Self-identity is a journey each person will navigate mainly on their own. Still, support from organizations, schools, and role models can help guide growth, success, and the development of a solid and positive self-identity.
Understanding our impact on the development of positive self-identity is an essential first step in supporting our participants, coaches, and volunteers on their journeys.
First Tee’s Nine Core Values create the foundation for a solid, positive self-identity. PGA Tour Star and First Tee Alumnus Cameron Champ credits the game of golf for giving him a platform to model some of his favorite First Tee Core Values like respect, courtesy, and sportsmanship. When a First Tee — Monterey County participant asked Champ, “What is your favorite First Tee Core Value that you apply to your life every day?” Champ takes a moment before stating: “Perseverance.”
Champ says that perseverance has taught him to embrace the unpredictability of life, to focus on things that bring him joy, and not let the past rule his future. “What my parents had to go through to get me to where I am now, my past injuries, and college…it allowed me to grow and work to get where I want to be. No matter what we do, in golf and at home, we’ll have situations where we need to persevere.”
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am celebrity golfer and Rapper ScHoolboy Q agree that golf has helped develop his confidence, respect, and honesty. “You’ve got to be confident in everything you do. The spark that you feel…hold on to that. Life is filled with ups and downs, and if you face them with confidence, you’ll make a comeback, and you’ll feel like you’ve just made that last shot during the buzzer at a basketball game.”
Both Stars hope that First Tee — Monterey County’s plans to expand to the Monterey Peninsula will help reach more kids in underserved areas, and they encourage kids to look at golf as more than just a sport. ScHoolboy Q hopes that the moment will “click” when the youth understand that sports are an excellent basis to grow: “The more opportunities, the more people you meet, the more barriers you break,” he concludes.
We encourage the development and protection of a solid, positive self-identity. At First Tee — Monterey County, we help our community make self-identifying discoveries; we encourage natural strengths and abilities, instill the importance of Core Values, and remind them that they are all Game-Changers.