After moving back to the Inland Empire, JT Visbal saw that his old neighborhood had changed, and he didn’t like what he saw.
So the former advertising and marketing professional is doing something about it, with plans focusing on the creation of a First Tee chapter for San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The First Tee of the Inland Empire will work in concert with Brighton Hill Academy Sports & Learning Center (BHA), an educational component fronted by Visbal and executive director Pamela Tyler.
Slated to open by October, the Inland Empire will be the seventh First Tee chapter in the Southland, joining others in Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Pasadena and the Coachella Valley.
“What Pamela and I noticed as we came back into the Inland Empire was that it’s changed, and it’s changed in a direction that’s actually saddening to us,” said Visbal, who will serve as president and CEO of BHA. “And as we started talking about what we could do to impact this community that we grew up in and so value, we brought about the possibility of having a learning center.”
Recognizing the mirrored tenets between their BHA vision and the nine core values of The First Tee – which are honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment – Visbal and Tyler researched the impact The First Tee has had at Southland programs before securing a Letter of Intent to open an Inland Empire chapter.
As of mid July, BHA was in discussions with Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, San Bernardino Golf Club, Goose Creek Golf Club and Fairmont Golf Course to serve as host centers for the BHA and First Tee programs.
“And I don’t want this to be just an afterschool homework program,” Visbal said about the spectrum of business and working professionals he plans to bring to BHA’s teaching pool. “I want to have our instructors work with kids to not just teach, but to find an answer to a problem. This will be a privilege to be part of this program and there will be expectations that both the kids and the parents live up to in being a part of this.”
Acknowledging that the fiscal landscape of the Inland Empire is in contrast to other areas of the Southland, Visbal and Tyler are using business contacts to secure the initial funds ($350,000) required to open a First Tee chapter. The efforts will then focus on a little having the opportunity to add up to a lot.
“We may find a lot less of the $1 million donations,” Visbal said, “but we want to find a lot more of the people who will donate $100.”
Between BHA and The First Tee, Visbal sees an opportunity to enhance the direction of future generations in the Inland Empire.
“We believe that if we can take tens, hundreds or even thousands of kids and impact their lives dramatically we can enable them to be the best they can be,” he said. “And this whole area can change. And that’s what drives us. It’s about having a kid come back years down the road and say, ‘You guys changed my life.’ And that’s what we want to see here.”
As the final stages of securing a chapter gets near, Visbal and Tyler are eager for their vision to come to life.
“We said to one another several times that, for us, the most exciting time will be the very first day on the very first course and walking out there and watching the kids taking swings,” Visbal said. “She and I will probably be in tears.”
FYI
To finalize First Tee start-up funds, BHA will host a gala dinner at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa on Saturday, Sept. 5.The event will include Roy Firestone and the bestowal of BHA’s inaugural Tom Pernice Jr. Award of Excellence to Tom Self, owner of San Bernardino Golf Club. To attend or learn more about The First Tee of the Inland Empire, contact Pamela Tyler at (909) 297-6262 or pam.t@bhaslc.org.
