On June 29th, Mill Creek Country Club held its annual Captain's Charity golf event, raising over $10,000 for First Tee of Greater Seattle. As this year’s Ladies Golf Captain, Bethany Mroz explains, “The Ladies Golf Captain gets to name a beneficiary for this annual event, and I was delighted to select First Tee of Greater Seattle. First Tee integrates the game of golf with a life skills curriculum and learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience, preparing the kids for everything that lies ahead.”

 

Recently elected as a First Tee of Greater Seattle board member, Bethany has been aware of the nonprofit for some time. “They have an event every year called ‘Ladies on the Links’ at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, which is where I first heard about them,” she explains, “and I have played in that competition for several years now.”

 

As Leslie Guzman, First Tee of Greater Seattle’s Program Manager says, “At the end of each year we are thankful to teach over 2,000 participants with 250 individual coaches around 19 green grass locations from South King County all the way north to Skagit County. Many of our coaches are junior volunteers (13-18 years old), giving back to their communities. Our adult volunteers range from 20 to 75 years old, and our staff head and assistant coaches that serve us range from 17 to 80 years old! It is important to us that we have a diverse coaching staff to represent our students, providing coaches and mentors that not only look like them but want to be there to support them.”

 

Younger kids and teens learn to play golf and are coached in life lessons and leadership skills. The First Tee Life Skills Curriculum has been developed by experts in youth development, the game of golf itself, and life coaching. As a child progresses through the First Tee Life Skills Experience, golfing activities and life lessons become more closely aligned, helping young people build character and become equipped to make good choices on and off the golf course. 

 

“We had 132 ladies playing in the competition this year, making it our highest attended Captain’s Charity ever - many thanks to our wonderful tournament chair, Ashley Medley,” Bethany continues. “We played foursomes in a fun scramble format, where teams play from the lie of their best shot. Other competitions on the course included ‘closest to the pin’ on a par 3, and ‘longest drive’. Before the competition we offered breakfast with a mimosa bar and there were on course snacks, while after golfing we enjoyed a luncheon with a speaker - one of the girls who is part of the program who talked about her involvement in the golf community and her golf accomplishments.” As Leslie adds, “we offer a LPGA*USGA Girls' Golf program, led by an entirely female coaching crew with solely female participants. Golf is a male dominated sport and we strive to provide an environment that is welcoming to young girls, providing the opportunity to learn the game that we love while exploring the five Key Commitments.”

 

First Tee students played important roles in the event. “We had a rotating group of kids out on the course at the 18th hole, our signature par 3. They joined in, hitting key shots for all of us,” Bethany says. “If you donated $5 (we called it ‘buy a birdie’) they would hit your tee shot for you. We had another group of kids out on the course making putts, which was cool to watch.”

 

Generous sponsors of the event included Kids N Us and Absolute Auto Body. “We enjoyed a raffle and silent auction with over 50 donated items, and Mill Creek Country Club was a most generous contributor as they donated the golf cart fee and green fees from the day to the total amount of money raised,” Bethany says.

 

The money raised will benefit several First Tee programs. “One is sponsorships for kids who may not be able to afford the programming - we make scholarships available for several of them so they can participate,” Bethany enthuses, “while some goes to coordinating with local golf courses to block off tee times and use the teaching areas for our kids. It will also help with equipment for everyone in the program. Golf clubs can be expensive and as kids grow, they need clubs and equipment that grow with them.”

 

Central to First Tee are the trained coaches who not only introduce kids to golf skills but also create a safe, supportive, and empowering environment to help them prepare for their lives ahead, including friendships, school, college, and even careers. Kids learn skills that stay with them for life: Understanding and managing emotions, resolving conflicts, setting up step-by-step goals, planning, and appreciating diversity.

 

As Leslie Guzman concludes, “First Tee is an outstanding organization. As a lifelong golfer, I wish I’d had the opportunity to participate in First Tee. Our curriculum is based around the five Key Commitments: Pursuing Goals, Collaborating with Others, building a Positive Self Identity, Using Good Judgment, and Growing Through Challenges. First Tee works seamlessly to integrate life and golf skills together through golf activities, and our participants learn and explore in an environment that is safe and welcoming. We serve participants from the ages of 6-18 years old from all walks of life, with the goal of Building Game Changers.”