“It’s not often that golf, or sports in general, are just for girls,” said a mom of one of the 150 First Tee – Atlantic participants.
For the third consecutive year, First Tee – Atlantic has recorded the highest percentage of female participants among six First Tee Canadian chapters.
In 2024, over 8,000 young females were introduced to golf out east, representing more than half of the chapter’s participant base.
First Tee – Atlantic has prioritized female participation by hosting free golf events for girls aged five to 13. The events are hosted at golf courses across all four Atlantic provinces, with over 90 percent of participants being first time golfers.
Coaching at each event is female dominant, with a total of 16 female First Tee trained coaches supporting the initiative.
The force behind the Girls Golf Series is Emily Nickerson, program coordinator, First Tee – Atlantic.
“Sports helped shape me into the person I am today, so being able to motivate girls to try something new, make a new friend, or have a female coach to look up to is fulfilling,” said Nickerson. “If we can make a positive impact on even one girl and she sticks to golf, or another sport, then I’m happy.”
The series is bigger than golf – it’s about girlhood.
The two events in New Brunswick were hosted in collaboration with She is Active NB, an organization focused on enhancing barrier-free opportunities for women and girls to be physically active through sport and recreation.
At these events, participants learned more than how to chip and putt. After learning skills on the golf course, participants were led through a confidence building workshop, spearheaded by Meghan Beland at She is Active NB.
“That’s what sets First Tee apart from other junior golf programs or sports programs,” said Nickerson. “We focus on building golf skills with a life skills integration, and we are striving to break down barriers to reach underrepresented groups, like females, and make golf more inclusive.”
First Tee – Atlantic has been in operation since 2023 and currently offers programming at partnered locations across 16 golf courses, 46 schools and 23 community centres.
The goal for 2025 is to continue to increase female participation through more try golf series and introduce a six-week registered girls program supported by an extensive roster of female coaches.
The work First Tee – Atlantic has done to drive female participation would not be possible without a supportive network including the Calgary Foundation’s Daryl K. Seaman Canadian Hockey Fund, the four provincial golf associations, and community partners like the Multicultural Association of Fredericton and She is Active NB.
To help introduce more girls to the game and make positive impacts on young females across the Atlantic, please visit https://firstteeatlantic.ca/giving/ or https://firstteeatlantic.ca/get-involved/.
