EAST LAKE TEENS AND COACHES SELECTED FOR NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Programs promote character education and golf skills
Two teenage students from The First Tee of East Lake, as well as three of their coaches, have been selected to participate in elite national golf academies.
Martavious Adams, age 15, will attend The First Tee’s inaugural PLAYer Advanced Academy in Richmond, Va., in late June. The most prestigious of The First Tee’s academies, this competitive program accepts only 25 teens from across the country who demonstrate strong character as well as top-notch golf skills. Adams will be joined by his coach, Nyre Williams, Director of The First Tee of East Lake, who is one of only seven coaches selected to lead the week-long program.
Also, Darius Davis, age 13, will attend The First Tee Life Skills and Leadership Academy in Eugene, Ore., this July. Davis will be one of only 100 teen participants from across the U.S. Two East Lake coaches – Jeff Dunovant and Rachel Melendez – will also be on hand as part of an elite group of 24 coaches leading the program.
Williams said, “The First Tee of East Lake is one of the strongest junior golf programs in the country. Our students and our coaches rank among the nation’s best.”
Both academies offer an intensive week-long program of instruction, including workshops, career exploration seminars and golf clinics. These academies reward and recognize exceptional youth for their accomplishments while strengthening their golf and mentoring skills.
About The First Tee of East Lake
The First Tee of East Lake is a year-round golf instruction and life skills program of the East Lake Foundation (www.firstteeeastlake.org) that uses the principles of golf – discipline, hard work and integrity – to enhance the academic achievement of children in Atlanta’s East Lake neighborhood. The program helps open doors to colleges, scholarships and job opportunities. The First Tee of East Lake serves children and teens, ages 5-18, who attend East Lake’s Drew Charter School (www.drewcharterschool.org) or live in the East Lake neighborhood. More than 1,500 East Lake children have participated in the program since 1998.
About the East Lake Foundation
Founded in 1995 on the belief that everyone deserves a chance to succeed, the East Lake Foundation (www.eastlakefoundation.org) collaborates with public and private organizations to provide tools that enable Atlanta’s East Lake residents to build a better future through education, affordable housing, recreational opportunities and connections with the broader community. This approach to building a strong community not only helps break the cycle of poverty, but creates a place where people of all ages and incomes choose to live. East Lake has become a model for holistic community revitalization programs across the country.
About The First Tee
The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, Fla., at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Through its network of more than 200 community-based chapters and 700 program locations, as well as a presence in more than 2,600 elementary schools, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 2.9 million participants and students in 48 states and four international locations – Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. Former President George H. W. Bush serves as honorary chairman. The Founding Partners of The First Tee are the Augusta National Golf Club, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA.
