A new star is rising in the Phoenix golf community as The First Tee program is being made available to our youngest set of golfers—the juniors. The site of The First Tee is a 9-hole par-3 Short Course at Thunderbird Golf Club. A Tom Fazio design, the course offers a wonderful environment for young people from all walks of life to join together in a combined golf and life skills experience designed to promote golf as a life-long recreational activity, while using both the inherent qualities of the game, and a carefully crafted Life-Skills Curriculum, to promote personal and social skill development.
The targeted personal and social skills include: respect for self, respect for rules and respect for other players, integrity, and sportsmanship. Self-reliance, self-control, goal setting, and discovering the benefits of both commitment and a healthy work ethic are also worthy goals of the program. Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., National Director of The First Tee asks, “Keep in mind that as youngsters emerge from the program, the success of The First Tee will be judged less on their [the youngsters] ability as golfers and more on their personal and social character.”
That sounds a bit like Billy Casper’s description of golf when he said, “Golf puts man’s character on the anvil and his richest qualities—patience, poise and restraint—to the flame.” The First Tee program is intended to meet each child where they are and through encouragement and successful experiences encourage the natural breaking away of attitudes, qualities and behaviors that are not working or are not healthy, leaving a beautiful, unique and unrepeatable star. The First Tee will then serve to hone the brilliant facets of each “diamond in the rough” that steps foot on its literal first tee.
A review of The First Tee’s Life Skills Program Instructor’s Guide finds instructions and outlines for twelve lessons and many activities designed to introduce concepts such as: meeting and greeting, respecting the rules, having fun, staying “cool,” dreams and goals, and dealing with challenges. Each module could easily be adapted to any age golfer, and any age would benefit from the experience and find their golf experience enhanced.
I particularly like the lesson for dealing with challenges. As you know, even with clear goals and defined plans you usually run into roadblocks and hazards that can stop, delay, or waylay your progress toward creating the experience you want. These challenges are not only inevitable; they are purposefully built into the golf experience in the form of bunkers, water-hazards and the rough. Still, for most golfers, the biggest challenge you face are the ones YOU create by what you think, say, do and imagine.
Things like:
Each of these inner challenges, and many others, require a response from the player, and each require you to make a decision concerning what action you will take to deal with the challenge. The First Tee Program teaches a simple and effective process for managing both inner and outer hazards called the STAR method. When confronted with a challenge:
S stands for STOP and take a breath
T stands for THINK about your choices
A stands for ANTICIPATE what could happen (good or bad) as a result of your choice
R Stands for RESPOND by picking the best choice
This process asks the golfer to actively choose a belief, action or behavior that moves you toward your goal of being the best player you know how to be. It asks you to choose a response that works for you, one that fits within your values as well as your skill level. It asks you to use your head and RESPOND rather than REACT.
Think for a moment what would be different in your game if you decided to define golf success in a manner similar to that of The First Tee: assessing your success more by the quality of your character on the golf course then by the number of strokes it took to complete 18 holes. I hope you will visit The Thunderbird Golf Club and The First Tee Program, by yourself or with your children, and be open to learn the life lessons found there. You, too, might become a star: to yourself, your kids, and your playing partners.
Dr. Paula King, Golf’s “Head” Coach®, is a licensed sports psychologist, specializing in golf, based in Phoenix, Arizona, and can be reached at (602) 862-0032. E-mail: paula@drheadcoach.com