A major key to running a successful youth sports program is to have a passion for the game. Fortunately for Plant City-area families, First Tee golf instructor Justin Cohen has it in spades.
Cohen runs the Plant City wing of the First Tee of Tampa Bay umbrella, which is one of 175 chapters across the country.
First Tee teaches children golf fundamentals and life skills. Cohen has eight students he teaches in classes that run roughly 80 minutes.
“Their enjoyment fuels my enjoyment,” Cohen said. “I see them smiling, it makes me happy, and I get to watch them learn. They’re the next generation. It’s wonderful.”
Cohen has been running the Walden Lake program for the last four years but has been involved with First Tee for 11 years.
He’s been in his students’ shoes — and it makes the job even easier for him to do.
“I grew up one of these kids,” Cohen said. “I just decided that this is what I want to do for a living. I want to coach.”
On a typical day, the first 15 minutes of Cohen’s sessions consist of safety discussions, golf talk and the importance of life skills.
First Tee promotes numerous golf concepts, including the four R’s (replay, relax, ready, redo) and S.T.A.R. (stop to take a deep breath, think of choices, anticipate what could happen and respond with the best choice). It also promotes nine specific life skills: confidence, sportsmanship, respect, judgment, courtesy, integrity, responsibility, honesty and perseverance.
Cohen tends to integrate one to two of the nine life skills in his lessons each week. Saturday, April 30, for example, the group read about confidence before hitting the putting green.
After five minutes of stretching, the kids spend most of the class with clubs in hand.
Usually, Cohen will take them onto the putting green or driving range or to an area where they can chip. Sometimes, as was the case last week, he’ll bring them onto a hole to play a mock scramble, guiding the kids along the way and even playing with them.
It gives kids the full experience — which, on Saturday, included an angry golfer carting behind them complaining about playing too slowly. But that’s golf.
The last five minutes of the day, Cohen summarizes what the kids learned.
According to Cohen, the number one thing his students need help with isn’t physical.
“They have to understand the mental part of golf,” Cohen says. “It all doesn’t happen at once: you have to practice, practice and keep working at it. Even I struggle at times with focusing — everybody does.”
First Tee also gives young golfers the ability to play on teams, once their instructors feel they’ve improved enough to compete. These teams give their golfers books to read and homework assignments based on them.
Unfortunately for Plant City families, First Tee does not field a team at Walden Lake. Local golfers have to travel around eastern Hillsborough County to join teams once they’re able. Cohen is optimistic the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World will be able to field a team in the future.
“We have so many great kids out here that have the passion for it,” Cohen says. “I would love to see a team come out here and play nine holes every afternoon.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.