Stark County teen has been selected for the
First Tee Game Changers Academy in Philadelphia
Erin Strouse is one of 48 teens selected for this national event set to explore issues of race and equality, July 20-24
Canton, OH (June 10, 2021) – Erin Strouse from First Tee — Canton has been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia, July 20-24, 2021. Strouse is one of 48 teens from the First Tee network who has been selected for the five-day learning and empowerment academy and will participate in critical conversations around issues of identity, racism, equity, and empathy.
Erin Strouse, 16, is a rising senior at Louisville High School and has been a participant at First Tee — Canton for over 8 years. Strouse, a 4.214 student, is a Scholar-Athlete and has received her Academic Letter. During her sophomore and junior years playing with the Louisville High School golf team, she was named 1
st Team All-County. This past school year she set the school record for the average 9-hole score with a 38. Erin is also active with the French Club, Key Club and National Honor Society. For the last few years, she has volunteered at First Tee – Canton as a coach and mentor for younger participants and volunteers with the Stark County Humane Society.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion have been part of the fabric of First Tee since the beginning, and we are proud to provide an event that allows teens from across the country to go deeper on the subject,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “First Tee is about empowering these young people to be game changers in their community. Congratulations to Erin Strouse for being selected from a national pool of candidates to represent First Tee —Canton at this event.”
The event will feature engaging and interactive workshops facilitated by
RISE, a national nonprofit and leader in the sports community championing social justice and working to improve race relations. The workshops will explore a multitude of topics that encourage personal growth and understanding of diversity concepts that foster positive change in the community.
The workshops will be paired with reflections led by nationally trained First Tee coaches, team building activities such as a scavenger hunt in the city of Philadelphia and a community outreach project, and keynote speakers from the sports industry including Vice-President, Community & Inclusion for the PGA TOUR Marsha Oliver.
First Tee – Greater Philadelphia will host the teens for golf outings at John F. Byrne Golf Course where they will continue to build upon their connections with other participants from around the country and hear different perspectives from their peers.
First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters designed to inspire and encourage high school students on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. The Academy honors First Tee’s former CEO, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., who led the organization from 2000 until his retirement in 2017.
First Tee — Canton is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee —Canton creates active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do.
Canton, OH – June 13, 2019 – Maddox Kruger from First Tee of Canton is headed to the Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills & Leadership Academy in Boise, Idaho July 24-30. Kruger will join more than 90 junior golfers, ages 14-17, from First Tee chapters around the country at the youth leadership event.
Hosted by First Tee headquarters, the academy recognizes and rewards exceptional teen participants who are prepared to build upon leadership skills introduced through programs at First Tee chapters. Top coaches in First Tee’s network deliver the golf and leadership instruction that incorporate the First Tee’s Nine Core Values in a concentrated, week-long event. Participants build skills preparing them for success beyond the golf course. They will experience championship golf, career exploration, dorm living at Boise State University and meeting other teens from around the country sharing golf as their common bond.
Kruger,15 will be a junior at Canton South High School. Active in First Tee of Canton for seven years, he is a Birdie level participant and member of his varsity golf and baseball teams. He is also in Canton South’s show choir, Sound of South and a member of Tri-M. Maddox is an academic award winner and a counselor for Camp Invention. He was a district qualifier in golf finishing 13th out of 72 golfers.
“We are excited to have Maddox represent First Tee of Canton at this year’s Life Skills Academy,” states Terry Taylor, Program Director. “Maddox is joining an elite group of participants from our chapter that have been selected each of the last six years.”
First Tee is a youth development organization dedicated to helping youth build character through the game of golf. Through in-school and after-school programs, it helps shape young people’s lives by reinforcing values like integrity, respect, and perseverance embedded in the game of golf.
Elementary school students at Walker Elementary in Canton Local School District, Taft Elementary in the Plain Local School District and Jackson-Milton Elementary in Mahoning County will be introduced to the basic skills of golf along with character and health education in their physical education program. It will be taught by physical educators using safe, fun lesson plans provided in The First Tee National School Program curriculum. The health activities were recently added for students to learn about physical, social and emotional wellness.
Nationwide, more than at 8,000 schools in 1,200 school districts have introduced to The First Tee National School Program. There are currently 23 schools offering it in Stark County and now 1 location in Mahoning County.
Launched in 2004, The First Tee National School Program helps students develop an appreciation for the positive personal and social values associated with golf. Students engage in safe, fun lesson activities that lead to motor skill development and while gaining a
n introduction to a lifelong recreation and health-enhancing activity.
The curriculum was developed by The First Tee along with leading experts in physical education and positive youth development. It is aligned with and meets national standards developed by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). Physical educators delivering the program are formally trained and certified by The First Tee and use safe, developmentally-appropriate lesson plans and equipment in their classes.
The lesson plans include The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits, which were developed in partnership with the ANNIKA Foundation and Florida Hospital for Children.
According to a survey among 860 physical educators using The First Tee National School Program curriculum, 66 percent reported using The First Tee Nine Core Values—character education seamlessly delivered as part of the program—in other sports and activities they teach beyond golf. A third-party case study conducted in one Midwestern school district in 2011 further validated the program when administrators and physical educators reported finding great value in the program.