Ten-year-old Poppy Hill had been looking forward to the event for weeks. She’d attended twice before and her father, Rob Hill, deemed the All-Star Kids Golf Clinic--hosted Oct. 14, by the Tesori Family Foundation at TPC Sawgrass--as one of her favorite events of the year.
Started by Tesori Family Foundation founders Michelle and Paul Tesori, the All-Star Kids Golf Clinic hosts 25 children and young adults with special needs who enjoy the game of golf. PGA TOUR players and caddies volunteer to spend one-on-one time with the participants and assist with skill stations on the practice green.
“It’s a fantastic event,” Rob Hill said.
After the Tesoris thanked attending volunteers and sponsors, PGA and LPGA tour players Ryan Blaum and Amelia Lewis were introduced and spent time with the children, helping them practice their swings and introducing them to Power Tee, an automatic teeing system.
“Poppy really loved how the ball comes up without you having to do anything,” Poppy’s mother, Michaela Hill, said. She also said that Poppy loved the giant, inflatable gorilla overlooking the green, and that her confidence radiated through the entire event.
“She high-fives everyone, hugs the kids, talks to the pros, and feels the same as everyone else,” Michaela Hill said. “That’s where she shines.”
The first All-Star Kids Clinic launched in 2014 at a tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. Soon after, tournament directors lined up, asking to host a clinic in their own tournaments. Next year, there will be 20 nation-wide.
“It’s a dream come true that I never dreamed,” Paul Tesori said. “This game has been everything in my life. For me, not only to be able to do clinics throughout the country, but to be able to in my home, in Ponte Vedra, I get way more out of it than the kids do. The kids teach me every day. My son has taught me more in five and a half years than I learned in my first 42.”
The Tesori’s son, Isaiah, also took a liking to the green gorilla, putting the ball enthusiastically and happily playing all over the green. He even found the best-shaded spot of the sunny afternoon, under one of the dinner tables, playing games with a friend.
“A lot of people, when they see that Isaiah has Down syndrome, they’re apologetic and say, ‘I’m sorry,’ but no, stop. Don’t be sorry,” Tesori said. “He’s amazing. He’s perfect just the way he is.”
For more information on the Tesori Family Foundation or the All-Star Kids Golf Clinic, visit www.tesorifamilyfoundation.org
