On a recent Saturday morning, students, staff, coaches and volunteers all gathered to wish longtime Coach Joel Zanville a fond farewell as he moves back to Ohio to be near family.
“Coach Joel has been with us for over ten years,” said Chapter CEO Carl Mistretta Jr. “He found his calling with our special needs programs and impacted the lives of so many of our students. His smile, dedication and uplifting attitude will be greatly missed.”
No. 11 Florida Southern ran away to its 17th Sunshine State Conference Championship after posting a 54-hole team score of 861 (-3) at the Rio Pinar Country Club, the Moccasins’ first league title since 2010.
Chapter alumnus Tyler “TREE” Mistretta tied for fourth individual with rounds of 69-75-73 = 217. In his final round, TREE used 11 pars and three birdies, which featured back-to-back birdies on the back nine, to finish in the top five. With his fourth-place finish, TREE earned all-tournament honors with two of his teammates.
TREE also received the 2025 MOCSYS Academic Award for the student-athlete on his team with the combination of the most credit hours and highest GPA.
In addition, he joined three of his teammates to earn a 2025 All-Conference Award. Mocs Coach Brian Richey earned the Conference Coach of the Year award.
Welcome Dr. Matthew Tavolacci as a new sponsor of our Fore Freedom programs.
Dr. Tavolacci specializes in sports injuries of the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist and ankle. Dr. Matt is an experienced chiropractor and uses a variety of manual soft tissue therapies, therapeutic modalities, therapeutic exercises, stretch/strengthening routines and massage therapy to treat his patients.
Dr. Matt first heard about our Chapter through one of his current patients who is dealing with medical issues. As a child of a Navy Vietnam veteran, Dr. Matt has always had a deep respect for military veterans and has been dedicated to serving veterans since the inception of his private practice. He accepts the VA healthcare insurance when many other providers do not, in hopes of helping the saturated VA healthcare system to address the care of our nation’s heroes.
Our Chapter was honored to receive a generous $25,000 donation from the Admirals Cove Foundation. We are incredibly grateful for the longtime support of the members of Admirals Cove and their foundation, and for the support of Admiral’s Cove resident and longtime Board Member and Chairman Emeritus Dick Sheehan (pictured above with Chapter Development Director Henry Chateauvert). This generous contribution will help us expand character-building programs that empower youth both on and off the course.
The Admirals Cove Foundation was founded to improve lives in their surrounding community and to strengthen Admirals Cove through a culture of giving. Through their annual giving campaign, the Foundation’s efforts are focused exclusively in the areas of education, health, and social services.
Enroll your children at one of our 10 Broward County Program Locations.
AllGolf enjoyed an incredible year of success in 2024, powered by innovative property enhancements and a second-to-none commitment to community engagement.
The most impressive is the team’s focus on community outreach and engagement. AllGolf’s concerted effort to form a strong and fruitful partnership with our Chapter has resulted in the growth of the program’s unique participants by 53 percent, making it the largest First Tee program in the county, positively impacting 190 local youth. In addition, AllGolf has many summer camp offerings and veterans’ programs and adopted a fun, social approach to hospitality, cementing their position in the community as a vibrant center for family entertainment.
Congratulations to AllGolf at CB Smith Park for being awarded KemperSports Venue of the Year!
Paulina Ramirez is a standout volunteer coach and role model on and off the golf course. She is dedicated and goes above and beyond to help inspire and mentor our young golfers. In addition to leading her high school golf team at Archbishop McCarthy High School, Paulina’s commitment to giving back to the community shines through in her work with our younger students. She’s been an integral part of our program, volunteering her time and expertise weekly to mentor and coach our students. While helping with golf lessons, encouraging perseverance and offering life advice, Paulina is a constant source of inspiration for our junior golfers.
Thank you Paulina for everything you do to inspire and lead. You make a difference, and we are proud to have you on our team!
We began a winter special needs golf program with Pompano Beach Parks and Rec. The program is offered to Pompano Beach adults 18+ with developmental disabilities. Coach Robert Ferzoco led the clinics at the Youth Sports Complex where 19 participants attended.
Thank you to Demi Rivera, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, and their entire staff for making this program possible.
We began a special needs golf program at Flamingo Elementary School. The program is for a class of seven students ages 6 and 7. Coach Robert Ferzoco is leading the classes in Davie, FL.
Thank you to the Flamingo Elementary School, teacher Erin Mannarino, and the special needs staff for making this program possible for these deserving students.
Veterans Alberto Gomez (Marines), Tom Melville (Air Force), Leslie Thomas (Marines) played in the monthly golf outing at Country Club of Coral Springs with Veteran Outreach Director, Jack Bloomfield.
orty First Tee students attended Legends & Leaders Junior Day at the Old Course at Broken Sound to test their skills at passing, field goal kicking and hitting full golf shots on the driving range. Prizes were up for grabs and the kids and teens enjoyed hot dogs after the skills competition.
Guest speakers included PGA TOUR Champions player Dicky Pride and former NFL quarterback and current NFL analyst Brady Quinn. Both shared their experiences, dedication and work ethic to become successful professional athletes and successful at life. Special thanks to ADT for sponsoring the event and for the generous $10,000 donation to our Chapter.
