By Tom Kendra
LocalSportsJournal.com
WHITEHALL–Erik Sanford wasn’t expecting much as he scrolled through the Indeed online jobs page four years ago.
But the Whitehall native, who had been teaching at an elementary school in Reed City at the time, stopped in his tracks when he saw something totally different than all the other sales jobs – an opening at First Tee – West Michigan, for its first-ever Muskegon Director.
Anyone who knows Sanford knows his passion for the game, so it’s no surprise he landed the job and that it has proven to be a perfect fit – like peanut butter & jelly or John Lennon & Paul McCartney.
“It’s been a great job,” Sanford admitted, in the midst of a 16-hour day overseeing one of First Tee’s signature fundraising golf marathons at Muskegon Country Club.
“This is my fifth long Monday in a row but, c’mon, what’s better than hanging out all day at the golf course?”
The answer to that question, for Sanford, is nothing (except maybe a day in his hunting blind up north or perhaps a Notre Dame football game).
The First Tee is a nationwide organization which focuses on exposing the game of golf, and the accompanying life lessons which it teaches, to those kids who normally don’t ever get that opportunity – specifically inner-city and minority youth.
The local chapter, First Tee – West Michigan, has provided development and golf programs to youths in Muskegon, Kent and Ottawa Counties since it was established in 2013. Sanford, who worked for the Department of Health and Human Services in Child Protective Services, Catholic Charities West Michigan, and most recently as a teacher and behavioral specialist at an elementary school in Reed City, is the first director assigned specifically to the Muskegon area.
First Tee programs are designed for boys and girls ages 7 to 17, and typically are held one night per week for six weeks.
Those who can afford it pay the session costs out of pocket, but close to 60 percent of the Muskegon-area participants do so on scholarship – with all of their costs paid for by money raised at events like the June 12 golf marathon at MCC.
Golfers play as many holes as they can in one day in the marathons, and solicit donors to pledge a certain amount per hole. The event at MCC raised $58,000 in one day, with the team of DJ Hilson and Gary Nelund raising more than $16,000, and combined the Lakeshore marathons have raised more than $125,000 this year.
Sanford has a golf marathon for juniors set for Aug. 5 at Bent Pine Golf Club and plans are in the works for a Newaygo County adult marathon later this summer.
Sanford’s passion for the game is contagious and has been the driving force behind tremendous growth for the First Tee program in Muskegon during his tenure – growing from two golf courses to nine hosting First Tee clinics and the number of kids increasing from 150 to more than 450.
Growth can be a double-edged sword, as more kids means the need for more funding and more volunteer coaches.
One of the lead coaches in the Muskegon area for the past 10 years has been Terri Clock, who started working with First Tee when she retired as a teacher with Muskegon Public Schools.
“We talk to the kids every day about our core values, things like sportsmanship and honesty and perseverance,” said Clock, who sometimes gets an assist from her son, former all-Big Ten Michigan State University golfer Andrew Ruthkoski. “It’s cool when you see tie it all together.”
Clock is now seeing many of her former students move up in the game, such as Chase Sullivan and Tyler Carlson, who are now members of the Fruitport High School golf team. Another of Clock’s former students, Ameer Jackson, is now a coach with First Tee.
Clock pulled double duty on June 12, playing 54 holes at Muskegon Country Club on golf marathon day (raising $1,158), then shifted gears and taught a First Tee class.
In order to continue to grow, the First Tee needs people to contribute in one of three ways: make a donation directly to the group or to a golf marathon, play in a golf marathon and solicit donations or volunteer at one of the weekly clinics. For more information, go to www.firstteewestmichigan.org.
Sanford, a four-time all-state golfer at Whitehall who went on to play at the University of Tennessee-Martin, said he learned so many lessons practically growing up on the golf course – and nothing brings him more joy than watching more and more kids get that same opportunity.
“Yes, we are an introduction to the game of golf for a lot of kids who would otherwise never try the game – that’s huge,” said Sanford, who also teaches at First Tee clinics.
“But, more importantly, the kids learn life skills from the game that they can apply to everything they do in life. That’s what this is all about.”
