Author: lross

Keith VanDeventer

Rocky Ford Golf Course, Columbus

Meet Keith Van Deventer, our dedicated First Tee Coach at Rocky Ford Golf Course in Columbus! Coach Keith has been a pillar of the Columbus junior golf scene for 11 years. Ali Beam, our Senior Director of Programming, admires how deeply he is respected by both students and parents. “I am constantly impressed by how our participants respond to him; he has a massive heart and a true passion for this game,” she shared. With 30 years of golf experience and 14 years as a PGA Professional, Keith considers his time on the course with his wife and sons—who frequently volunteer at our sessions—the absolute highlight of his career.

 Favorite First Tee game or drill?

 “Anything involving chipping I’m big on. I also enjoy watching the kids excitement when hitting tee shots on par 3’s in front of their peers. The concentration level that kicks in.”

What do you like most about being a coach? 

“Seeing players joy when they start to accomplish something and see improvement.” 

A huge round of applause for our 2026 First Tee Senior Scholarship recipients! Besides being long time participants, these three have given back by volunteering and junior coaching. We are incredibly proud of how they represent First Tee as ambassadors and we wish them nothing but success in their next endeavors! Read about their experiences at First Tee below.

Izzy Kornmeyer, Indianapolis, will attend St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, play on the women’s golf team and study marketing.

How has First Tee positively impacted your life?
“First Tee has shaped how I handle golf and life situations. It built discipline in my practice habits and improved how I respond to pressure during competition. Before First Tee, I had never even touched a club before. Through coaching and repetition, I learned how swing a club and control my emotion on the course. One shot does not define the next one. That mindset changed my performance and my confidence during tournaments.
First Tee also helped me grow socially and emotionally. I learned how to communicate better with coaches, volunteers, and other players. I became more comfortable speaking up, asking questions, and accepting feedback. That helped me improve faster because I stopped taking corrections personally and started using them as tools for growth. It also taught me respect for others in competition, including honesty in scoring and proper etiquette on the course.
It also improved my consistency in practice. I started focusing on specific goals instead of just hitting balls. Putting, short game, and alignment became priorities. That structure made my practice more effective and showed in my scores. Overall, First Tee built confidence, discipline, and a stronger mindset that carries into school, sports, and everyday challenges.”

Kellen Eder, Indianapolis, is planning to attend Purdue University-Indianapolis and get a degree in mechanical engineering.

What will you take away from First Tee that will help you in your future?
“I will take away all of the various life skills that I have learned during First Tee classes to help me become a better person which will help me get a job. I feel like I am more principled compared to a lot of kids my age because of First Tee, and I think that will help me in the future because it will be easier to make connections.”

Priya Veramallay-Hodges, Richmond, will be attending Purdue University pursue engineering, hoping to focus on the environmental/ecological aspect of engineering.

What would you tell someone who is new to golf and interested in First Tee?
“I would tell them that golf is a lifelong sport and can even help them collaborate with others in the future. In terms of First Tee, I would tell the individual that it is a great program that can teach them the basics of golf, as well as proper etiquette on the course. First Tee is a fun way for young individuals to learn a sport, make new friends, and become better people. If they are just starting out, they don’t have to own clubs or know anything about the sport to feel included. The coaches do a wonderful job of placing you with other students of your skill level and helping you improve along the way.”

First Tee School Skills Challenges

Each spring First Tee-Indiana hosts School Skills Challenge days in select locations for our Indiana partner schools. This spring, events were held in Bloomington, Franklin, Lafayette and South Bend. Weather got the best of two challenges scheduled in Fort Wayne. Those days will be made up in the Fall. 

Schools compete in a Drive, Chip and Putt style competition while practicing First Tee’s Nine Core Values. Points are awarded at each station and tallied to determine the winning school. This year’s winners included:

Bloomington – Clear Creek Elementary

Greenwood – Creekside Elementary

Lafayette – Wyandotte Elementary

South Bend – Elm Road Elementary

“The 2026 Skills Challenges were amazing! We had over 20 schools come out to compete and they all did so well. They were wonderful events full of lots of great golf shots, laughs and some much needed spring sunshine. We were thrilled to give some of our wonderful teacher and kids a fun field trip,” said Kiselya Salcedo, First Tee-Indiana’s Director of Outreach. 

Watch the action at our Lafayette Skills Challenge  HERE. 

First Tee Week and Dear Coach Campaign

The last week of May we honored our First Tee-Indiana coaches and volunteers in our Dear Coach Campaign. Our team of trusted, trained and caring coaches and staff develop meaningful relationships with participants that prepare them for what’s next – on the course, at school and in daily life.​ Our over 200 coaches and volunteers in Indiana are what set our program apart. 

Parents believe coaches are essential to youth development

A finding with The Harris Poll shows parents turn to coaches to help build their kids’ character, self-confidence, determination and leadership.  

Ninety-one percent of parents agree that sports coaching should inspire their child to excel both on and off the field.

The Harris Poll

Andrea Bornino, TSC Teacher of the Year & First Tee Partner

Congratulations to Andrea Bornino of West Lafayette for being name Tippecanoe School Corporation’s Teacher of the Year. Andrea is the PE Teacher at Klondike Elementary and has been a First Tee School Program partner for many years and sees a tremendous benefit of the program for her students. 

How many years have you been teaching the First Tee School Program?

I’ve been teaching First Tee for at least 7-10 years now! I first started introducing the program to my students when I was teaching at Glen Acres and Vinton in Lafayette and then moved to Klondike Elementary in West Lafayette.  

Do you have a favorite First Tee lesson?

I absolutely love teaching students how to use the clubs at our driving range station. The joy on their faces the first time the ball lifts, launches into the air, and carries some distance is absolutely priceless. There is something so incredible about watching their confidence skyrocket in that exact moment. It’s even icing on the cake when they have their ball hit one of the designated targets.

What do you see as the biggest benefit of introducing golf skills to your students?

Confidence and determination are definitely the biggest benefits. A lot of students can feel intimidated by fast-moving sports, but golf allows them to slow down, take their time, and learn how to set and accomplish goals.

I see this happen with all of my students at our putting stations. They slow down, align their bodies, take a deep breath, and really lock in their focus. When the ball rolls up and over onto the velcro target, they are so proud of themselves—and their teammates are right there celebrating with them! This doesn’t just build confidence on the green; it sets them up for success in life. It teaches them that if they stay determined, they just have to try, try, and try again until they reach their goals.

The First Tee Program has been a magnificent addition to my PE program, and my students look forward to it every single year. All of my classes benefit so much from our discussions about the Nine Core Values. 

Most recently, my fifth graders have been extremely excited to participate in the First Tee School Skills Challenge on a real golf course. A lot of my students have only been to putt-putt courses, so watching them step onto a real fairway and green for the very first time is unforgettable. The First Tee program truly offers so many amazing, life-changing experiences for my students and I feel honored to have the as part of our schools PE curriculum.

Visit Tippecanoe School Corporation for more on Bornino and her award.

Robotics and Golf?

Lance Pean has been a First Tee participant at Studebaker Golf Course since he was six years old. Now at 15, he is in his second year of serving as  a junior coach. This winter he had the opportunity to compete with his robotics team in the World Championships in Houston. 

How did First Tee help you with school, robotics?

First Tee has helped me with school and robotics by teaching me discipline and how to work in a team environment. It has also helped me learn the importance of being sportsmanlike and respectful toward others.

Where did you get to compete in robotics?

I am part of a First Tech Challenge team in Osceola Indiana. We mostly compete near northern Indiana for qualification tournaments, then we go to the University of Indianapolis for the state championship where we placed 2nd in the robot game and 1st in the judging category. This meant our team was granted an opportunity to compete in the world championship in Houston. We did a good job there in the robot game, and in our division we got the Connect award, which is the 7th highest award out of the 58 teams in our division.

What did your robot do and what was your role on the team?

The goal for the 25-26 season for First Tech Challenge was to be able to pick up 3 balls and be able to shoot them into a goal. You have 30 seconds of autonomous period to score balls autonomously and you have 2 minutes to score them in a driver controlled period. My role on the team was a builder and strategist.

Dane Bolin, Innovators Forum Project

After attending the national First Tee Innovators Forum, Dane was chalIenged to develop a meaningful service project in their community focused on education, health, human rights, or environmental sustainability. Dane chose to create a supply drive called “Restock The Hope Night” to spread awareness of homelessness in my community. Hear from Dane about his efforts to support Family Promise of Hendrick County: 

“By educating my community about the services available at Family Promise of Hendricks County and collecting donations to help restock their Resource Center, my service project helped homeless families achieve stability and get back on their feet again.”

“I started designing this project in October 2025 and arranged to meet with some families in their “Almost Home” overnight shelter by bringing them a taco-themed dinner. I was able to tour the Resource Center and overnight shelter to gain a better understanding of where families can go to recover from the trauma of homelessness and begin rebuilding their lives. I was also impressed to learn that they offer individualized case management to help the families take the steps to ensure stability on their own. Then, after my collection drive, it really impacted me to unload all of the supplies in the Resource Center and organize the items on the shelves for the families. I learned how many families in my community need everyday essentials, and I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness knowing the impact I’ve made on others.”

Congrats Dane on a job well done!