Our Philosophy
Without caring mentors, positive youth development just doesn’t happen. At the First Tee, we take coaching seriously. We believe that a meaningful, quality relationship between coach and participant is vital to our program.
At First Tee – Greater Richmond, we help kids discover what’s inside of them, guide them to strengthen it, and mentor them to put it into action in everything they do.
To do this, we need enthusiastic and caring individuals to serve as positive mentors and role models to kids and teens of various backgrounds. Our coaches’ ability to develop impactful relationships with our participants is the backbone of our program.
You don’t have to be a golf pro (or even a good golfer), we will provide the training you need! Our training system is built on research-proven methods of positive youth development, providing coaches with the tools to make kids feel safe, included, and empowered.
Young people don’t care what a coach knows until they know a coach cares.
We’re Looking for You!
Nationwide, we currently have more than 3,700 coaches signed up with The First Tee, including PGA and LPGA pros, as well as volunteers. But you don’t have to be a golf pro or even a good golfer. With The First Tee Coach Program, we provide the training you need.
Developed with input from leading experts in the field of positive youth development, our program focuses on empowering participants through decision-making and exploring options. This helps foster positive relationships between coaches and young people, inspiring the golfers of tomorrow to look to the future, set goals, and unlock their potential.
Make an Impact Off the Course
We need more than coaches to make The First Tee possible. We rely on volunteers — sometimes year round — to accomplish our mission, and not all of those goals involve golf; we need support off the course as well. Opportunities include:
- Fundraising/Events
- Operations/Administration
- Mentoring/Tutoring
- In-school programming
By contributing your time and talent, you can directly make an impact in a young person’s life.
2023 Spring Volunteer Needs
Our chapter relies on volunteers to accomplish our mission. These opportunities include:
Henrico County Public Schools Field Trips:
First Tee – Greater Richmond is committed to facilitating 5th Grade field trips for all Title I elementary schools in Henrico County during the 2022 – 2023 school year. This will provide 17 schools the opportunity to come to our green grass facilities featuring six fun and engaging stations. These field trips will feature a max of 80 students in each session and will require 12-15 coaches and volunteers to execute to our standards.
Elementary School Champions Days:
Champions Days provide elementary students in 3rd – 5th grade with an opportunity to apply their knowledge and showcase their skills in a friendly competition to represent their school. During the event, students rotate through a variety of stations including putting, chipping, pitching, full-swing, and STEM curriculum. Champions Day for Richmond City Schools will take place on Thursday, April 20th and Champions Day for Henrico County Schools is TBD pending confirmation around their SOL schedule.
YMCA Healthy Kids Day:
YMCA Healthy Kids day is a fun and interactive event for community partners to come together and provide family fun. Activities in previous years have included a one-mile family color fun run, kids’ zone with an inflatable obstacle course, food trucks, and interactive community tables. For this event, First Tee – Greater Richmond would need 3 volunteers to assist with our community table and delivering a 30 minute golf activity on the soccer field. Date is TBD.
Become A Coach for Our Spring Programs:
Henrico (Belmont):
Richmond (Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range)
Chesterfield (The Tattersall Youth Development Center)
How to Apply:
If you are interested, please complete either the Adult Volunteer Application or the Youth Volunteer Application by clicking on the buttons below:
- Youth Volunteers (ages 14-17) do not need to complete a Background Check
- Complete a secure background check via the confirmation email you receive upon submitting the Volunteer Application.
- Complete the new Assistant Coach Training online via First Tee HQ University (Litmos). This online course takes roughly 30 minutes to complete.
- If volunteers are not coaching classes, they do not need to complete this course.
As you consider volunteering for our chapter, know that the safety of our kids is our first priority. Please read our Prevention Policies to see how we conduct programs and activities at our chapter.