Maureen Weiss, professor in the School of Kinesiology and co-director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, was chosen as the 2011 recipient of The First Tee Founders Award for her “extraordinary contributions that have allowed The First Tee initiative to grow and flourish into one of America’s premier youth development organizations.” The First Tee is a physical activity-based youth development program, wherein golf is used as a vehicle for teaching children and adolescents life skills and core values. Over 250 Chapters of The First Tee exist in the United States and many others are established in Asia, Canada, and Europe.
Weiss and her graduate students conducted a four-year evaluation study of The First Tee that demonstrated how the life skills curriculum and coach training program were making a positive impact on youth development. Findings from the study were also translated to strengthen curricular lessons and their delivery in order to further “impact the lives of young people in a meaningful way.”