Gabriella from The First Tee Orange County exemplifies ALL of the Five E’s of Girls Golf but I would like to focus on EMPOWER. From the shy and quiet young girl I met on the first day of golf class to the courageous and confident person she has become today, I am so proud of her! On and off the golf course, she continues to blossom into a beautiful young lady. However, she has come across some difficult hurdles and it has not been easy to say the least. She recently lost her best friend and mentor, her father. The father-daughter bond they once had is indescribable. He gave her strength and believed she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. Every time she steps foot on the golf course, she knows he is there with her empowering her to be the best she can be.
The theme for one of our recent LPGA Girls Golf classes was “Wonder Woman”. We had the girls write one word to describe themselves and she wrote “I am Positive”. Positive is the perfect word to describe Gabriella because she is always able to stay positive no matter the circumstances. Whether she shows confidence in herself or her continuous encouragement for others, I can always rely on Gabriella to be herself. The First Tee Orange County is her home away from home… she attends LPGA Girls Golf on Friday nights, her Life Skills Experience class on Saturday and open practice everyday rain or shine. Because of her perseverance, she has certified to the Eagle-level and received 2017 PLAYer of the Year. I feel so lucky to be a part of her journey and look forward to watching her grow and succeed in life using The First Tee nine core values.
I can’t say enough great things about Gabriella and how deserving she is of this once in a lifetime opportunity.