A Message from the Board of Directors
After almost a decade of untiring work to further the values and mission of First Tee – Canton, Executive Director Angela Palomba has announced she will be leaving the organization next month to pursue a new opportunity with Stark Parks.
As a result of Angela’s leadership, along with the hard work of the First Tee staff and committed volunteers, First Tee has fostered numerous partnerships with individuals, businesses, schools and youth in Stark County and surrounding communities. We are well-positioned to move forward into First Tee’s next chapter and continue to “Build Game Changers” through the game of golf.
During the next several months, the Board will conduct a detailed search to find our next executive director. We will share the job announcement shortly and ask for your help in identifying candidates who can energetically advance our great organization. We appreciate and welcome your support.
During the duration of Angela’s service, she has been the driving force behind First Tee’s growth and success. Angela’s enthusiasm, hard work, and commitment to our mission of empowering kids and teens through golf will be greatly missed by the staff, board, volunteers, participants, parents and the greater Stark County community. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we wish her the best of luck in her next chapter with Stark Parks. We are confident she will continue to be a bright light for our community for years to come.
Sincerely,
Matt Griffin, President Board of Directors, First Tee – Canton
Job Description
Message from Angela Palomba
I am writing to share with you that I have accepted a position with Stark Parks and will be leaving First Tee – Canton at the beginning of November.
First Tee – Canton has been such a blessing to me. When I started here nine years ago, I wasn’t sure exactly what I was getting into. I just knew there was the opportunity to make an impact in our community especially with kids.
This has been an exceedingly difficult decision. First Tee – Canton will always hold a special place in my heart, and I have put my all into making this program what it is today. I am proud of where we have come over the last nine years and I really believe I am leaving this organization in a better place than when I started. I absolutely love everything that First Tee stands for and I will always be an advocate for this organization. My son essentially grew up here and will continue to be a part of this program. This new opportunity will allow me to plan for my future and put me in a better place to take care of my family.
As I transition out of my role, I will continue to assist the First Tee – Canton as the organization stays committed to building game changers in our community.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to lead this great organization. All of you have touched my life in one way or another and I will always treasure the experiences and friendships. Please continue to support this great organization and know that it will be in great hands with our staff, volunteers and board of directors carrying on our mission of empowering kids and teens through the game of golf.
Sincerely,
Angela Palomba, Executive Director, First Tee – Canton
Erin Strouse is one of 48 teens selected for this national event set to explore issues of race and equality, July 20-24
Canton, OH (June 10, 2021) – Erin Strouse from First Tee — Canton has been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia, July 20-24, 2021. Strouse is one of 48 teens from the First Tee network who has been selected for the five-day learning and empowerment academy and will participate in critical conversations around issues of identity, racism, equity, and empathy.
Erin Strouse, 16, is a rising senior at Louisville High School and has been a participant at First Tee — Canton for over 8 years. Strouse, a 4.214 student, is a Scholar-Athlete and has received her Academic Letter. During her sophomore and junior years playing with the Louisville High School golf team, she was named 1st Team All-County. This past school year she set the school record for the average 9-hole score with a 38. Erin is also active with the French Club, Key Club and National Honor Society. For the last few years, she has volunteered at First Tee – Canton as a coach and mentor for younger participants and volunteers with the Stark County Humane Society.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion have been part of the fabric of First Tee since the beginning, and we are proud to provide an event that allows teens from across the country to go deeper on the subject,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “First Tee is about empowering these young people to be game changers in their community. Congratulations to Erin Strouse for being selected from a national pool of candidates to represent First Tee —Canton at this event.”
The event will feature engaging and interactive workshops facilitated by 
Canton, OH – June 13, 2019 – Maddox Kruger from First Tee of Canton is headed to the Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills & Leadership Academy in Boise, Idaho July 24-30. Kruger will join more than 90 junior golfers, ages 14-17, from First Tee chapters around the country at the youth leadership event.
Hosted by First Tee headquarters, the academy recognizes and rewards exceptional teen participants who are prepared to build upon leadership skills introduced through programs at First Tee chapters. Top coaches in First Tee’s network deliver the golf and leadership instruction that incorporate the First Tee’s Nine Core Values in a concentrated, week-long event. Participants build skills preparing them for success beyond the golf course. They will experience championship golf, career exploration, dorm living at Boise State University and meeting other teens from around the country sharing golf as their common bond.
Kruger,15 will be a junior at Canton South High School. Active in First Tee of Canton for seven years, he is a Birdie level participant and member of his varsity golf and baseball teams. He is also in Canton South’s show choir, Sound of South and a member of Tri-M. Maddox is an academic award winner and a counselor for Camp Invention. He was a district qualifier in golf finishing 13th out of 72 golfers.
“We are excited to have Maddox represent First Tee of Canton at this year’s Life Skills Academy,” states Terry Taylor, Program Director. “Maddox is joining an elite group of participants from our chapter that have been selected each of the last six years.”
First Tee is a youth development organization dedicated to helping youth build character through the game of golf. Through in-school and after-school programs, it helps shape young people’s lives by reinforcing values like integrity, respect, and perseverance embedded in the game of golf.
Elementary school students at Walker Elementary in Canton Local School District, Taft Elementary in the Plain Local School District and Jackson-Milton Elementary in Mahoning County will be introduced to the basic skills of golf along with character and health education in their physical education program. It will be taught by physical educators using safe, fun lesson plans provided in The First Tee National School Program curriculum. The health activities were recently added for students to learn about physical, social and emotional wellness.
Nationwide, more than at 8,000 schools in 1,200 school districts have introduced to The First Tee National School Program. There are currently 23 schools offering it in Stark County and now 1 location in Mahoning County.
Launched in 2004, The First Tee National School Program helps students develop an appreciation for the positive personal and social values associated with golf. Students engage in safe, fun lesson activities that lead to motor skill development and while gaining a
n introduction to a lifelong recreation and health-enhancing activity.
The curriculum was developed by The First Tee along with leading experts in physical education and positive youth development. It is aligned with and meets national standards developed by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). Physical educators delivering the program are formally trained and certified by The First Tee and use safe, developmentally-appropriate lesson plans and equipment in their classes.
The lesson plans include The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits, which were developed in partnership with the ANNIKA Foundation and Florida Hospital for Children.
According to a survey among 860 physical educators using The First Tee National School Program curriculum, 66 percent reported using The First Tee Nine Core Values—character education seamlessly delivered as part of the program—in other sports and activities they teach beyond golf. A third-party case study conducted in one Midwestern school district in 2011 further validated the program when administrators and physical educators reported finding great value in the program.