First Tee of Sharon is back for an eighth season

The First Tee of Sharon is entering its eighth season of teaching the life skills of golf to area children.
The First Tee is a division of the World Golf Foundation of St. Augustine, Fla. Its mission is teaching the game to children, giving them values and skills that could benefit them in future years. Many do not have access or cannot afford to learn to play the game.
It has 274 teaching facilities in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
More than 675,000 students participated in the First Tee Life Skills experience and there are 687 affiliate relationships with existing First Tee courses.
Carole Barker, coordinator of The First Tee in Sharon, said the goal for the end of 2005 was to reach 500,000 children.
Locally, 449 children registered for classes in 2005. Eleven sessions were offered with five classes in each session five days a week. Eleven school districts were represented.
"We have many children who arrange their sessions around a visit to grandmas," Barker said. "The idea that one session can be completed in one week appeals to families with busy summer plans and vacations."
Registration for returning students is May 6 from 9-11 a.m. at Buhl Farm Golf Course.
New students can register the same day from 1-4 p.m. Children must have completed first grade to be eligible. Cost is $15 per child, $25 for two in a family and $35 for three or more.
The coach is Scott Karas, who is beginning his fourth year. Cheryl Pryts manages the facility and handles the scheduling and statistical reporting for the national office.
Another program this year will be the First Tee Junior Golf League for ages 11-15 at the Buhl Farm Course. League nights will be Wednesdays with tee times starting at 5:15 p.m.
The Mentoring Program begins May 16 for graduates of The First Tee. The students assist with the program, tournaments, the league and classes for the younger children.
For details, call the First Tee office at (724) 962-9197, the Casino at (724) 962-9648 or visit www.buhlfarmpark.com.
Good news
Jamie Dixon, the 40-year-old head basketball coach at Pitt, recently signed a contract extension through the 2012-13 season. It was a great move by Pitt's athletic family. A coach with Dixon's talent is not easy to come by these days.
Arizona State and Missouri reportedly wanted to hire Dixon, but the extension put an end to those rumors. Dixon was reportedly one of the lowest-paid coaches in the Big East. His salary jumps from the $500,000-$600,000 range to $800,000-$900,000.
That's a pretty nice raise.
Pitt started last season with 15 straight wins, but cooled off a bit and finished with a 25-8 record, losing in the NCAA Tournament to Bradley, 72-66, in the second round. Pitt also advanced to the Big East championship game.
Dixon returns eight of his top 10 players from last season, which should make for a very interesting 2006-07 season.
Dixon has a 76-22 record in three years with the Panthers. Not bad for a man who did not have any Division I coaching experience before being hired at Pitt.
Bettis into Hall
Jerome Bettis, the power-running fullback of the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, is heading into the Bowling Hall of Fame. (The NFL Hall of Fame will undoubtedly come later.)
Bettis will be inducted into the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (located near Busch Stadium in St. Louis) on June 28. For the first time, the hall is honoring celebrity bowlers. Bettis will be the first inductee into the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame.
"The Bus" is an above-average bowler. He was hitting the pins as a youngster in Detroit and carries a 200 average. He's also rolled a 300 game.
Bettis launched his pro career with the Los Angeles Rams and came with that team to St. Louis for one year before being traded to the Steelers. The Rams' loss was the Steelers' gain.
In his 13 NFL seasons, Jerome gained 13,662 yards and scored 91 touchdowns. He is fifth on the all-time rushing list behind Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Curtis Martin.
Bettis had hardly signed his retirement papers when he was picked up by NBC as a broadcaster.
Time for a change
For the past 20 years, the District 10 softball championships have been at Lincoln Avenue Complex in Meadville. They'll be shifted this season to Penn State-Behrend in Erie.
Reportedly, the shift was due to the sub-par conditions of the Meadville complex. The first two rounds of the playoffs will still take place in Meadville and the LAC has applied for a $20,000 grant to upgrade the facility, which has four playing fields.
This season's tournament will begin May 23 while the D-10 title games will be contested May 29.