1. Birdie Life Skills Program Taking Dreams to Reality

2. The First Tee’s Nine Core Values It is important to understand, and to remember, the Nine Core Values of The First Tee. Courtesy by remaining quiet and still while others play their shot Respect yourself, your playing partners, the golf course, and the traditions of the game Judgment something you must put to good use when playing golf Responsibility you must keep your score, fix ballmarks, and keep up with the pace of play Sportsmanship know and play by the rules of golf Confidence is needed to play your best and be your best Honesty remember in golf you count your own score and call penalties on yourself Integrity golf is a game of honor, etiquette, and composure Perseverance to succeed in golf you must accept bad breaks and play the next shot

3. The First Tee Code of Conduct RESPECT FOR MYSELF I will dress neatly in a clean shirt tucked into pants or shorts, and I will wear golf shoes or athletic shoes I will try my best and keep a positive attitude when I play or practice I will eat right, get enough sleep, and take care of myself so I can stay healthy RESPECT FOR OTHERS I will be friendly, courteous, and helpful I will follow instructions and safety rules I will have fun without being loud and rowdy I will be honest and be a good sport, whether I win or lose RESPECT FOR MY SURROUNDINGS I will keep the golf course and practice areas clean and in as good or better shape than I found them I will clean and take care of my golf clubs I will be careful not to damage anything that belongs to others

4. Welcome to Birdie Way to go! Congratulations on your achieving Par certification, and for choosing to continue your journey in golf. When you first got involved in The First Tee, Mr. Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. introduced you to the idea that “what golf teaches is that whatever happens – in the game or in life – you have to stay positive, believe in yourself, and do your best to achieve your goals.” He, also, said that “most of all you’re here to have fun.” As we start the Birdie level, it’s good to remind ourselves of these very important ideas. Here at Birdie, we are going to look more closely at setting and achieving goals. But as we concentrate on something new, we must not forget what we have learned. So as we begin, let’s decide to stay positive, do our best, remember the 4Rs, continue to set our Personal Par, and most of all, HAVE FUN!

5. Birdie Level Golf Skills What you will learn Advanced putting and short game skills How to improve your full swing Whether to putt, chip, or pitch from off the green What clubs to use to chip or pitch the ball The difference between “carry” and total distance How to read “breaks” on the green How to mark your ball when you lift it on the green More golf etiquette and rules How to get around the course quickly

6. Birdie Level Life Skills WHAT YOU WILL LEARN Why we all need dreams and goals for golf and in life The difference between dreams and reachable goals Four guidelines for stating your goals How a “goal ladder” can help you reach your goals What to do when you have trouble reaching your goals

7. Dreams and Goals Tomorrow is waiting... for dreams to be dreamed, Tomorrow is waiting... for goals to be reached, Tomorrow is waiting... to be yours! Dreams are like stories we tell ourselves Dreaming is fun Dreaming can make us feel better Dreams tell us what we really want in life

8. I Have a Dream… In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a powerful speech about his dreams for America. He said, “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.” Do you think he dreamed of the day President Obama took his Oath of Office? In 2008, Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open – in a play-off – by making a putt on the last hole. Do you think when he was practicing his putting when he was 12 year old he said, “This one is to win the U.S. Open”? Do you ever dream of what you might someday accomplish on the golf course? Have you thought about what your “dream job” might be?

9. Dream a little… Activity #1 My “dream job” would be ____________________________________ My dream for golf is ____________________________________ A goal that can help my golf dream come true is _______________________________________

10. What is a Goal? Goals are like dreams, but they are different. A goal is a dream you work hard to make come true. WHY ARE GOALS IMPORTANT? They motivate us They help us plan for the future They give us a purpose They make us feel proud and satisfied when we reach them

11. Can YOU Reach YOUR Goal? The way you state a goal has a lot to do with whether you reach it. Here are FOUR GUIDELINES that will help you come up with goals that are reachable: The goal is IMPORTANT TO YOU The goal is stated POSITIVELY The goal is SPECIFIC The goal is UNDER YOUR CONTROL

12. A Reachable Goal is… IMPORTANT TO YOU If a goal is important to you, then: You will work harder to reach it You’ll feel prouder when you do reach the goal To find out if a goal is important to you, ask yourself: Am I going for this goal just because someone else wants me to? Do I want to work hard to reach it?

13. Setting a Goal Activity #2 You have found that a goal is a dream we will work hard to accomplish. You have learned that if you are going to work hard to accomplish our goal, it had better be important to you. Can you write a golf goal that you will work hard to accomplish AND is important to you? _______________________________________________________________

14. A Reachable Goal is… STATED POSITIVELY It will be easier to reach a goal that is stated positively. NEGATIVE: I don’t want to miss this putt. POSITIVE: I want to make a smooth stroke. NEGATIVE: I don’t want to get upset if I play poorly. POSITIVE: I want to enjoy myself no matter how I play. NEGATIVE: I don’t want to get yelled at for not doing my homework. POSITIVE: I want to remember to do my homework.

15. Looking at Your Goal Activity #3 Well, this is getting tricky. Now you have learned your goal is something you will work hard to accomplish, is important to you, AND must be stated positively. Let’s take a look at your golf goal that you said was important to you, and that you would work hard to accomplish. Was it stated positively? If it wasn’t, let’s re-state it now: _______________________________________________________________

16. A Reachable Goal is… A SPECIFIC GOAL A specific goal says clearly and exactly what your goal is so you will know when you have reached it. If you want to hit the ball farther, you would want to say - I want to hit each of my irons ten yards farther by the end of the year. If you want to stay positive on the course, you would want to say – I will have two positive thoughts on every hole. If you want to lower your Personal Par on a hole, you would want to say – I will lower my Personal Par by two strokes on Hole #2 by next month. If you want more friends, you would want to say – I will meet two new people every day.

17. Looking at Your Goal… Activity #4 You’re right, we are at it again. OK, last time, you made sure your golf goal was something you were willing to work hard to accomplish, that it was important to you, and it was stated positively. You have learned that if your goal is specific, you will be better able to determine when you have accomplished it. So let’s look at your golf goal. Is your goal stated specifically? If not, can you make it specific so you will know when you have accomplished it? ______________________________________________________________

18. A Reachable Goal is… UNDER YOUR CONTROL Reaching a goal should depend on what YOU can and will do, not on luck or what somebody else does. Which group of three is Under Your Control: I want to play better than my friends (and, might if I break their clubs). I want my teacher to be an easy grader (and, he might be if I make a 100 on every test). I want a new Callaway driver for Christmas (I was REALLY good this year - really). I want to get to bed early tonight (I just won’t watch “American Idol”). I want to stay calm before every shot (I’ll remember to use the 4Rs). I want a new Callaway driver (so, I’ll start saving my allowance).

19. WHAT’S UNDER YOUR CONTROL IN GOLF? What you do and how you act Your attitude The steps you go through before making a stroke How confident you feel How much water you drink while you are playing How much sleep you get the night before you play How you decide to play a shot How much you practice

20. WHAT’S NOT UNDER YOUR CONTROL IN GOLF? How other people are playing How other people are acting How other people feel Bad bounces or other bad luck How the shot turns out Whether your putt drops into the hole What other people say or think about you How hot it is Whether you are feeling well on the day you play How hard the golf course is Whether it’s windy or raining How much other people practice

21. Looking at Your Goal… Activity #5 Whew! By now your golf goal is something you will work hard at to accomplish, is important to you, is stated positively, and is specific. You now know that unless your golf goal is something under your control to accomplish, you can never work hard enough to reach your goal. So let’s be sure your golf goal is under your control. ______________________________________________________________ Congratulations! Your golf goal is now reachable as it meets the four guidelines: Important to you, Positive, Specific, and Under your control.

22. How “Under Control” Are You? Activity #6 How “under control” are you when you practice or play golf? Rate yourself from 1–5, with 1 being poor control and 5 being excellent control. My attitude and emotions1 2 3 4 5 How I react after a shot1 2 3 4 5 How I set up for each shot1 2 3 4 5 My decisions on how to play a shot1 2 3 4 5 How much I practice1 2 3 4 5 Setting goals for practice or play1 2 3 4 5 My respect for others and the golf course1 2 3 4 5

23. REACHING YOUR GOAL To reach your goal, you need a plan. Let’s imagine that a plan looks like a ladder. You put the easiest steps at the bottom of the ladder and harder ones toward the top. You climb each step one at a time until you reach your goal. A goal ladder lets you see how far you have come and how far you still have to go.

24. A Golf Goal Ladder Here’s an example of a ladder for a pitch shot goal. Goal: By the end of the summer, I want to get 5 out of 10 pitch shots high up into the air and onto the green STEP 5 Hit 3 out of 10 pitch shots up into the air and onto the green STEP 4 Practice hitting my pitch shots up into the air and onto the green STEP 3 Practice hitting my pitch shots high up into the air STEP 2 Practice proper set up and aim STEP 1 Ask for help on how to hit a pitch shot

25. Looking at Your Goal… Activity #7 Your Reachable Golf Goal__________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What steps will you need in your goal ladder to reach your goal: __________________________________________________

26. IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES A challenge is something that makes it harder for you to reach your goal. You are likely to face challenges as you work on the steps in your goal ladder. CHALLENGES ON THE GOLF COURSE Bunkers Water hazards Deep rough CHALLENGES YOU CREATE Not practicing Not getting help on how to do something Skipping some of the steps in your ladder Getting angry or frustrated

27. FACING YOUR CHALLENGES STAR is a way to make good decisions when you are faced with challenges. Here’s what STAR stands for: S STOPtake a deep breath T THINK of all your choices A ANTICIPATE what could happen, good or bad R RESPONDselect the best choice Use STAR to tackle any challenges that come up while you are working on achieving your goals for golf or for home or school.

28. Looking at a Challenge Activity #8 Think about decisions you have made in the previous week related to Wellness and Physical Activity. Should I have fries? Would water be better? Should I get some exercise? Write down two things that are challenging you in this area of your life. Think about and then write down how STAR could help you face these challenges. 1.____________________________________________________________________ S T A R 2.____________________________________________________________________ S T A R

29. STAR For Your Pre-Shot Routine Activity #9 A Pre-Shot Routine will help you focus in the present and give you the best chance for success on each shot you play. It must be brief. You should use it consistently for every shot you play, but it cannot be an excuse to slow you down or hinder the pace of play. Create your pre-shot routine using STAR as the framework. Stop Think Anticipate Respond

30. Setting a School Goal Activity #10 Can you write a school goal, that meets the four guidelines, AND create a goal ladder that will guide you in reaching that goal? My School Goal is… _____________________________________________________________________ The Steps on My Goal Ladder will be… ________________________________________________ -

31. Know Your Rules As your golf game improves, so must your knowledge of the Rules of Golf. Ask your The First Tee Coach for a rule book, or go to http://www.usga.org to find outhttp://www.usga.org more about the rules of the game. To get you started on the right path, the next pages will ask you questions that you are sure to encounter on the golf course. We’d like you to find the answers ……

32. Know Your Rules Activity #11 What color are a water hazard’s stakes and how do you proceed if you have hit your ball in a water hazard?

33. Know Your Rules Activity #12 What color are the stakes for a lateral hazard and how do you proceed if you have hit your ball into a lateral hazard?

34. Know Your Rules Activity #13 What color are Out of Bounds stakes, and how do you proceed when you have hit your ball out of bounds?

35. Know Your Rules Activity #14 When addressing the ball in a bunker, may you ground your club?

36. Know Your Rules Activity #15 What is the penalty for playing the wrong ball in stroke play? In match play?

37. Know Your Rules Activity #16 What is the definition of a “loose impediment”? Can you move a loose impediment from the area around your ball?

38. Know Your Rules Activity #17 Find three other rules that will help you play better golf. Write them here.

39. That’s All Folks!! NOT!! While this is the end of program, it is definitely not THE END. Make sure you have completed all SEVENTEEN activities and turned them in to your The First Tee Coach Study the rules, know your golf terms Start the program again, and again, and…make sure you get “IT” Ask mom and dad to take it with you, at least once When you are ready, ask your The First Tee Coach when you can take the Birdie Life Skills test