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Obando on following his dreams: ‘Not giving up and going the extra mile pays off in the end’

Felipe Obando may now be studying at the Keiser University College of Golf. But it wasn’t always a given that the sport would play an important part in his life. 

Obando has long been a passionate artist, and in fifth grade, he won an art contest that not only awarded him tickets to The Honda Classic – and meet and greets with PGA TOUR players like Russel Henley – but also a lifetime membership to First Tee – Florida Gold Coast. 

It was the first time Obando was exposed to golf, and First Tee introduced him to the coaches who could become important mentors, he said.  

“I could go on all day long about the insane and incredible opportunities that have been given to me by the First Tee,” he said. But one thing stands out from his time in the organization: the values it instilled. 

“Responsibly, honesty, integrity … were all words we learned as kids going to the First Tee which helped pave the way for the rest of my life,” he said. 

During his time as a First Tee participant, Obando attended national events like the Leadership Series in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore, he played at storied courses, including The Breakers and The Bears Club, and he volunteered to help younger kids learn the game. 

Obando was so passionate about the sport that he teamed up with seven other First Tee participants to create the First Tee – Palm Beaches Teen Golf Association, which has evolved into a thriving organization. 

Obando has had to overcome challenges to get where he is today. He was born with a malformed right hand and has developed a golf swing that compliments his disability.  

“Grabbing a cup, throwing a ball, flipping a coin. Those were all things I could do with my normal left hand. But what about a sport that involves your two hands gripping something? Golf was probably the most challenging sport I ever had to learn, and it took me lots of time and practice to be able to get good contact,” he said. 

“I would say the most important thing throughout this process was never giving up, even if it meant putting myself in uncomfortable situations. I always (and still do) finished holes even if I wasn’t playing my best and wanted to pick up,” he explained. “Overcoming challenges for me was difficult, and it still is to this day, but not giving up and going the extra mile pays off in the end.” 

Obando always knew he wanted to attend college, and now his goal has become a reality. He received a four-year scholarship to attend Keiser University College of Golf where’s he’s studying golf management.  

“When it comes to post graduation, all I know is that I want to be involved in the best industry there is, the golf industry, whether it’s a head pro at a club, a coach, working for a company and many more of the thousands of careers there are in the golf world,” he said. 

He recently received his WR4GD pass, which makes him eligible to compete in tournaments like the USGA’s second U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst this summer. Obando said he’s excited for what the future holds. 

“I have been practicing hard, focusing on my classes, focusing on my game and staying healthy,” he said. 

Coach Kelly on Building a Positive Self-Identity

Louis Kelly, First Tee – Greater Philadelphia alumni and now coach, has been with the chapter for longer than he can remember. Coach Kelly started when he was just 13 years old, graduating through the program in 2010.

Growing up with the First Tee – Greater Philadelphia chapter, Coach Kelly had been so positively impacted as a participant that he thought the only thing he could do was give back by returning to be a coach at the chapter in 2017.

“I love First Tee and I’ve been around it a long time now. Coaching my kids and being with influential people outside in the business world makes me reflect that I just love being able to bring a smile to people’s faces,” said Coach Kelly.

Coach Kelly focuses primarily on the in-school curriculum, along with coaching golf lessons for the participants to help them make their high school golf team. From there, Coach Kelly wishes to see his kids in the program graduate and go on to college where they can play for collegiate teams.  

In addition to the curriculum and golf lessons, coaches like Coach Kelly serve as a mentor for the community, helping to support participants along their educational and golf journey. Coach Kelly focuses on building a positive self-identity as a core characteristic in life.

“The mind believes in whatever you say about yourself, so we need to make it a good one,” said Coach Kelly.

“We need community, and as you know, First Tee has allowed young people to come in a safe space and be around positive coaches and other young people to build healthy habits and life skills.”

ACE Candidate Bolin Collects 300 Pounds of Food for the HCFPC

Sixteen-year-old Demi Bolin, a Plainfield, Indiana sophomore, recently completed a service project as she works towards her First Tee ACE Certification. She collected 302 pounds of food to support 18 food banks in the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition. She presented her donations to the Coalition on February 3rd and received rousing applause from the group. Bolin has inspired a few of her First Tee peers from the Indianapolis location to have their own food drives. Way to go Demi!

Enjoy the following reflection Demi recently shared with the First Tee-Indiana staff:

January 26, 2023
Hello, First Tee of Indiana –
My community service project, “Restock the Pantry Night”, on January 20th, 2023 was successful as we collected over 300 lbs of food at the Women’s and Men’s Basketball games during Plainfield High School’s Homecoming Night. I was the main lead of the project since I generated the idea. This idea developed when I went to Dallas, Texas in November at the First Tee Innovators Forum. I was one of 28 teens across the country to get invited, and we each developed community service projects there. They wanted us to make projects that we could continue and that would greatly impact our local communities.

I would not have been able to do this project alone. Other contributors to this project are my parents for helping get everything organized, athletic administrators at school for supporting my efforts, and friends and golf teammates for helping me advertise and volunteering at the actual booth.

The outcome of the project in my opinion was a success. We are helping people in the community and one more canned good we can collect is one they didn’t have before we started. Collecting any amount of food for people in need is a success. My favorite part of this project will be delivering all the goods to the Hendricks County Food Coalition and I have plans to do that soon.

I was recently invited by the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition to attend their next monthly Food Pantry Coalition meeting on Friday, February 3rd at the Conference at the 4-H Fairgrounds. I plan to deliver the over 300 lbs of food that was collected at Restock the Pantry Night. In this presentation, I will also explain where I collected the food and what prompted my interest in conducting the food drive. This is going to give me an opportunity to meet the pantry directors and give me an opportunity to ask questions of the directors. I particularly am interested in asking how many families they suspect this amount of food will help and for how long. I learned that whenever a group donates food to the food pantry from a food drive and brings it to one of the monthly meetings, the food is divided at the end of the meeting and the directors take it back to the pantries with them. The Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition consists of 18 food pantries and they are spread throughout the county. This will be my favorite part because being able to see their reactions to the amount of food we collected for people will make me happy.

It’s important to contribute to events like this because there are many people in communities without food, or a place to stay, and we don’t realize how fortunate we are. Giving back to the community is great, and I don’t think we do it enough. I hope to continue this in the future at more sporting events and learn from this experience so I can make it better next time.


Sincerely,
Demi Bolin

Etherington Attends Scholars Forum

Richmond’s Esther Etherington recently attended the National First Tee Scholars retreat in Jacksonville, Florida. Hear from Esther in her own words what the impact of the retreat has had on her First Tee experiences:

The First Tee Scholars Retreat was once again an unbelievable experience. I was surrounded by some of the most driven and talented people from all around the country. My understanding of my leadership style and personal values increased from this weekend and I am excited to continue learning alongside them in the future. 

  • I came home from the First Tee Scholars Retreat with a greater understanding of my leadership style, the morals that I value as a person, and how I process information to convey to others.
  • We focused on team building, mental health, time management, and reflection about first semester. This included setting goals for the upcoming year and implementing steps to get there.
  • Our third point focused on professional development. There were speaking from companies who sponsor First Tee like TruGreen and Pure Insurance, speaking about internship opportunities, resume building, and advice. Financial literacy and opportunities with the golf industry and First Tee were also present.  

At the end of the forum, financial literacy and opportunities with the golf industry and First Tee were also present. Also, employees from First Tee HQ engaged with us to look at the future of the organization and the future of the scholars program.

To top the week off, Etherington was able to connect with First Tee-Indiana alum Rebecca Jones, a First Tee National Scholar from our Northwest location. Jones attends Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and received her scholarship award in 2021. Etherington is in her freshman year at Franklin College where she is studying elementary education and playing on the women’s golf team.

Coach Beam Named as National Trainer

Our very own Ali Beam, Northern Regional Director, was selected to become a National Trainer (Level 5) for the First Tee.

Ali and 14 other trainers from across the U.S. attended a national trainer session in Jacksonville, Florida. She will now represent Indiana as a Level 5 coach trainer at locations throughout the First Tee national network. She will co-lead Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 coaching sessions on how to develop intentional learning environments and create high impact relationships with First Tee participants. 

“Being a national trainer is a great opportunity to grow and inspire coaches in the First Tee Network especially in our Indiana Chapter,” said Coach Ali.

Jose Perez Makes an Impact at First Tee – Monterey County

Jose Perez grew up in Salinas, California where his family loved watching different professional sports, but primarily soccer because of their Hispanic heritage. It wasn’t until Jose was 8 years old when he was first introduced to the sport of golf – and instantly he fell in love. “In other sports, you have to rely on other people. With golf, you only have to rely on yourself and that’s why I love the game,” said Jose.

Jose became a participant at First Tee – Monterey County after being introduced to the game, loving the programs he took part in. So much so, after graduating from the program, he became a First Tee coach in 2013. “Monterey County had a summer program which I applied to that summer. I took my first class and loved it. First Tee – Monterey County has helped me a lot in my career. The coaches I had gave their best at everything and gave me values and skills I could use in my life. The least I could do is give back,” said Jose.

While coaching at First Tee – Monterey County, Jose is also studying to get his degree in accounting. Once he completes his bachelor’s degree, he will apply to get his master’s degree and become a CPA. One day, Jose hopes to do accounting for businesses all over California and take over his dad’s pallet business.

“If there’s anything I could teach my participants, it’s to be patient, be positive and always be willing to ask for help.”

Game Changing Alumni

For over 25 years, we’ve used golf to teach lessons about life. We’ve spun the unexpected challenges on the fairway to coach kids about adversity in the everyday. It’s not just a game, its game-changing.

Our alumni are a reflection of that commitment we made to building game changers. Below are just a few of our exceptional alumni who are making a difference in the world because of the lessons learned at First Tee.

Marcus Freeman Pays it Forward

First Tee is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month, and over the years, it’s helped produce no shortage of game changers. 

One example is Marcus Freeman from First Tee – Greater Charlotte. He says the organization has helped him grow as a golfer and person. 

“Being a part of this community has helped me get through hard times. First Tee – Greater Charlotte was a safe place for me in 2020. During this time my grandfather was going through end stage pancreatic cancer and my family, like the world, was navigating COVID-19 and social distancing,” he says. 

The support he received from First Tee inspired Freeman to pay it forward. 

He completed more than 300 hours of volunteer work for First Tee in 2021. He collected more than 500 books for a First Tee book drive, and he’s a member of the chapter’s participant advisory council. Freeman has also volunteered for his swim team and tutored students in Japanese.

“An aspect of volunteer work that I enjoy is seeing the impact that giving to others can have,” he says. 

Freeman is one of 28 First Tee participants from across the country who’ll attend Innovators Forum this November in Dallas. The workshop empowers First Tee teens to develop a meaningful service project in their community focused on education, health or sustainability. Eight participants will be awarded scholarships totaling $32,000 after the event.

A junior at Palisades High School, Freeman is an accomplished violinist, and he won a medal for performing Japanese poems in 2019. Freeman aspires to study sports science in college. “I enjoy learning more about physical fitness and how the body works,” he says. Freeman spends his free time researching training tips and injury recovery. 

As he progresses as an athlete and student, Freeman says he’ll continue to use the lessons and qualities he’s learned at First Tee, including confidence. 

“When I first joined the program, I was a little shy when meeting new coaches, parents and other players. I spent time observing the instructors and how they interacted with all the different people coming and going. I saw them shake hands, make eye contact, smile and speak confidently,” he says.  

“I knew I wanted those skills as well. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and I started to apply what I observed to my own social skills. I practiced a strong handshake. I introduced myself to people I didn’t know, and I have met many interesting people, like professional golfer Davis Love III, all because I have improved in sharing my personality.” 

Learn more about Innovators Forum. 

Alumna Hannah Rens Reaches for the Stars

Lots of kids aspire to become astronauts but few go on to build careers in space exploration. That hasn’t stopped Hannah Rens from chasing her dreams into orbit. 

The 24-year-old is a systems engineer for Boeing Space and Launch, working on Boeing’s Starliner, a commercial crew and cargo vehicle that will be transporting NASA astronauts to the international space station.  

“My ultimate career goal is to be chief engineer of a permanent human habitat on the moon,” says Rens, a former participant at First Tee – Siouxland and First Tee volunteer. “To achieve that goal, I need to develop advanced business skills, gain industry experience and further my engineering technical education.” 

That’s why she’s attending the First Tee Alumni Summit presented by Gallagher this November in Dallas. The event provides an opportunity for selected alumni to advance their career by building new skills while reconnecting with fellow alumni and chapter leaders. 

“I’m looking to learn more about working in a rapidly evolving industry, startups and founding your own business, and how to develop an effective personal brand,” she says. 

Rens says her nine years in First Tee helped shape her future. “It provided me with a structured path to improving my golf game, peer and trusted mentors, and interpersonal and professional skills that have been essential in achieving my goals,” she says. 

While in First Tee, she was selected to attend the Leaders and Entrepreneurs Forum at Disney World. “Getting to meet other students from across the U.S. while listening and working with successful business owners and entrepreneurs was unlike any other experience I had in high school,” she says. “The business principles and goals I learned have stayed with me.” 

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Rens began her career with internships focused on aircraft maintenance and repair. As Starliner prepares to expand its service to additional sites in Earth’s orbit, Rens works on vehicle life span and sustainment. Ultimately, Starliner will become one of the first spacecraft with turnaround times closer to traditional air traffic. Talk about a Game Changer. 

Rens now serves as a mentor for high school and college students who want careers in the space industry, and she’s enrolled in an astronautical engineering master’s program at the University of Southern California focusing on human spaceflight. 

Rens still golfs, and she’s a certified open water and dry suit SCUBA diver. Learn more about the accomplishments of First Tee alumni. 

Zoe Brock Reaches Ace Distinction

Indiana’s second Ace Level distinguished participant is Zoe Brock of Richmond. Brock recently finished the highest level of certification from First Tee and was celebrated at a ceremony with some of her First Tee peers, including Indiana’s other Ace, Sam Roberts. Brock is one of more than 170 participants since 2006 to achieve Ace certification.

“I loved coming to First Tee in the summers,” said Brock. “Throughout the Ace journey specifically, I just learned so much about myself as a person because you talk a lot about what you want to do with our life and college. The Ace project is when I answered those questions.” She will be attending Ball State University next year and will receive a $2,500 scholarship from the Indiana Golf Foundation for her First Tee achievements.

To become Ace-certified, participants must complete four major projects centered on Community Service, Career, Educational Opportunities and Golf – which are then submitted and reviewed by a national committee.

Brock has been a participant at First Tee — Indiana in Richmond since she was 8 years old thanks to the influences of her grandfather and parents. She also was recently crowned Miss Wayne County and credits First Tee’s Nine Core Values as the reason why she was able to compete for that title.

Ace certification is the final step and the pinnacle of the First Tee program. Participants can work toward Ace certification after completing PLAYer, Par, Birdie and Eagle level certifications. The certification process requires a higher level of personal planning through First Tee’s programs that includes interpersonal communication, self-management, goal-setting, self-coaching, and resiliency skills – building an important foundation for success in higher education and career planning.

Congratulations Zoe from all of your First Tee-Indiana staff and community!

With Richmond Chairman Sam Witherby and Southern Regional Coach Roger Lundy
The Brock Family
With Fellow First Tee friend Sam Reising
With Indiana’s other ACE, Sam Roberts

First Tee-Indiana Awarded USGA celebrating First Tee’s 25th Anniversary

First Tee – Indiana was among the 25 Chapters across America that received an IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) grant honoring a quarter-century partnership between the USGA and First Tee. The USGA’s IDEA Grant Program provided 25 chapters with grants ranging from $5,000 – $25,000, celebrating 25 years of growing the game through youth based initiatives. This program is committed to breaking down the barriers to participate in golf and First Tee programs, as well as ensuring that recreational golf continues to thrive. 


The specific community partnerships that the grant will aid include the Douglass Golf Course Program, Madison County Minority Health Coalition; Spring Break Advancement Academy, the Tippy Stars Sports Team in Lafayette, and the Carver Community Center in Kokomo. We felt that these partnerships would benefit the most from receiving funding.

Douglass Golf Course Program

The Douglass Golf Course remains as one of the most accessible golf courses in the city and in 2021, we experienced that accessibility in full circle when First Tee introduced programming there. We were able to impact over a 100 kids and teens through various partnerships with other youth serving organizations in the area. Of those 100 kids and teens the majority of them were not only brand new to golf but had never stepped foot on a golf course before. Douglass is our only free site for participants, meaning that any kid or teen who wants to participate can do so at no cost to them. This grant funded us for continued golf course access and coach payment support, as well as additional class equipment.

“We are grateful for grants like this that helped us impact a record number of kids and teens that otherwise wouldn’t have the chance at Douglass” says Taylor Haudek, Site Director of Indianapolis First Tee – Indiana. 

Carver Community Center 

A new opportunity that is arising for First Tee -Indiana participants is programming at the Carver Community Center in Kokomo, Indiana. We have a new First Tee Coach and PGA Professional who will be implementing the First Tee Community Program both at the Carver Center and the Kokomo American Legion Golf Course. With this being a newly formed program, we are in high need for developmental funding. This grant has provided our Chapter with start-up money for program equipment, class materials/golf course access, and scholarship offerings. 

Madison County Minority Health Coalition,  Advancement Academy

In 2022, we took part in a two-week Spring break camp and a one-week Fall break for kids in the Anderson Community School Corporation through the Madison County Minority Health Coalition. The camps introduced golf to its students for the first time with First Tee Community Program equipment and the help of our First Tee staff and a local First Tee Coach. We provided information to the students about our programming at local golf courses. For the next camp, we will be purchasing K-5 equipment and providing scholarship funds for First Tee class sessions. This grant dispersed money for equipment and scholarship offerings. 

“Last year during Spring Break we had approximately 300 students.  This year for Fall Break we have a little over 800 students! The program is growing by leaps and bounds!” says Betsy Pearson from the Madison County Minority Health Coalition. 

Tippy Stars Sports Team/First Tee Night, Lafayette, Indiana 

For the last three years, our Lafayette First Tee location has partnered for an evening with the Tippy Stars special needs team for a golf skills challenge night. First Tee participants partner with a Tippy Stars player and guide them through a putting, chipping and hitting challenge course. With the USGA grant funds, we purchased golf clubs and balls for each Tippy Stars player to take home and safely use to practice indoors or outdoors.

“It’s a special night to be able to work with the Tippy Stars kids alongside our First Tee participants. It’s great to see how we can use golf to get us playing together. At the end of our night this year, all of the Tippy Stars received a golf club, ball and target to practice on their own. Hopefully their interest in golf has grown over the past three years that we have done this event, and they will want to join us in a full class soon” said Dan Ross, PGA Pro and First Tee Coach. 

First Tee – Indiana  is thrilled to use this USGA grant to continue supporting communities through community partnerships, financial assistance, free access, scholarships, and Youth on Course. 

Donate to First Tee – Indiana here.