How Stephen Im Has Gone From First Tee Participant To Game Changer
Stephen grew up in the inner city of San Diego, just minutes from Pro Kids, home of First Tee – San Diego. It was the 1990s, and 'Tiger Mania' had a whole generation dreaming big. For Stephen, First Tee – San Diego quickly became his second home. 'I describe my time at First Tee as the best years of my youth, when life was simple,' he said.
Stephen Im
His journey through First Tee wasn't just about swing mechanics or lowering scores — it was about building character and finding belonging. 'The reason I credit much of my own development to First Tee has to do with my involvement during my teenage years,' he said. Being multiracial, Stephen struggled at times with identity and community, he said. 'Learning who I was and what made me unique led me to develop better judgement.'
One defining moment of his youth came when Stephen was selected to attend the very first Game Changers Academy at Kansas State University. From navigating dorm life to playing one of the toughest golf courses in the country, Colbert Hills, the week was packed with new experiences.
Returning to Game Changers for a Special Anniversary
This year, Stephen returns to Game Changers Academy — not as a participant, but as a coach and mentor. The event, which focuses on inclusive leadership and community building, is taking place in Minneapolis and celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer. It's supported by AWS, Mayo Clinic and Topgolf Callaway Brands.
Stephen is excited to be involved so he can help teens expand their horizons, just as he did decades ago. 'There's something about visiting another community that opens your eyes to the world we share with others,' he said. He hopes participants walk away with broadened perspectives — and the courage to inspire others through their experiences.
More than anything, Stephen is excited to spark those lightbulb moments. 'Guiding teens to find their place in the world and giving them a safe space to express themselves. That's what this work is about,' he said.
Coaching with Purpose
Since getting involved as a kid, golf has been an important part of Stephen's life. While earning his degree from Cal Poly Pomona, he joined First Tee – Greater Pasadena as a coach and found his calling.
Over the years, Stephen wore many hats: coach, mentor and leader, becoming a Level 4 coach in 2020. Through his eight years in Pasadena, he watched young participants grow from beginners to high school graduates, and they, in turn, witnessed his own evolution.
Stephen returned to San Diego in 2023, and now he's back in the same neighborhood where it all began, allowing him to bring experience and relatability 'For the kids I get to work with now, I can literally say, 'I've been in your shoes,'' he said.
He credits his own growth to the coaches who once saw his potential: 'I can still describe a specific conversation with a coach from 30 years ago,' he said. 'That's the power of intentional mentorship.' He now strives to be a mentor for others by helping kids find their own strengths.
The Game Changers Academy is part of First Tee's full slate of national participant opportunities designed to keep teens engaged with the program. First Tee offers leadership programs, a girls empowerment event, competitive golf opportunities and a community service workshop.
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The coach shuffled through four different starters in Indianapolis after Luck retired, never finding one that lasted longer than a season. The void eventually cost Reich his job. Still, he came to admire Luck's conviction, starting with the sitdown in August 2019 that changed everything. 'I'm retiring,' Luck confessed in that meeting with Reich, Ballard and owner Jim Irsay. 'You're what?' came the response. Luck was raw and honest and unflinching that day, and never wavered in the years that followed. His coach always respected that. Which is why, both believe, this unexpected rekindling in Palo Alto can work. The two made a pact: No matter what happens this season, Reich will not return in 2026. 'Interim head coach' means one season, period. 'I love Andrew,' Reich says, 'but I love my grandkids more.' Luck puts it this way: 'The reason Frank and I have such a strong relationship is because we've been incredibly honest about everything from the very beginning.' He pauses, going back to some of the gutting moments and hard conversations they've shared. He knows what his decision six years ago cost his former coach. 'Look,' Luck says, 'I retired on him, right?' Any sort of rebuild in Palo Alto is going to take time, even with a well of alumni support. 'There's a lot of people who love Stanford who have very, very deep pockets,' Doyle says. Luck's return, and Reich's arrival, has seemed to energize recruiting: The Cardinal have welcomed 18 transfers this year compared to four last season. Advertisement Luck's pitch — to high school players, donors and the college football world at large — starts with the quarterbacks who've played there. 'Jim Plunkett, John Elway, myself.' He touts Stanford's reach: 'The best network in the world no matter what industry you want to go into.' He lauds its past success: 'Did you know Stanford has been playing football since 1892? And we've been to the third-most Rose Bowls of any program in the history of college football? 'I get fired up thinking about that. I get to steward a legacy that's been around a long time.' He is undeniably energized by both the pressure and the stakes, welcoming them like he would a blitzing linebacker on third-and-long. Our best against your best, remember, nowhere to hide. But that moxie cost him, and pain became a staple of his old job. A different kind awaits in his new one. Luck knows there's a world where he's nowhere near a football field right now — designing high-rises for a swanky architectural firm or hiding out on a ski slope in some city no one's ever heard of. Instead, he's trying to save a program that even he might not be able to save. The reality is Stanford may never win big in the NIL era. After Luck fired Taylor, one of the team's seniors, Jay Green, called him, worried about the direction of the program. 'Jay, this isn't the NBA,' Luck told him. 'We're not tanking for the first pick.' The season opens Aug. 23 in Hawaii. 'Listen, I used to play quarterback,' Luck says, letting a small smile crease his face again. 'You know when people are watching you, waiting for you to make big decisions in high-pressure situations. You make them, and you live with them.' That's the pull. That's what kept tugging at him after he walked away, and why he was ready to scream 'HELL YEAH' when offered the job. The locker room — his old locker room — needed him. Andrew Luck walked out on one. He wasn't ready to walk away from another. Advertisement 'I owe it to them,' he says of the Stanford players. 'That part of it is personal to me.' Why is why, late on a Monday evening in the spring, Luck is nowhere close to heading home for the day. A recruit stops by his office. The new GM leans in with his pitch. 'I'm Andrew …' After the visit wraps, Luck bolts into the hallway, breezing past a familiar floor-to-ceiling image just to his right. It's him in another life, back when he was young and strong and looking to throw deep, the picture of so much promise. He never gives it a glance. (Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; photo courtesy Stanford Athletics) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
