First Tee Golf Clinic Drives Home Fun, Sportsmanship at Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic Tour Event

NECToday #blog details the great fun we had with @FirstTeeDallas at the @VOATexasLPGA last weekend Click To TweetAt NEC Corporation of America we pride ourselves not only on the technology and solutions we sell, but also on the volunteer work we do in the communities where we live and work.

From promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to encouraging community well-being and safe, healthy environments for our kids, NEC strives to make a difference in our world. It’s all part of our brand message, “Orchestrating a brighter world.”

And often times, the work is just plain fun.

This past weekend, in conjunction with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic in The Colony, Texas, the team and I were excited and proud to host about 60 kids from The First Tee of Greater Dallas for an annual golf clinic. This fantastic international youth development organization teaches golf skills to kids from all socioeconomic backgrounds while reinforcing core values like integrity, respect and perseverance. The program reaches more than 5 million kids annually and offers programs in all 50 states.

Our group on May 5th in The Colony consisted of girls and boys alike, who were split evenly into three groups. Each group rotated to different stations teaching skills from driving to chipping and putting to target practice. Program Administrator Katie Harris and her staff made the morning fun, educational and exciting for the kids, all of whom looked like they were having a blast while on their best behavior.

LPGA player Sandra Gal of Germany speaks to a group of youth golfers at The First Tee of Greater Dallas’ golf clinic at the VOA LPGA Texas Classic in The Colony.

Even better, we were treated to some skills lessons, exhibitions and a Q&A with a couple of real, professional golfers, including Germany’s Sandra Gal, as well as Plano native and local pro instructor Natasha Lee.

Sandra started playing golf at age 6 and learned from parents who were already avid golfers. Natasha, on the other hand, discovered the game at 15 and has never looked back. Both women exhibit the discipline, patience and skill required to become great at golf. They also exhibit many other important core values, like respect, courtesy, integrity, sportsmanship and responsibility.

I spoke with two parents who approached me and told me they wanted me to know that this clinic “makes a difference” in the community and particularly in their lives and their daughters’ lives. Their two daughters had just started getting interested in golf last year at this time. They both attended the NEC clinic at the 2017 VOA LPGA Texas Shootout and are now hooked on golf. These two parents were even able to organize a middle school team at their daughters’ school and they have been actively enjoying the sport ever since. They were back again this year and said they wouldn’t miss it.

I also talked to one parent who said her child had nearly given up on the game of golf just prior to our clinic at the 2017 VOA LPGA Texas Shootout in Irving. Meeting the LPGA golfers and First Tee of Greater Dallas instructors renewed her ex

LPGA player Sandra Gal of Germany signs autographs for youth participants in the May 5 golf clinic.

citement, and she’s been back in the swing of things ever since. It’s been great to be associated with The First Tee and positively impact young people’s lives with opportunities they might not get elsewhere.

If you have questions about The First Tee as an organization, I highly encourage you to visit their main web site at www.thefirsttee.org. There you’ll be able to find a local chapter (there are roughly 1,200 of them), learn about the group’s nine core values and learn how you or your company can get involved.

Likewise, if you have questions about NEC and our status as Official Technology Partner of the LPGA, just head over to our LPGA web page at lpga.nec.com. There you can check out the upcoming event schedule and see some of the creative marketing assets we’ve created as part of our partnership.

The LPGA is growing more exciting with each event, and we are proud to provide the data infrastructure, analytics and security solutions behind the scenes that ultimately help fans have an enjoyable experience.

I hope we see you at one of the upcoming tournaments!

Announcing NEC’s New LPGA Microsite

NEC Corporation of America, Official Technology Sponsor of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association), proudly announces the launch of our new LPGA-focused microsite. NEC is committed to supporting the LPGA organization in its mission to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for its players, guests and tournament staff. With the creation of this dedicated site, NEC brings together specific tournament participation and support information, and provides you with direct access to ongoing NEC-relevant LPGA tour and player updates, all located in one website, hosted at http://lpga.nec.com.

Especially designed for golf enthusiasts, this NEC/ LPGA microsite is a one-stop location for you to:

  • Reference the LPGA Event Calendar and its tournament information
  • Follow our NEC/ LPGA blog content, tournament by tournament, as we share results, observations and player information from the NEC-sponsored LPGA events
  • Check out NEC’s (facial recognition) technology in action at select events, and the various ways NEC’s smart enterprise solutions are helping to power the LPGA this year
  • View the expanding gallery of NEC/ LPGA photo images, tournament and technology videos, as well as NEC’s event marketing media throughout the season
  • See what’s happening, and connect with us on our Social Media outlets
  • Explore NEC’s powerful Advanced Recognition Solutions, as well as Unified Communications and Infrastructure solutions, and their applications to real-life smart enterprise situations

The new NEC/ LPGA web site is a great place to check out the expanding use of facial recognition for heightened security at professional Sporting Events.

For example: For the upcoming Founders Cup event in Phoenix Arizona, and also for the ANA Inspiration tournament, NEC technology will be at the Front Entrance, strengthening entry security with NEC EVA (Enhanced Video Analytics) facial recognition– screening analytics that compare faces to an LPGA Watch List, to safeguard the LPGA fan experience. This technology also provides important fan metrics, such as age, gender and number of attendees at the event, invaluable information to assist the LPGA in their goal of elevating the fan experience and creating enjoyable, memorable events.

Additionally, in response to player’s requests for increased locker room access control, NEC’s NeoFace Express will be boosting security in the Player’s area by providing real-time screening for LPGA-approved personnel.

Exciting things are happening at NEC, so come join us now in the new NEC LPGA microsite, for the latest in event information and cutting edge NEC technology!

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Orchestrating a Brighter World Fuels NEC’s Sponsorship of the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout LPGA Tour Event

NEC’s official brand message, “Orchestrating a brighter world,”   has multiple meanings, but it originated as a way to showcase our global identity and value as a provider of technology and solutions for a better society.  We also promote this value by supporting altruistic causes and organizations.

Our brand message was on full display as NEC Corporation of America was a primary sponsor and the proud Official Technology Partner of the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout LPGA Tour event, held April 26th  through May 1st at the Las Colinas Country Club.

It was an exciting event, especially for Jenny Shin, who claimed her first LPGA tour win with a two-stroke victory. Plano resident Gerina Piller tied for second place with Amy Yang and Mi Jung Hur.

The Volunteers of America is a faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need. The group provides affordable housing to low-income individuals, long-term nursing care for seniors, and human service programs for veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, at-risk youth, homeless individuals and families, men and women returning from prison, and those recovering from addictions.

“The Volunteers of America Texas Shootout aligns with our company values and we are delighted to support a world-class sporting event that benefits the community where our employees live and work,” said Shinsuke (Shin) Takahashi, president and CEO of NEC Corporation of America.

The Volunteers of America Texas Shootout is the only LPGA Tour event in the state of Texas and featured 19 of the top 20 female golfers in the world.

The tournament also provided a unique opportunity for high school and college amateur female players to tee it up against the best players in the world through two qualifying “Shootouts.” The top two finishers from each shootout qualified for a spot in the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout.

“We are extremely excited to have NEC as our Official Technology Partner,” said tournament director Kristy Nutt. “Their products and services are second to none and we will benefit from NEC’s LCD display technology. It is great having a sponsor that has offices in Irving and has the same drive to engage and support the community.”

To volunteer or donate to the Volunteers of America, please click here.

LPGA Volunteers of America Golf Event Lunch

“NEC and golf have been linked for many years and this opportunity in our back yard uses a high profile stage to help improve societal standards of living,” said Takahashi.  “At NEC, we practice a core value we refer to as “orchestrating a brighter world,” and this is a wonderful way for our employees to be involved and express it.”