JAMESVILLE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The First Tee of Syracuse is getting students from Syracuse City School District summer programs out of the classroom and into the game of golf this summer.
The Jamesville-based non-profit is the local chapter of the First Tee Program, which aims to combine golf and life skills into a single curriculum for children of all ages.
“Our basic mission is to introduce kids to the game of golf using our core values and healthy habits and to try to make you a better person,” said Robert Dixon, the program’s head coach.
Working with SCSD students is particularly rewarding for Dixon, who worked as a physical education teacher at Nottingham High School for nearly three decades. He’s been with the First Tee since it launched in Syracuse in 2007.
“It’s great to see these kids,” he said. “They never get this opportunity.”
Dixon called the chance to work with SCSD students “a blessing.”
On Wednesday, the program hosted students from Bellevue Elementary School. For students, it was an opportunity to try golf in a spacious, supportive environment.
“I think that they’re learning quicker here than they would anywhere else,” TJ Cook, a physical education teacher at Bellevue said. “The vibe here is perfect for our students and for them to succeed.”
The First Tee will work with 11 city schools over the next few weeks. Its summer session runs through the second week of August.