The First Tee of Phoenix was recently honored with five awards during an annual meeting held in February this year in Austin, Texas attended by more than 600 principals from the 198 First Tee National and International Chapters. First Tee of Phoenix leaders in attendance to accept the awards included Executive Director Hugh Smith, Director of Programming Coach Gabriel Jackson and Board Chairman Tim Kloenne.

• ACE Chapter Recognition Award, which recognizes each chapter that has achieved ACE status in the ZONE through Dec. 31, 2010. The ZONE (Zeroing in On Network Excellence) guidelines were created to ensure that chapters share some basic operational uniformity. The ZONE continues to evolve as a tool to quantitatively measure the network’s consistency of performance and impact.

• Smith was awarded the Chairman’s Award, which recognizes chapter executive directors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service to their chapter and to The First Tee in terms of organizational development and the delivery of programs and benefits to their students.

• Jackson was the recipient of The First Tee Coach Recognition Award, which recognizes individuals who have successfully completed Phase I, II and III of The First Tee Life Skills Coach Program and have achieved The First Tee Coach designation.

• First Tee of Phoenix participant, Kamio Espindola, earned The First Tee Outstanding Participant Award, which recognizes participants who demonstrate leadership and whose lives exemplify one or more of The First Tee Nine Core Values. One participant was recognized from each of the eight regions of the U.S. and Espindola was tapped in the Mountain Region. For this he received a $1,000 scholarship.

• The Thunderbirds, principal sponsors of The First Tee of Phoenix, were awarded with The First Tee National School Program Involvement Award, which recognizes special individuals (or in this case organizations) who exemplify The First Tee Nine Core Values and demonstrate their commitment and dedication to extending the reach of the National School Program into their community.

“We’re all very honored to receive special recognition from The First Tee,” said Smith. “It’s gratifying to know that our efforts are not only being noticed, but they’re achieving our intended goals. The Thunderbirds set the stage; our team at the First Tee of Phoenix takes the ball from there and the result is a student like Kamio Espindola earning a scholarship by incorporating First Tee’s Nine Core Values into his life.” 

Also during the meeting, President George W. Bush was named The First Tee’s honorary chair, succeeding his father, President George H. W. Bush, who served as The First Tee’s honorary chair since the organization’s inception in 1997.  Senior will shift to an honorary chair emeritus role.

For more information on The First Tee of Phoenix, call 602.305.7655 or visit
www.TheFirstTeePhoenix.org.