Support a caring, supervised, and safe environment for Roanoke Valley youth to spend free time How young people spend their time while not in school has an impact on their development and well being. Research has shown that young people spending out-of-school time without adult supervision are at greater risk for truancy from school, stress, receiving poor grades and risk-taking behaviors. First Tee - Roanoke Valley offers students an opportunity to develop life skills, build relationships, and learn a sport that they can participate in for a lifetime.  It has been demonstrated by NIOST that spending time in an adult supervised after school program, participants will be positively impacted in the following ways:

• Better social skills and more self-confidence
• Better peer relationships, and better conduct
• Better able to handle conflict
• Young people who participate in extracurricular activities are 49% less likely to not use drugs and 39% less likely to become teenage parents

Encouraging Academic Success

Our First Tee program encourages academic success and all-around excellence.  All participants in First Tee who make A/B’s for the academic year are recognized through the national A/B Honor Roll.   The competitive First Tee Scholars program recognizes program participants who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the following areas: leadership, character development, chapter and community involvement, academics and golf ability. Students designated as First Tee Scholars are eligible to participate in the college scholarship programs made available by First Tee.

Emphasizing Physical Exercise

Our First Tee program promotes healthy lifestyles and provides much-needed exercise for participants.  In January of 2002, the Surgeon General declared childhood obesity a national epidemic and reported that Type 2 (Adult Onset) Diabetes, a disease closely linked to obesity, has increased dramatically in youth. In addition to providing youth with a means of achieving physical fitness and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle, the U.S. Department of Justice asserts that offering youth supervised physical activities after school may help steer them away from crime and delinquency.  It is also noted that physical activity also promotes a heightened sense of well-being and confidence through teamwork and individual accomplishments