| Golf, Life Lessons Available to Guard Children By Elaine Wilson American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, (4/30/10) — It’s tee time for children from military families, thanks to The First Tee Military Affiliate Program. The program offers free golf instruction to children from National Guard and Reserve families geographically separated from a military base at The First Tee’s 200 chapters across the nation. School-age children at all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, are invited to hone their golf game with the help of trained coaches. The goal is to welcome at least 6,000 participants, defense officials said. The program not only sharpens children’s skills on golf course greens and fairways, but it also provides life skills. Along with basic golf instruction, The First Tee coaches teach children interpersonal communication, managing emotions, goal-setting and overcoming obstacles. “The First Tee youth development program gets kids outside in fresh air and sunshine, engages them in meaningful activity, and provides the opportunity for individual skill building with group camaraderie,” said Barbara Thompson, director of the Defense Department’s office of family policy, children and youth. “The First Tee core values mirror the core values of their parents, including honesty, integrity, respect, courtesy, responsibility and perseverance.” To sign up, parents can visit a First Tee chapter in their community or download a coupon for free instruction by visiting The First Tee website, http://www.thefirsttee.org/military. The site also includes a listing of chapter locations. “We are excited to have this program as an option for military children in or near their communities,” Thompson said. Military children on or near a base, both stateside and overseas, also can benefit from free golf instruction through The First Tee. Some local chapters have teamed up with stateside military youth programs to offer the program to military children. First Tee officials also are working with some overseas installations to implement its program. The First Tee provides the curriculum and training so the program can run without a nearby chapter. Military families should contact their local youth center to determine if The First Tee program is in place or coming their way. “We recognize that military children have many interests, and for that reason, we continue to look for a wide variety of opportunities that offer a positive learning experience along with the opportunity for personal growth,” Thompson said. “We know also that if it’s an activity for children, these opportunities need to include an element of fun.” The First Tee, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, was created in 1997 as a way of bringing golf to youth who otherwise would not be exposed to the game and its positive values, according to The First Tee website. MilitaryConnection.com has something for everyone. With hundreds of databases that are updated constantly, you have free access to pertinent information when you want it. Additionally, we feature military spouse articles like this to keep you informed on what matters to you. It is important for us to stay connected with the military community. In order to do this, we will happily post your press releases, special events, newsletters, professional conferences and seminars, reunions, job fairs, and videos to help you or your organization get the word out. We strive to help connect military candidates with outstanding positions in both the government and civilian sectors. Military candidates are often regarded highly valued employees. MilitaryConnection.com offers a multitude of employment resources including a directory of over 30,000 employers, job tips, columns, virtual job fair and our new and improved job board, featuring our virtual marketplace where you can post free ads for items you want to buy, sell or rent, and much more. We offer information and resources on the GI Bill and other education benefits as well as advertise scholarship opportunities. We encourage you to check out our new scholarship directory featuring thousands of scholarships that are updated frequently. When the next tour is back home, it’s on MilitaryConnection.com. |