The First Tee is back in the swing of things

 

For nearly 20 years The First Tee of Southeast Wisconsin has been helping kids learn golf and the life lessons that come with it.

“The goal is that once we get the kids in at a young age, we get them to understand the core values like honesty, sportsmanship, perseverance." Program director Tom Gerke says, "How that interacts with golf and life at home and in school.”

More than 400 kids play in our area’s chapter of First Tee. Learning something new with every swing,

“I’ve definitely been learning a lot more patience and to be more respectful,” says Abigail Geisler.

Micah Iwinski comes to classes with his brother Josiah, “I just like it here. There are lots of trees and open space. That’s really fun.”

Micah's grandfather Mark helped sign the boys up saying, “Golfing is a sport that teaches patience. In order to be a good golfer you have to develop good habits. And it helps raise your self-confidence.”

Mark has already seen golf impact his grandkids.

“When they do things and do it right you can see the immediate satisfaction and that happens with things in life. The more you practice stuff the better you get.”

Tom adds, “No one is great at golf right out of the gate, but they learn maybe I need to work a little harder at home and not get frustrated if I miss the ball here. If something happens at school I can use that same value in my life situation. This is rewarding from a teaching standpoint to see the changes in behavior.”

First Tee is a non-profit that won’t turn anyone away for financial reasons. You’ll find them on the links five days a week.