young girls to become involved in the program. I met my best friends through The First Tee, and over the course of five years we’ve seen each other grow as players and individuals. We currently play against and with each other for our high schools; it is an experience like no other. Also, during the 2016 season, the top six girls who placed at the county tournament were all from The First Tee. It is important for the game of golf to be recognized and to appeal to more young girls because of the valuable life lessons it teaches and because it is simply fun. Therefore, I encourage more girls to join this amazing program because it trains them to become better golfers and individuals. It also has the capability of bringing people together in understanding the game and applying the lessons they teach in real-life situations.