One Partnership – How it works, from beginning to End
New Partnership with Godfrey Lee Schools this spring
This winter, a teacher at Godfrey Lee High School, Brain White, reached out to us, wanting to start a high school golf team. We began to work with them to help lay a foundation and agreed to run a six-week session with interested middle and high schoolers at Kaufman GC in Grand Rapids. We began on April 29th and will run our six-class session into the first week of June.
Godfrey Lee has set up busing, and 24 young people have registered, all of them participating free of charge. Despite the poor weather, we’ve had a strong showing in the first two classes. I’ve been able to work with the oldest participant, Ke’Marien, an 11th grader who also wrestles. He’s got a nice lefty swing, and is focused on improving and First Tee’s Nine Core Values. Yesterday, in the rain, I got to teach the three youngest participants – Josue, Yurem, and Katelyn – all 6th graders. Each of them had a blast as we played three holes in the rain and reviewed the value of Respect (week 1), and this week’s value (Courtesy).
In addition to me, this group has two other veteran First Tee Coaches – Paul Bogardus (a marathoner), and Jason Manshum (a board member and marathoner). Now, Mr. White and I are working to set up a scrimmage with his students and our Grand Rapids Public Middle School Golf Team – to give them their first competitive experience!
From here, our hope is many of these young people will register for our summer sessions, which begin in Mid-June, or our Summer League – a nine-hole competitive league we run at Indian Trails GC. For each of these students, the league or sessions are just $5.00, as they are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at school.
This is just one example of a group of 24 students. We have more than 500 registered for spring classes alone, and expect more than 700 this summer!
Tyler Smies
Executive Director