Inaugural weeklong First Tee Leadership Academy to be held in Atlanta is newest commitment of PGA TOUR Superstore’s partnership

Held in PGA TOUR Superstore’s homebase of Atlanta, 48 teens will develop new leadership skills by learning about the powerful impact sports has on community, business and civic pride

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla – First Tee, a youth development organization that uses golf to teach life skills and positive values, is expanding its roster of impactful national participant opportunities to include a new Leadership Academy in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore. Forty-eight First Tee teens will be selected to travel to Atlanta to attend the inaugural event June 19-23, providing them a unique opportunity to explore team dynamics that will enhance their professional development as they collaborate with peers and adult mentors.

Atlanta has burst on to the world stage as the civil rights capital, the technology hub of the south, a destination for marquee sporting events, elite colleges and universities, and so much more. Programming will feature sessions on building diverse and impactful teams, developing authentic relationships and empowering others, with an impressive schedule of guest speakers across the Arthur M. Blank Family of Businesses including executives from the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Participants will also experience the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta University Center and the Bobby Jones Golf Club.

“PGA TOUR Superstore is committed to being a positive influence in our communities and truly believe in the purposeful impact sports can have in developing and supporting youth both on and off the field,” said Jill Spiegel, President, PGA TOUR Superstore. "We have built a strong partnership with the First Tee and will continue to work together to empower young people with leadership skills built on values such as resilience, integrity and self-confidence that will help them succeed throughout the course of their life.”

“In communities across the country, First Tee is helping kids and teens develop inner strength and discover what they are capable of,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “We are proud to provide national opportunities like the new Leadership Academy to help them build on that foundation and take their life and leadership skills to the next level as they think about their future and plans after high school. We continue to be grateful to Arthur Blank and PGA TOUR Superstore for their ongoing support. It is changing lives.”

For more than a decade, PGA TOUR Superstore and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation have championed First Tee’s mission through charitable and in-kind donations across the country. In September 2020, PGA TOUR Superstore announced a new grant that will help First Tee reach more kids across the U.S. and strengthen its curriculum for teenage participants, including the development of the Leadership Series, held locally at PGA TOUR Superstores across the country, and the Leadership Summit, which takes place in Emigrant, Montana. The new Leadership Academy in Atlanta is the latest installment in this exciting portfolio of events.

The Leadership Academy is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee Headquarters to inspire and equip teens on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities.

To be eligible to apply for the Academy, teens were required to participate in a five-week Leadership Series that was hosted at PGA TOUR Superstores across the country this past spring.

For more information on First Tee, visit www.firsttee.org.