11th Grade | Grandville High School
Written by Lyla Chrisman
Lyla, age 8 (left). Lyla, age 16 (right), leading class this summer
Growing up as a member of First Tee from age 8 to 16 helped shape me into the person I am today.
Coach Taylour (First Tee’s Program Director) stands out as the first mentor I remember. As a child, I admired her, and never imagined one day I would have the opportunity to work alongside her like I did this past summer.
During my summer coaching internship, I attended my first “Tuesday staff meeting.”
I felt truly valued, especially among people I’ve always admired.
They even asked for my perspective and input! Although that may seem trivial, that meeting meant a lot to me. I look forward to the day when the kids I’m now coaching get that opportunity in a few years.
Now that I’m a coach, I lean on Sierra Berlin, First Tee Coach and alum, as a peer and confidante. She has become one of my closest friends. After a tough time at high school golf regionals, I fell short of my goal of making it to state and was in tears. Sierra was the first person I called. Coach and First Tee alum Maya Fitzgerald was a coach at my first class as a junior coach. I didn’t know anyone before that day but just 15 minutes later, Maya and I were laughing as if we’d known each other for years, and she remains one of my best friends.
Last summer, I was selected to participate in the First Tee Game Changers Academy in Minnesota, where I connected with teenagers nationwide. I met students and coaches from Texas, California, and Seattle, and formed lasting friendships with participants like my roommate, Allison, who has profoundly impacted my life for the better.
Lyla, at center back of the table, at the Game Changers Academy in Minneapolis last summer.
First Tee has done so much for me, helping me become the best version of myself. I hope that other students will get the same opportunities I have.“
Lyla Chrisman, 16 years old, Grandville High School | 8-year participant of First Tee, and now a Lead Coach/Mentor