Perry Green & Buckey Dudley: First Tee Charleston

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December 6, 2016 – Perry Green and Buckey Dudley of First Tee Charleston joined us at our meeting on Tuesday.

The First Tee is an international youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. Through after school and in school programs, First Tee  helps shape the lives of young people from all walks of life by reinforcing values like integrity, respect and perseverance through the game of golf. 

Buckey started in 2006 as a volunteer, then employee, director of operations and now Executive Director. He indicated that there is a misconception that First Tee is for inner city kids alone but First Tee is for all kids, teaching them life skills and core values. They typically have groups of 4 and before they tee off, they introduce themselves and shake hands. This can be uncomfortable at first but it is the first life skill taught.

First Tee Charleston has 6 program locations, 725 participants. Almost half have need based scholarships, 20% are teenagers and First Tee Charleston has one of the largest groups of female participants of any of the First Tee programs.

They are also partnered with 31 elementary schools. 21 are title 1 schools and they see about 13000 kids in the school systems.

Perry is a First Tee Coach and he talked about PGA Hope, a program to help veterans assimilate back into the community through golf. It was the largest group in the country in 2016 with 47 veterans who have PTSD, missing limbs and traumatic brain injuries. Golf is extremely therapeutic for these veterans and being able to get together with their buddies can be more effective than a therapist. He related a story of one veteran who regained the use of his legs but had PTSD and threatened to commit suicide. That veteran became a peer mentor instead through golf.

A paramobile is a mobility cart developed on the basis of a greens mower that has hydraulics to lift someone to standing height. Not only does it allow someone ,without the use of their legs ,to play golf but helps mitigate the psychological impact of having to look up at others all the time if you cannot stand. These paramobiles cost $28000 each and in partnership with Hardees, they were able raise the money to get one. Hardees, recognized that they had 2 veterans who could use this but they only purchased the one so Hardees donated the second one.

First Tee changes the lives of young people, changes lives through the therapeutic value of golf, and in one case, actually save a life. The program recently grew to 70 participants and has added additional locations.

Don Baus, Keyway Committee