For the Pickering Family, it’s rare to find one of them doing something without the others following suit.
Tamiko and Tony met in Saudi Arabia in 1995 when they were on active duty serving in the U.S. Air Force – Tamiko was stationed in New Jersey while Tony was stationed in Japan. They got married the following year on Independence Day – jokingly claiming it as their “loss of independence day.”
“Because we were in the military, we just always knew we’d have that day off,” says Tamiko. “So we figured what better day to do the thing? It was just an inside joke and here we are almost thirty years later!” After getting married Tony and Tamiko settled in Colorado Springs which is where they had their daughter Kennedy in 2001, and have lived in McKinney, Texas since 2010.
“I really loved growing up with my parents,” says Kennedy. “Something I always enjoyed is we very much had a close-knit military family back in Colorado. Even though I’m an only child, I grew up with so many of my cousins and god brothers who became family through the military, so it’s been really nice that we’ve remained close and that’s something our family has remained dedicated to.”
Growing up, Kennedy says she played almost every sport imaginable. From softball to gymnastics, soccer and even fencing. “Mine and Tamiko’s philosophy was that we were going to have Kennedy try as many sports as possible,” says Tony. “She may not like all of them, and that’s fine, but we’re at least going to give it a try – we never said no to her wanting to take on a new sport or new activity.” Throughout middle school, high school and into college where she attended the University of Colorado - Boulder, Kennedy did marching band where she played the flute and the piccolo. “For me, I loved college football so, of course, it was always a great excuse to get into the games for free.”
Kennedy’s love of sports followed her following her graduation and led her to the PGA WORKS Fellowship at the Northern Texas PGA Section. The Fellowship is designed to create an all-inclusive experience for young professionals who are ready to kickstart their career in the game of golf. Inclusive of a six- to twelve-month paid immersion in a PGA Section’s operations, the Fellowship is designed to foster development and a new skill set in all facets of the golf industry and beyond. Carrying minors in women and gender studies and sports media, she felt drawn to the Fellowship as it aligned well with her values and interests in diversity in sports and other industries. Additionally, Kennedy saw the Fellowship as a natural fit because of its involvement in PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere).
“Because of my military background and what that community has brought me just within my family, I knew it would be a great opportunity to give back to that same community. Sure, I didn’t know much about the game, but I was willing to learn more, and I just saw it as an opportunity to give back.”
Not long after she began her Fellowship, she was neck deep in all the summer prep at the Section – including helping administer PGA HOPE sessions in Northern Texas. Jumping in head-first, she saw there would be a session being hosted just down the road from where her parents live in McKinney at the Home of the PGA of America in Frisco. Kennedy knew exactly what to do next. “I told my parents I had signed them up for PGA HOPE, and told them it was golf lessons and you’d get to meet other Veterans,” says Kennedy. “I gave them the time and the place to be, and I left the rest to them!”
And so started Tamiko and Tony’s golf journey. PGA HOPE is on a mission to help Veterans and Active Duty Military service members thrive through the game of golf. Led by trained PGA of America Golf Professionals, the program lasts up to eight weeks where participants get to learn the game, build community and enjoy getting out of the house – all at no cost to the Veteran.
“We honestly just thought of this as another opportunity to do something together,” says Tony. “Once we commit to something, we’re all in and ready to learn something new.” Tamiko says she was excited and really had no expectations for what the program was going to be like – she was just excited to be doing something with the rest of her family.
From start to finish, Tamiko and Tony say they were so impressed with how much they were able to learn. “I never felt uncomfortable or stressed,” says Tamiko. “It was so amazing to see the coaches work with us and how patient they were every step of the way. Even seeing the community we had built with other Veterans throughout the six weeks – it felt so natural and easy.”
Having never watched golf before, Tony says after a few sessions of PGA HOPE he found himself yelling at the T.V. during the final round of the Masters Tournament. “It was like I was watching college football on a Saturday afternoon,” says Tony.
On Graduation Day for the PGA HOPE program, the last session for the six-week program program, the participating Veterans get to celebrate the journey they’ve embarked on by playing a quick round on The Swing – the 10-hole short course connected to Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco. From registering for the program, to attending the sessions and getting expert instruction from PGA of America Instructors, one can guess that there was only one way for the Pickering Family to celebrate – by being together.
Kennedy says it was important for her to be at the Graduation with her parents because, as much as they’ve done things together over the years, never have they had the opportunity to play and enjoy a sport together. “I was really excited to see their progression and what they’ve learned throughout the last few weeks,” says Kennedy.
I feel like it puts a little bit of a spark back into our family. While there are a lot of things we still do together it can be tough because we still all have our own lives, but golf is a reason for us to come together again.
For Tamiko and Tony, their pride comes twofold – firstly, for how far their daughter has come and all the success she has already seen in her time as a PGA WORKS Fellow, and secondly completing something for themselves and knowing that they did it as a unit and a family. “You can tell when your child is happy doing something, and doing something they love,” says Tony. “It’s clear there’s a different energy in her from what she is getting to do and we could not be more proud.”
When Kennedy thinks of growth and opportunity, she thinks about the experience she’s had so far in her Fellowship with PGA WORKS. “I definitely feel like I’ve gained more self-confidence in my day-to-day tasks,” says Kennedy. “It’s a lot to learn especially if you don’t have the golf background like me, but the team around me at the Northern Texas Section helped show me the ropes and, little by little, I was able to prove to myself that I’m much more capable than I thought I was. PGA WORKS has opened this whole new world for me to explore and is helping me shape what I want my future to look like – that’s something I don’t know I can get in a lot of other industries.”
There’s a lot the game of golf has given to the Pickering family – one could argue more than they ever could have imagined. Tamiko says it’s all about the time they have together and how they choose to spend that time with the people they love most. “It’s given us something to look forward to again,” she says. “PGA HOPE and the game has provided us a new level of enthusiasm, and given us the confidence that we can all go out and learn something new.”
“I just love giving back, and the game has allowed me to do that in ways I never thought was possible,” says Kennedy. “It gives me a great sense of pride and purpose to know that I’m making a difference. Getting to do that and now have my family see all the great benefits the game can offer makes it that much more special.”