First Tee opens doors for young golfers

When Rajah Reeves tees off this fall for the Southwestern Oregon Community College, a lot of people back in Seattle will be rooting for him.

It’s been that way ever since the 19-year-old Renton native got involved with The First Tee of Greater Seattle.

“The First Tee has provided the building blocks of my life,” Reeves says.

The First Tee is an international youth organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. The mission is to “help shape the lives of young people from all walks of life by reinforcing values like integrity, respect and perseverance through the game of golf.

“The first tee is not just designed to keep the kids in the program not just for one season or one year but hopefully their entire adolescence,” says Evan Johnsen, program director with the First Tee of Greater Seattle.

The program serves about 1,300 students at local golf courses, and tens of thousands of others in local schools.

“What we are there to do as coaches is not just teach them how to swing a club, but how to be really confident individuals, how to get in touch with their own needs and their own individual goals,” Johnsen says.

The program also helps young people grow into mentors. Reeves says one of the biggest thrills he’s gotten is helping other kids succeed in golf and life.

“I want to see a smile on their face. I want to see them hit a ball and they miss it all the way, and then they hit a ball and it goes straight down the middle and they look at me and say ‘Whoa what is that? How did I hit that?’ And I say ‘You did that. You produced that golf shot!'”

But even if they never become a top tier golfer, Johnsen says that’s not the point.

“If they want to become a great golfer, we’re here to support them in that. But what we hope is that even if all of our participants don’t become great golfers they’ll all become great people.”

While golf is often considered a game for the elite, access is a hallmark of the program. The First Tee never turns away a participant because they can’t afford to pay. Reeves says that’s opened a number of doors for him and others who wouldn’t otherwise be able to play the game, and learn the lessons that come with it.

“It sounds corny, but put it all together and I’m just one whole person.”

Bonneville Seattle, The Seattle Seahawks and Les Schwab Tire Centers are proud to honor the First Tee of Greater Seattle as our charity of the month.