News

Golf program teaches values

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jacob Morgan
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Children and teens of servicemembers from Dover Air Force Base, Del., are learning the basics of golf in a six-week program July 6 - Aug. 10, at the Eagle Creek Golf Course.

First Tee of Delaware, in partnership with the Department of Defense, is designed to instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through golf.

"This program is so much more than golf," said Charma Bell, program director and coach for First Tee of Delaware. "It is a youth development and character enhancement program. What the children learn here can be carried off the course into other parts of life."

The program is open to children from kindergarten-12th grade. Classes are Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The program at Dover AFB is unique to the First Tee of Delaware program because it is held on base for mostly military dependent children.

One military dependant, Mark Zirilli, has grown from a child to a young man with the program on base. Zirilli, a volunteer student coach now, has been enrolled in the program every summer since he was six-years-old.

"The program helped me grow up and taught me respect is very important," said Zirilli. "The interaction is a great way for military kids who move around to meet other kids and
learn valuable life lessons at the same time."

First Tee stresses nine core values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment.

They also recently added nine healthy habits to help reach their goal of promoting healthy choices: energy, play, safety, vision, mind, family, friends, school and community.

"We try to teach all of these values and habits in a fun way. Hopefully, the children learn the rules but also the etiquette and don't even realize it," said Bell.

Every Wednesday the golfers come in and sit down for a lesson in etiquette from 436th Force Support Squadron professional golfer Patrick Keefe.

Shortly after, the golfers head to the range or the golf course to learn the basics of golf such as driving, chipping and putting.

The golfers at Dover AFB are patient and eager to learn, said Bell. The program teaches sportsmanship and courtesy. Some of the children were sharing equipment with each other and it meant a lot to Bell.

"It's great to be a good golfer," said Bell. "But, we would rather help these children become better people."