April 2, 2026 | Program Update
On March 26, teams from 16 Charleston Area elementary schools, along with student volunteers from Cane Bay High, traveled to Wescott Golf Club for Champions Cup, our annual golf and life skills tournament.
Tournament photos by Banner Photography.
The following schools, all of which offer First Tee’s In-School Program as a Physical Education unit, participated in the tournament at no cost thanks to a generous gift from the Henry & Sylvia Yaschik Foundation:
Charleston Development Academy
Charleston Progressive Academy
Chicora Elementary School
Compass Collegiate Academy
Goose Creek Elementary School
H.E. Bonner Elementary School
James B. Edwards Elementary School
Johns Island Elementary School
Julian Mitchell Elementary School
Marrington Elementary School
Montessori Community School
Oakland Elementary School
Orange Grove Elementary Charter School
St. Johns Catholic School
Stiles Point Elementary School
Whitesville Elementary School
Coach Jefferson strikes a pose with students from Compass Collegiate, and Cane Bay volunteers cheer James B. Edwards through a Core Value Challenge
The tournament featured 9 golf challenges and 9 core value challenges. Participating students showcased great confidence, integrity, respect, courtesy, judgment, responsibility, honesty, perseverance, and sportsmanship—the cornerstones of our curriculum—while putting, chipping, and driving their way through a mix of traditional golf holes and exciting inflatable targets, including our giant hippo and shark. Students also learned about golf course design and played “pin the hazard on the dogleg” with our friend, Troy Miller—the architect behind Charleston Municipal’s widely-celebrated renovation.
Coach Yakes and his students from Charleston Progressive Academy bring big energy to the golf course.
Kids, coaches, and volunteers alike were all smiles for what First Tee Board Member and long-time Champions Cup volunteer Kelly Lyle calls the “best day ever.”
James B. Edwards Elementary finished third and Oakland Elementary finished second.
As with any golf tournament, teams attempted to shoot the lowest score, and the contest was exceptionally close. James B. Edwards Elementary finished third with a score of 149; Oakland Elementary finished second with a score of 147; and Whitesville Elementary won the day with a score of 142. Whitesville’s team will be recognized at a special awards ceremony at a later date, during which each team member will receive a free set of age-appropriate golf clubs.
Volunteers from Cane Bay High celebrate an amazing chip that contributed to Whitesville Elementary’s first place finish.
Our In-School Program is available to any elementary school in Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester county. Some middle schools are also eligible, thanks to a 2026 pilot initiative. Equipment, curriculum, training, and coaching support is all subsidized by generous First Tee donors, and elementary schools who join our In-School Program network are eligible to participate in Champions Cup at no cost.
Want to join us next year? Email [email protected] to learn more about getting involved as a school partner or volunteer.