Ethan Mott has been one of Corbin High School’s top golfers in recent years, and last week he realized a personal dream of his when he signed his letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Union Commonwealth University in Barbourville.
“This gives me the opportunity to break into college golf, and to really start to understand the game at a higher level,” Mott said. “Coach [Russell] Sisson has been gracious enough to assist me in getting to this level. So has Donnie Caldwell, from my First Tee years at Wasioto Winds.”
If you have been reading Par for the Course regularly, you will likely recognize Caldwell’s name. He is the resident golf pro in charge of operations at Wasioto Winds Golf Course, which is part of Pine Mountain State Park in Pineville. When we interviewed him back in February, much of the conversation centered around youth development through the First Tee program. If you missed that entry, be sure to go back and look for it online at thenewsjournal.net/.
Coincidentally, this week (May 19-25) is National First Tee Week. A perfect way to highlight the positive impacts of the program is to let Mott himself discuss the benefits. When asked about it, he said, “It has been a process since I first started in fifth grade. I didn’t know much about the game [then], but as I kept going through the program Donnie showed me about etiquette and the fundamentals of golf. As we continued to work up, we slowly got into swinging and training aids, and all of that.”
“I think that First Tee is a good program for any young golfer wanting to play and get into the game,” Mott added. “It truly shows what golf is all about.”
In addition to his dedication on the golf course and in the classroom, part of Mott’s requirements for receiving the First Tee scholarship was to write an essay to UCU President, Dr. DJ Washington.
“I just described how this scholarship would benefit me, and the benefits that I think I can bring to Union and the First Tee program,” Mott said. “I will be going back to assist and help with coaching in the program, as I want to show young golfers their potential.”
Mott’s First Tee scholarship will pay for almost all of his expenses as he begins the next chapter of his golfing career as a UCU student this fall.
CHS boys golf Head Coach Joe Roberts said of First Tee, “Any kid out there, whether you are currently playing golf or not, we can’t stress the First Tee program enough. They will learn life skills, and at the end they might end up with a scholarship. It just makes the world a better place, and we are proud of Ethan for doing all of that.”
For additional information on First Tee, go online to www.firsttee.org. For more on the UCU golf program, visit www.gounionbulldogs.com.
