Our first session of classes for The First Tee at Wescott Plantation was in April of 2009 and we had a Monday PLAYer class for about 10 participants. In our session starting in April 2010, we held both Monday and Tuesday classes of PAR and Advanced PAR and both classes were filled with 16 participants in each class. It is a real treat for Coach Dan and me to watch as these kids develop golf skills and absorb life skills.
Just last month we had all our kids attempt the golf skills test for Par Certification. I could not have been prouder of those kids. Not because of their successful shots, and there were some, but because of their unsuccessful ones. Being put in a stressful testing situation in a relatively new sport can be difficult to handle but I saw kids cheering for each other. I saw kids encouraging each other and using the four “Rs” after bad shots and helping each other use the four “Rs”. It made me wonder if I could handle one of my bad shots as well as our First Tee kids handle theirs. Dan and I could only look at each other and smile.
What’s more important for these kids, golf skills or life skills? Everyone can make up their own minds about it. Coach Dan and I have made up ours…
- Perry Green
