Birmingham Times: How First Tee Birmingham Instills Self-Confidence in Young People Through Golf

Birmingham City Councilor Crystal Smitherman, a First Tee alum who currently serves as an assistant golf coach and board member, calls it “a full circle” moment.

Smitherman was part of the program when it was first launched in the Birmingham area in the early 2000s by golf legend Tiger Woods and his dad. And Smitherman was part of the program when it was re-launched in 2023 after a 13-year absence.

“I started golfing with my dad [State Sen. Rodger Smitherman]. It would be our father-daughter bonding time.  We still play together now,” Smitherman told the Birmingham Times.