Mission, History and Reach
Our mission is to impact the lives of young people in the Greater Houston area by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Founded in 2004, First Tee – Greater Houston is affiliated with the national program that began in 1997. In 2019, out of 150 chapters in the network, our local chapter served 408,580 youth, leading the nation in the total number of young people reached. The Houston Golf Association holds the charter to First Tee – Greater Houston.
Return on Investment
First Tee – Greater Houston provides character development to over 400,000 youth ages 7-18 regardless of ethnicity, religion, income, gender or ability. The only way we can reach more youth than any other non-profit in Houston with an annual budget of under $1 million, is by utilizing donated equipment, P.E. teachers and volunteer coaches. Our volunteer coaches serve as mentors and donated 3,885 hours in 2019. This results in a cost of approximately $3 per child per year. When you consider how much every child can benefit from character education and learning life skills, this is a remarkable return on investment.
Program Overview and Delivery Options
Our program is rooted in Nine Core Values of: Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Confidence, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courtesy and Judgment. To address physical, emotional and social aspects, we incorporate these Nine Healthy Habits: Energy, Play, Safety, Vision, Mind, Family, Friends, School and Community. Positive adult role models teach age and developmentally appropriate core values and health and wellness behaviors at each level of the curriculum through three delivery channels:
- Life Skills Experience program is delivered at green grass facilities and provides character education and wellness, along with golf knowledge and skill development. We have nine program locations throughout Harris and surrounding counties.
- School Programis delivered by P.E. teachers at Houston area schools in 31 districts and 523 schools. We train P.E. teachers to deliver trademarked curriculum as a P.E. unit during the school year.
- Community Program collaborates with 55 area non-profits such as: YMCA; Houston Parks and Recreation; Child Advocates of Fort Bend; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Including Kids; Boys and Girls Clubs; LPGA/USGA Girls Golf; and Urban Enrichment Institute.