One of the healthy habits that I teach to my junior golfers in community.  I often speak to them about looking out for each other and their neighbors but most of the time, I encourage them to take care of their physical community by becoming responsible for their trash.  I am constantly shocked by the amount of trash that is left behind on the driving range when trash cans are conveniently located for proper disposal.  It's not fun cleaning up after others but it is the right thing to do for the environment. 

When I was a kid, I know that was a long time ago, a popular public service announcement message was "Give a hoot, don't pollute" and it stuck.  It also makes sense.  When would littering be a good idea?  
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As it is we are producing so much trash that the biggest garbage dump on earth is actually in the ocean.   Sometimes, we humans just aren't very smart.  Maybe one of my junior golfers will develop a solution for it in the distant future.  In the meantime, creating awareness might cause us all to think differently about trash and its impact on our community at large.

My son, Gavin, is in the Navy so I thought I would share this video.​

I always encourage my adult students to arrive at least 10 minutes early for their lesson to warm-up but most arrive just on time or late leaving no time for this important activity.  While juniors typically adapt easier to physical activity, I believe it is important to develop the habit of warming-up early which is why we usually start each class with some kind of warm-up activity.  

I usually observe while another coach or even a junior golfer leads the activity.  It always impresses me when they youngest golfers are able to do the movements better than some of the older golfers.  While this could be due to disinterest, it could also mean that they are lacking coordination.  

Simple exercises practiced over time will help with coordination. The videos below offer exercise routines that can be incorporated into your day.   

First Tee Healthy Habit: Play
A variety of energizing play can help the body stay strong, lean and fit, and
be fun in the process. Sleep and other forms of “re-charging” allows one to
engage in play on a daily basis

Over the last week, I have had  increased conversations about exercise with my students.  Exercise and fitness are just as important in golf as in any other sport.  If you just gave me a raised eyebrow, I can understand why, but I would like to remind you that I am not referring to the casual golfer that you may encounter in your everyday lives. 

I have junior students that are playing tournaments and have aspirations of playing in college. I also have adult students that want to improve their handicap.  In order to be competitive, every aspect of the game must be explored and that includes physical fitness.  I am not expecting them to become a gym rat, but I do want to know how many push ups and pull ups they can do.  Then we may talk about setting goals to do more to increase strength among other things.  

Click here to see how Scott Stallings encourages his family to stay fit and then evaluate your own fitness with the PGA Golf Fitness Challenge or try the classic Presidential Fitness Challenge.  ​

You can do this challenge once a week or once a month.  The key is to track your success, set some goals and HAVE FUN!!!

I shared some other golf specific information in other posts, click the links below to access those: 

Workouts for Golf
Fitness in Golf

First Tee Healthy Habit: Vision
 In order to make the most of one’s  unique gifts — talents, characteristics
and abilities — an individual needs to learn from the past, value the present,
create their vision and future to ultimately “leave a healthy footprint.

Updated 3/2023

I love golf and I am fortunate that I get to do what I love every day.  It was once said that if you love what you do then it is not a job and that is exactly I how I feel.  Does that mean that I stop setting goals for the future?  Absolutely not.  I have a lot of personal goals that I would like to achieve.  Some of them are golf-related and some are not.  

I know exactly what those goals are and what needs to happen before I can achieve them.  I know what I need to do every day and I do them.  I am committed and I keep pressing forward.  When things get overwhelming, I take time to think, evaluate where I am and make changes if needed.  Some days are easier than others but the achievement is worth it.    ​

Most people set goals but don't make it time sensitive. In my opinion, if your goal does not have a date associated with it, it is the same as creating a bucket list or the someday list. For this reason, I like the SMART model for setting goals to keep you accountable.

The SMART model also requires you to be specific about your goal and to establish checkpoints for how you are doing along the way.    But even the best designed plan of attack can go astray.  Always overcome and persevere.  I have had to do a lot of this through my recent battle with melanoma.  No matter what comes your way keep pursuing your goals. ​

Check out this video for some tips on setting goals for your golf game.​

When you love this game, you overcome.

Last week, I explained why I became affiliated with the First Tee of the Palm Beaches.  This week, I received some pretty awesome feedback from a Mom which confirmed my decision.  

If you watch professional golf, you may have noticed that the players regularly refer to a book that they keep in their back pocket. This is called the yardage book and it is where the golfer's keep their notes on each hole.  As a participant in First Tee, each golfer receives a yardage book that they are asked to carry with them to class and throughout the week. 

This book contains information about the 9 core values and other golf related information that they will eventually be quizzed on to move on to the next level.  Since I have a mixed group, I did not set any specific due date for completion of the book.  I actually prefer that each golfer determine the pace of their development. 

I did not have the books when the class started but was able to distribute them last week with the hope that they would review the first section prior to today's class. 

This morning I was informed that two golfers (siblings) took their yardage book very seriously.  They took it upon themselves to read, practice and quiz each other for several days. No parental motivation was needed.  Their preparation paid off as it earned them the first prizes of the day.  

Looking forward to hearing more stories in the future!

The first step is for the golfer and the parent to review the First Tee Code of Conduct on page 5.  When the golfer is clear about the expectations the golfer will sign in agreement.  

Each week, at least one of the core values will be discussed during class.  It is recommended that golfers review the core lesson in the yardage book that matches what was discussed during class.  Parents are encouraged to discuss this core value with their golfer and document when their golfer exhibits this core value in everyday life.  

Note:  This activity is meant to be self-directed.  A student may need to attend 2 or 3 different sessions before they are ready to take the written assessments.

The yardage book along with a pencil remains in the golfer's bag during the class.  This will allow for it to be accessible should the need arise to reference it. 

Updated: 4/21/23

Almost three years ago, I shared that I had decided to officially affilate with First Tee.  Since then the organization made some branding changes and are currently adjusting their curriculum. I, however, remain committed to making the 9 Core Values foundational in the way we teach at Beaver Golf.  After hearing feedback about how some of the players respond when playing in tournaments I firmly believe it is important to teach junior golfers that they can respond with integrity and rise above whatever they are seeing from other junior golfers.  

Additionally, I remain committed to developing junior golfers to the level that they aspire to even if that means simply coming to class each week.  Not every junior golfer is going to pursue the competitions but if they are thinking about it, please be sure to come speak to us about the next steps.  
 
One of the coolest opportunities that First Tee helps facilitate is the Caddy Program for the Evans Scholarship.  I like it because golfers beginning in their freshman year have an opportunity to work part-time as a caddy at a prestigious golf course in the area.  Not only does it give them a chance to help golfers play a round of golf by offering advice but it also provides an opportunity to network and meet new people.   The end goal is to apply for the Evans Scholarship which pays for 4 years of college and it does not require your golfer to play golf.
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This year Jayda Dookie was awarded an Evans Scholarship and two other golfers just started their journey.  

We are excited about what lies ahead. 

Original post 7/1/20

The First Tee 9 Core Values have been apart of my junior golf programming for years.  When I taught Level 1 Golf, I opened every session with a short discussion about each one and I have made them the foundation for my homeschool group golf series.  For me, it was a simple and concise way to teach some basic concepts that are not only important in golf but also in life.

During the Covid-19 "stay-at-home" order, I decided to explore the First Tee program in greater detail.  After a couple of meetings, I decided to become a certified First Tee Coach and I encouraged my team to become certified Assistant Coaches.  

Here's why I did it:

1. It was a great fit.  I was already teaching the 9 Core Values but now I would have some tangible milestones for my students to work towards if they are driven. 
2. College scholarships opportunities.
3. Teen Golfer's Association.
4. Leadership programs. 
5. The ability to continue in the program if a student moves out of the area.
6. The journey continues through college and beyond. 
7. They are aligned with my vision of creating golfer's for life.  

All in all, my affiliation with the First Tee provides additional resources for my junior golfers. Resources that will allow me to further partner with parents in developing their golfers into people of character.