March 2024 - First Tee - Greater Akron

Encourage your child to warmup before exercise this spring

For many families, the return of spring means outdoor sports are back in play.

Whether your children play golf or participate in other physical activities, it’s important to keep them safe. Did you know a third of childhood injuries occur during sports?

One of the best ways to make sure your child is prepared to play this spring is by encouraging them to warm up before exercise.

“At First Tee we utilize warmups in a couple different ways,” said Ali Miller, senior manager of programs training at First Tee. “If it has been a little while since your child has been active in sports or they are new to sports in general, warmups are a great way to get their body used to being active. Warmups also allow our coaches to build a foundation of movement that helps facilitate better golf technique using exercises and movements that your child may be more used to such as throwing or kicking a ball.”

All First Tee classes start with a warmup, and coaches aim to make them fun, so kids feel excited about the rest of the lesson, Miller said. Not only is warming up healthy before exercise, but it’s also a great way to instill in kids the importance of preparing for a task.

Miller recommends warmups that combine a few different exercises to focus on different skills and muscles. For example, she’ll combine skiers for balance and agility with lunges for strength and flexibility.

“Lastly, I always have kids do some kind of throwing, kicking or hitting motion, which covers object control. All these actions mimic golf skills and help me see what kids are capable of movement wise,” Miller said.

“I also usually organize these exercises into some kind of circuit or obstacle course to keep things fun and keep kids moving for the whole warmup.”

When it comes to other tips to prepare for spring sports, Miller said kids are generally resilient, but it never hurts to take your child to the doctor for a physical, especially if they’ve been more sedentary over winter.

“Our coaches place safety as a number one priority but parents can help by making sure kids are wearing golf or athletic shoes and clothing that is easy to move around in,” she said. “As always if your child has any allergies or physical limitations let your local First Tee staff know so they can make sure everything is in order and they’re set up for success.”

Learn about First Tee programs in your area.

First Tee Scholar Alexa Vela is building community through golf

My name is Alexa Vela, a student at Rice University studying business and sport management.

I am also a proud First Tee alumni and Scholar who has been fortunate enough to grow up playing the game of golf, and as a result have been taught a variety of fundamental lessons and values such as patience, confidence and integrity whether on or off the course.

All of which have been instilled within me by First Tee and have been fundamental in shaping me into the leader that I am today; dedicated to establishing an environment where everyone feels welcomed.

This devotion to creating inclusive spaces is the result of the community and friendships that I have been granted through First Tee.

As a First Tee participant and now alumni and Scholar, I am certain that my accomplishments and ability to effectively serve my community and college campus is the result of the program’s ability to grant me a renewed sense of confidence as well as allow me to discover the power of my voice.

Through the years, I recognized the importance of using this voice as a means to embrace my authenticity and create a space that encouraged others to embrace theirs.

Such a realization is what not only led me into my current academic areas of interests, sport management and business, with the intent to unite my love for growing the game of golf with my curiosity on how the game can take active strides in becoming more inclusive and accessible to individuals from diverse backgrounds, but is what recently empowered me to revamp the Club Golf Team here at Rice University.

Growing golf in Houston has been especially important to me, considering that it is where I learned to love the game, but also where I was able to witness firsthand the impact that having access to the game of golf can have in the lives of many. Whether it be the ability to develop and foster community or be granted a space where you can enjoy yourself in nature, I recognized that very need here on Rice’s campus.

After a year of researching the process and correct steps to take in order to make this dream a reality, the club team was established in January of this year!

The team essentially provides all Rice students the opportunity to play golf, whether it be recreationally or competitively by participating in tournaments where students have an opportunity to represent Rice as a team, regardless of previous exposure or experience with the game.

My vision for the team is to create community on the golf course by allowing all students to have the opportunity to participate in practices or tournaments without having to incur a huge financial undertaking.

In addition to this, the club golf team’s presence on campus provides an outlet for females at Rice to play golf competitively considering the school does not currently have a women’s golf team.

With our first golf tournament as a team in the books, I am excited to see the future of Club Golf here at Rice and the impact it will create here on campus.

Find your local First Tee chapter.

Help your child make the most of Spring Break

Just as time off has been shown to improve work performance in adults, Spring Break provides a great opportunity for kids to decompress amid a busy school year. It’s also an opportunity for parents to empower their kids to use good judgment, a focus of the First Tee curriculum.

“Whether you have a vacation planned or are staying home this spring break, there are plenty of opportunities for your child to make thoughtful decisions,” said Lexie Milford, senior director of programs technology and support at First Tee and mother to two boys. “For example, if you’re traveling, empower your kiddo to help pack the snacks. What choices are healthy? What is best for a car ride? What needs to be kept cold?”

Ask your child to walk you through their decision-making process and follow up later to see if they’ll do anything different next time. You might have your child weigh in on different topics as they get older because using good judgment gets easier with practice.

When it comes to making the most of Spring Break, it can also be beneficial to help your child set a few short-term goals, which can have a positive impact on their self-confidence. “Start with things they can control and take ownership around, like chores, reading or screen time,” Milford said.

Maybe your child wants to clock a specific number of community service hours during Spring Break or complete a certain number of lessons on the First Tee app, for example.

Of course, spring breaks can look different depending on your child’s age, interests and your own work obligations.

“As a working parent, it’s hard to balance kids being home while work continues on,” acknowledged Milford. “Relying on your kid to entertain themselves – and being comfortable with however they choose to do that so long as it’s safe – can be unnerving sometimes. But taking the week to let your kid be a kid, make some of their own choices, and just enjoy the freedom of play can be an amazing experience for them to unwind from stresses of school.”

Many First Tee chapters offer spring break programming. Learn more opportunities to enroll.

Coach Enya Alaan loves how First Tee focuses ‘on the whole person’

Eyna Alaan’s favorite part of coaching at First Tee – Greater Pasadena is collaborating with her colleagues to make classes fun for kids.

“I love working with the other coaches to create games,” she said. Eyna has been coaching since 2015, and in that time, she’s gotten to see participants grow and evolve. “It’s just been amazing to see these kids progress. It’s like I’ve been there from the beginning,” she said.

Eyna herself was fresh out of high school when she began coaching at First Tee – Greater Pasadena. She was playing golf at Glendale Community College where her coach was involved with the First Tee chapter and told her about the program.

“When I was growing up, I went to golf academy where it felt like golf was everything,” she said. “If you weren’t one of the best players, you fell by the weigh side. When I started teaching at First Tee and I was learning about the curriculum, I just thought it was great that it focused on the whole person – not just their golf skills.”

Eyna has advanced to First Tee’s Level 3 coach training, which she attended last year in Portland. “A lot of people say patience is the key to coaching, but I think empathy is really important. Kids at different ages are in different places. They may not be able to grasp certain concepts yet, but you still need to be able to connect with them.”

Eyna was born in the Philippines and moved to Southern California when she was 5. Her dad encouraged her to play golf, a sport he took up to bond with his older brothers.

Eyna’s sister attended Morehead State University on a golf scholarship and is working toward her LPGA certification. “It just really tickles my dad,” she said. “He always brags to my family. He’s so proud to have daughters that work in golf.”

Being a young female coach sometimes helps Eyna connect with participants. “There are sometimes those classes with one or two girls, and immediately they’re a little intimidated,” she said. “In high school, I had to play on boys’ team, and I didn’t have any female teammates until I was a senior and my sister joined the team as a freshman. I understand how they’re feeling, and I want to help them build confidence.”

Learn more about coaching with First Tee.