Scheduled for “More Than a Game:” Impact of The First Tee Life Skills Programs on Positive Youth Development, Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM, Convention Center: 327


Learning Interpersonal and Self-Management Skills: Youth Participants' View

Nicole D. Bolter, University Of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Interviews with youth revealed that The First Tee participants learned life skills taught through the curriculum in the golf context and transfer these skills to other domains such as school and home. To assess participants' knowledge and use of interpersonal skills learned in The First Tee, youth were asked, “How do you meet and get to know new people in The First Tee?” and were frequently probed with the question, “How do you have a conversation with someone you just met?” A substantial number of participants (97%) engaged in behaviors characterizing The Meet and Greet, Introduce Myself, and/or Ask Questions, representing the key concepts taught in the curriculum. When participants were asked, “In what other situations do you use what you learned to meet and get to know others?” the 95 participants gave 144 responses of using meet and greet skills in contexts outside of golf. All participants (100%) cited one or more situations, including school, other sports, neighborhood, church, and public places, in which they transferred the social skills they learned in The First Tee. Participants' understanding and application of self-management skills was assessed through responses to the question, “What have you learned in The First Tee about managing your emotions on the golf course?” This question was frequently probed with the question, “How do you deal with being angry or frustrated about a shot you made?” Almost all participants (95%) demonstrated knowledge and use of specific self-management strategies taught through The First Tee life skills curriculum including (a) the 4Rs (replay, relax, ready, redo), (b) Be Patient, Be Positive, and Ask for Help, and (c) STAR (stop, think, anticipate, respond). When youth were asked, “In what other situations do you use these strategies to control your emotions?” all participants (100%) verbalized knowledge and/or use of managing negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in school, home, sports, and other contexts in dealing with siblings, parents, teachers, classmates, and friends. Representative quotations are also shared to demonstrate the effectiveness of the life skills curriculum. The overwhelming percentage of participants who cited using interpersonal and self-management skills outside of the immediate golf context at The First Tee indicate that the curriculum was very successful in participants' transfer of life skills.
Keyword(s): youth sports

Back to the 2007 AAHPERD National Convention and Exposition (March 13 -- 17, 2007)