Keep your eye on the ball. Any kid who has played baseball, golf or one of several other sports has heard that phrase a time or two.
But what if your eyes are on the ball and you can’t see it? Such is the case periodically at The First Tee of Orange County when a group of students from the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Santa Ana visit the Anaheim site for golf lessons and outdoor time with members of the staff.
Some can see a little, some not at all. What is clear to see, however, is a surprising interest level in a sport that relies heavily on visual and sensory perception.
“Coming for the first time, I was thinking they weren’t going to like it or they wouldn’t want to do it again, but everybody was really excited to come back,” said Rosario Sanchez, the Blind Children’s Learning Center youth services coordinator about students involved in the program that started in March. “Everyone was on time and they were talking about it, so hopefully it’s something we can continue. It’s so important to give them something that stimulates them. It’s pretty cool.”
The stimulation isn’t a one-way street, however, as members of the staff and other participants at The First Tee of Orange County also learn about themselves and giving back while helping those less fortunate.
“There’s no better way to learn about core values and life skills than to put it into practice,” said Teal Guion, the program director at The First Tee of Orange County, which set up shop at The Islands Golf Center two years ago. “Volunteering and working with young people that haven’t had all the opportunities they’ve had hopefully puts their lives in perspective a bit more. I love that opportunity for our participants.”
The Orange County facility is one of six First Tee chapters in the Southland, joining others in the Coachella Valley, Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Diego and South Los Angeles. All are geared around a curriculum that uses golf as a hook but is more about the Nine Core Values of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment than making a proper shoulder turn on the backswing.
At least five of those values are utilized when working with visually impaired students, and Guion said that the early efforts are literally a feeling-out process for all. On the putting green and driving range, staff members have students feel the grass, mat, tee, ball and hole, in addition to touching the face and shaft of the club or putter to get a sense of the objective.
“Talking them through the sensory part of the game is a learning experience for us as well,” Guion said. “From what I hear, getting outside is big for these kids. And since the ball isn’t moving, helping them set up correctly and get a feel for the club and the motion they need to make, among other things, gives them a chance to get the ball in the hole or up in the air.”
Sanchez said that any activity that gets the kids in motion, excited and talking is a good thing.
“The more experiences we give them and the more opportunities they have,” she said, “the more gratifying the day or outing is for all of us.”
Which, of course, includes the helpers.
“This job lights me up everyday,” Guion said. “We hope that our participants, as they grow through the program, end up volunteering in the community and becoming good citizens. Working with these students is a perfect opportunity to instill that message.”
