Our Coaches
Joie Ruggiero
First Tee – Hawaii Program Director
Jared Yim
Program Manager First Tee – Hawaii (Oahu)
Details TBD
Earl Kubo
Coach
With a BA in Mathematics from the University of Hawaii Manoa, Earl’s day job is as an Information Technology Specialist with the Department of Health, where he’s been for 30 years! Earl’s love for golf started early as a Junior Golfer in his hometown of Hilo. He first started with The First Tee as a parent in 2019 and quickly became a coach by 2022. Earl is constantly developing new ideas for our juniors. He likes learning new techniques and coaching styles, especially about how to get through to a child that might not respond to the first few attempts to teach First Tee values and skills. Learning new skills led him to take the Positive Coaching Alliance Training in 2012 where he feels the training is more and more applicable every day.
Andrei Soto
Coach
Originally from Kauai, Andrei started with The First Tee in 2016. We couldn’t have found a better person to lead our juniors as his favorite hobbies include playing golf and coaching volleyball! He enjoys teaching the golfing fundamentals and interacting with the kids who participate in the First Tee program. Not only has he been an impactful leader to our students, but he has also been a leader when it comes to providing encouragement and support to the volunteer coaches.