First Tee - Greater Dallas

Huge congratulations to all of our amazing First Tee participants who are graduating high school! From the first time you stepped onto the green to watching you grow into incredible leaders, we could not be prouder of the dedication, character, and integrity you have shown.

We are so incredibly excited to watch you take on your next chapter and see all the amazing things you will accomplish!

But remember, this is not goodbye. You are officially First Tee alumni!

To stay connected, give back, and keep growing your community, make sure to join the First Tee National Alumni Network. Let us stay involved and keep the game going together.

Day six of First Tee Week highlights how the real-world experiences gained through our program teach youth the true meaning of leadership and responsibility. Today’s story features an alumna who shares how their mentor, Coach Taylor, guided them from a young participant into an impactful leader at our local facilities.

Growing up in the program, this alumnus developed a deep love for the sport and a desire to give back. That passion led to a two-year internship working alongside Coach Taylor and Coach Ashley at the Robert C. Vaughn Learning & Leadership Center. Stepping into a coaching and mentorship role meant taking on the immense responsibility of keeping young participants safe, focused, and engaged. Whenever challenges arose, Coach Taylor was always there to offer guidance on handling conflict and teaching core values that stretch far beyond the golf course.

As the participant beautifully noted in their "Dear Coach" tribute: "Having these young minds in my care showed me that in order to be trusted with a responsibility, you must demonstrate that you are capable of being trusted. Coach Taylor reassured me on how to go about teaching young golfers how to handle conflict and teaching core values that go beyond the golf course."

Today, that former intern is thriving as a college student, carrying those hard-earned lessons of accountability, patience, and leadership into their academic and professional pursuits.

Day two of First Tee Week is all about the immense impact a mentor can have on a young person's life. Today, we are sharing a powerful tribute written by one of our incredible participants to their mentor, Coach Katie.

This participant joined First Tee at twelve years old, finding far more than just a place to practice their swing—they found a lifelong advocate who believed in them fiercely, guiding them all the way through the Ace program and to national championships.

Whenever they thanked Coach Katie for her support, her response was always a humble, "I just file the paperwork, everything else is because of you." But the impact went far deeper. As the participant shared in their own words: "You impacted me deeply as a golfer, a participant, and a person. Because of your unwavering encouragement, I learned the most valuable lesson of all: Dear Coach, you taught me that I am capable."

Our coaches do so much more than teach the game of golf. They empower our youth to believe they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.