(MONTEREY, Calif.) – Youth on Course — the non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the golf course – has announced its latest initiative, YOC Athlete. Youth on Course (YOC) has recruited eighteen exceptional high school and collegiate athletes/YOC members and alumni from across the country to use their platforms to highlight the importance of affordable access to golf for young people and encourage families/juniors to sign up for YOC membership.
To enhance the impact, Youth on Course has partnered with industry leader, Opendorse to create the largest NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) deal in golf. “YOC Athlete is what NIL is all about,” said Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence. “We’re incredibly proud to help Youth on Course further its core purpose by working alongside its current and former athlete members. Any mission-driven brand can look to this campaign to see how authenticity and scale can create impact in the NIL era.”
As the climate of college athletics has evolved over the past few years, the opportunity to partner with various athletes presented via Opendorse will allow the YOC message and experience to reach an even wider audience with the intent to help with both membership and alumni network growth. These athletes come from various backgrounds and experiences while competing at the highest levels, all with the shared experience of being/have been a YOC member and now an integral part of YOC’s growing alumni base.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome these tremendous young men and women as our first group of YOC Athletes,” says Moe Melhart, YOC’s Director of Alumni Relations. “Their platform as college student athletes allows them to share so much about their experience as former YOC members and now their journey as YOC Alumni. I know their impact will be significant as we continue to build our culture of alumni within Youth on Course.”
The first group of YOC Athletes is composed of both men and women competing at the Division I, II and III levels in ten different conferences including the Big Ten Conference, the Pac-12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Athletes will support the YOC message through a variety of different modes such as social media, web presence and both live and virtual events. These athletes must be in good academic and team standing and align with the core purpose of YOC. Over the course of the coming months, YOC Athletes will be hard at work balancing their academic and athletic schedules as well as sharing about their lives and their journey. To learn more about YOC Athlete, contact Moe Melhart at moe@youthoncourse.org.
YOC Athletes 2023
- Daniela Andrade - California State University Los Angeles, Women’s Golf*
- Owen Avrit - University of Oregon, Men’s Golf
- Kaila Bonawitz - University of Puget Sound, Women’s Golf
- JT Byrne - University of California, Berkeley, Football
- Jack Deaner - California State University Monterey Bay, Men’s Golf
- Jayden Ford - Pinehurst, North Carolina, Women’s Golf
- Maleyna Gregorio - University of California, Riverside, Women’s Golf
- Matthew Kress - University of Florida, Men’s Golf
- Antonia Malate - San Jose State University, Women’s Golf
- Graham Moody - University of Wisconsin, Men’s Golf
- Anton Ouyang - Stanford University, Men’s Golf
- Brenna Preap - Grand Canyon University, Women’s Golf*
- Kaleyia Romero - Pepperdine, Women’s Golf
- Kiara Romero - University of Oregon, Women’s Golf*
- Kyreece Romero - University of Oregon, Men’s Golf*
- Elizabeth Scholtes - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Women’s Golf
- Brady Siravo - Pepperdine, Men’s Golf
- Caleb Shetler - San Jose State University, Men’s Golf
*incoming Freshman
YouthonCourse.org | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
About Youth on Course
The core purpose of Youth on Course is to help young people grow and succeed both on and off the course by providing opportunities to play, learn, grow, and build relationships through affordable, inclusive access to play. More than 140,000 members play nearly 2,000 golf courses for $5 or less, benefit from career opportunities through the caddie and internship program and receive college scholarships. More than 300 students have been awarded college scholarships to date totaling over $2 million. Headquartered in Monterey, CA, Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 organization that began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. Since 2006, YOC members have played more than two million subsidized rounds of golf, each round representing a new opportunity for learning, growth and connection with others and themselves.
About Opendorse
Opendorse is the leading athlete marketplace and NIL company, providing technology and services to the athlete endorsement industry. More than 100,000 athletes use Opendorse to build and monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) with support from thousands of hundreds of college programs and thousands brands, fans, donors, and partners including Team USA, PGA TOUR, NFLPA, MLBPA, WNBPA, LPGA.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Gina Delli-Gatti
831-241-1813
gina@youthoncourse.org