First Tee Northern Nevada

At First Tee, we enable kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. We believe that golf offers a powerful framework for teaching life skills that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience. Our vision is to provide the vehicle through which young people can achieve their dreams, thrive socially, excel academically and athletically, and become successful adults with integrity, strong family values, and a commitment to their community. We see golf as a metaphor for life. It’s not the score that counts, but what you learn along the way. Like in life, golf requires goal setting, working with others, and digging deep when things get tough. Golf is a perfect practice ground for learning skills that go far beyond the fairways.

Each year, since the day our local chapter was founded in 2005, First Tee - Northern Nevada helps thousands of youth aged 5-18 gain essential life skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives; in 2021 alone, First Tee - Northern Nevada welcomed more than 21,000 youth into our Junior Golf, school, and community programs. Our curriculum teaches the game of golf while also emphasizing interpersonal communication and self-management, goal-setting, resilience skills, conflict resolution, and personal planning for the future. No other youth sports program in our region incorporates this kind of evidence-based character education into each practice or lesson.

How do we reach so many kids? While there is a small paid staff, First Tee - Northern Nevada relies heavily on a large corps of volunteers who donate their time to work directly with young people. Annually, over 60 generous volunteers serve as mission champions, advocates, and spokespeople. Our trained coaches create supportive and empowering environments where kids feel excited to grow, are safe to fail, and are better equipped for whatever comes their way. A longitudinal study of the impact of First Tee programs shows: 

• 100% of participants transferred what they learned at First Tee to school; 
• 82% felt more confident with social skills;
• 73% reported higher confidence in academic ability

First Tee - Northern Nevada works closely with public and municipal golf courses throughout the Truckee Meadows to schedule workshops and clinics. There is a modest fee for attending First Tee programs, but scholarships often reduce the cost, allowing children of all socioeconomic backgrounds to participate. 

First Tee’s success is in part due to the strong relationships it has built with community partners, such as the Washoe County School District, other youth organizations, and local businesses who understand that First Tee’s mission is not about creating future golfers, although that is a side benefit. Rather, First Tee - Northern 

For more information, visit our local web site at www.firstteenorthernnevada.org or the home office web site at www.firsttee.org .

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