Gone are the days when golf was considered a gentlemen’s game. Females continue to break barriers on the green and The First of Tampa Bay is proud to be a part of their journey.The First Tee of Tampa Bay is a Tampa Y program that provides tens of thousands of local children each year with hands-on, interactive golf experiences while introducing them to core values, healthy habits and life skills.From group golf lessons to summer camp, The First Tee offers various programs to the community, includingJ.E.W.E.L.s (Junior Elite Women Enjoying the Links). LPGA/PGA Member and senior program director Mackenzie Mack, started the all-girl program “…to keep girls in the game and to empower them to give them confidence to succeed in any area they would like to succeed,” says Mackenzie.12-year-old Afton Kinkade participates in J.E.W.E.L.s every week. "It's fun and it teaches kids to be energetic," shares Afton. But golf isn't her only passion. Afton also loves to fly planes and is featured in a new Fly Like a Girl documentary out later this year. Afton has been in numerous aviation magazines and has served as a guest speaker at flight school conferences across the country. One of Afton’s role models is volunteer coach Megan Pollenz. “She’s the little sunshine at The First Tee for me,” says Megan. As a former J.E.W.E.L.s participant and First Tee college scholarship recipient, Megan is giving back to the program that gave her so much. “It provided me the confidence to be able to play the game, meet new people and learn responsibility - not only in golf but also in my academics,” testifies Megan. “It just opened up my world in so many ways.”Like Megan, Afton wants to play golf for Embry-Riddle University while learning how to be a stunt pilot. Her message for all young girls with big goals: “If you dream it, you can do it. Chase your dreams!”To learn how The First Tee of Tampa Bay shows children that golf is more than a game,click here.Pictured above: When it comes to the game of golf, Afton Kinkade (middle) and other young ladies in The First Tee of Tampa Bay are pushing boundaries.
