BRAINTREE, Massachusetts – Teaching life skills is an important aspect of what The First Tee of Massachusetts (TFTMA) offers through its programming. On Saturday afternoon, a group of The First Tee participants added something new to the list of life skills: gift wrapping.
As part of a partnership between Mass Golf and PGA TOUR Superstore, youth members of The First Tee volunteered to gift wrap items purchased by PGA TOUR Superstore customers in Braintree, free of charge. It was all part of The First Tee’s mission to give back to the community, while also helping promote The First Tee.
“We really appreciate our relationship with the PGA Tour Superstore. They’ve done an unbelievable job of supporting us, giving us access to their facility and really being a welcoming place for The First Tee of Massachusetts,” said Kyle Harris, Director of Operations at TFTMA.
“It was really neat to see our kids out there today interacting with customers and giving it a shot at wrapping gifts. None of us are professional gift wrappers, but they put their minds to it, did their best and that was all we wanted. It was a neat way to get our faces out there, continue to get our name out there and interact with the public and continue to show people what The First Tee is about. We’re so much more than golf, we’re involved in the community, and we want to serve others as much as golf has served us.”
Lucas Santos, of Boston, Xiangan ‘Sean’ He, of East Boston, and Cody Nieratko, of Mansfield, were among the youths helping wrap the boxed gifts, which included golf clubs, golf balls, clothing apparel and even a golf cart space heater. Marcia Melone, a lead First Tee coach at William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park in Boston, and Cathleen Beach, of the PGA TOUR Superstore, were also there to assist the wrapping effort.
Volunteers from @TheFirstTeeMass were as busy as elves on Saturday, offering free gift wrapping for customers at the PGA TOUR Superstore in Braintree.
Story: https://t.co/wSR1GnjOlx#PlayMassGolf @TheFirstTee pic.twitter.com/ZysQj5pBWH
— #MassGolf (@PlayMassGolf) December 22, 2019
He and Santos both said they enjoyed the afternoon, and, in addition to gift wrapping, got to interact with customers and help spread some of the holiday cheer.
Santos has been involved with The First Tee for about a year, and she was an important part of the teamwork needed to wrap items for customers.
“There were lots of tricks that I learned,” said Santos, who is on the Par level of The First Tee program. “I think it’s a really important experience. I get to meet people from different First Tees. At the same time, we get to gift wrap and just enjoy other people’s presence.”
“It gets you involved in the community. It really does help you apply some of the life skills that you’ve learned inside of the golf program outside of the golf program,” added He, a Boston Latin High School student who has been involved with The First Tee for three years.
He has reached the Birdie level of The First Tee and is now a volunteer coach for younger members of The First Tee program.
“I’m doing what the coaches have done for me,” He said.
Saturday’s gift wrapping event was only the start of the partnership between Mass Golf and PGA Tour Superstore.
The First Tee of Massachusetts will be conducting weekend winter golf clinics from January to March at the PGA TOUR Superstore locations in Braintree and Peabody. TFTMA will offer three 4-week long sessions, including two Introduction to Golf sessions for young people just starting out in the game. There will also be an Advanced Class for youth who already have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of the game.
Cost for each 4-week session will be $30. All necessary equipment will be provided for any participant who does not have their own.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity to come to the PGA TOUR Superstore for our clinics this year,” Harris said. “We’re hoping to get some more kids an opportunity to be introduced to the game of golf, and indoor, in a low-pressure environment, over the winter is a great way to do it. Hopefully, if they enjoy that, when it comes spring and summer, they’ll take that outdoors.
“The more opportunities you have to get kids introduced to golf and make golf a fun an inviting sport, is great, and this is a terrific way to do it in a facility like this.”
To register for the clinics, please visit: thefirstteemass.org/register.
Please direct any questions to Kyle Harris at kharris@massgolf.org .
PGA TOUR Superstore, Braintree (450 Grossman Dr., Braintree)
Session 1 – Intro to Golf: Saturdays, 8:30-10 a.m., Jan. 11 – Feb. 1
Session 2 – Intro to Golf: Saturdays, 8:30-10 a.m., Feb. 8 – Feb. 29
Session 3 – Advanced Class: Saturdays, 8:30-10 a.m., March 7 – March 28
PGA TOUR Superstore, Peabody (210 Andover St., Peabody)
Session 1 – Intro to Golf: Sundays, 11:30 am – 1 pm, Jan. 12 – Feb. 2
Session 2 – Intro to Golf: Sundays, 11:30 am – 1 pm, Feb. 9 – March 1
Session 3 – Advanced Class: Sundays, 11:30 am – 1 pm, March 8 – March 29
