U.S. Kids Golf has announced the recipients of the Top 50 Kids Teachers Award, which annually recognizes the world’s most outstanding youth golf instructors. The class of 2015 includes Haggin Oaks’ own Kelli Corlett along with golf professionals from 26 states, Canada, and Kenya.
“The teachers and coaches who win this award play a vital role in engaging kids in the game and helping them learn that golf is a fun and enjoyable sport”, said Dan Van Horn, president and CEO of U.S. Kids Golf. “This award is designed to provide encouragement to professionals to make their youth golf programs more robust and, importantly, to help parents find great youth golf instruction for their kids.”
Since 2004, U.S. Kids Golf has honored golf’s best teachers with the Top 50 Kids Teacher Award. Applicants complete an online survey and winners are chosen based on their contributions to youth golf. These contributions include, but are not limited to experience, innovation, creativity, communication, parental engagement, organization, devotion and growing the game.
Teachers who are named a Top 50 Kids Teacher three times are recognized with the Master Kids Teacher Award. Since the award was introduced in 2008, 125 instructors have earned this distinction, including 21 teachers in 2015.
“The most prestigious honor a coach can receive from U.S. Kids Golf is the Master Kids Teacher award,” Van Horn said. “These professionals have dedicated their careers to youth golf and truly embody the spirit of the U.S. Kids Golf mission which is ‘to help kids have fun learning the lifelong game of golf and to encourage family interaction that builds lasting memories.'”
Kelli Corlett, from the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, CA, shows an enthusiasm toward children, sports and helping others. She leads all of Morton Golf’s junior and disabled golf programs that include, but are not limited to, associations with Saving Strokes, The First Tee of Greater Sacramento, PGA, LPGA, Special Olympics and the Latino Junior Golf Association.
The Top 50 Kids Teachers and Master Kids Teachers will be recognized Thursday, Jan. 28, at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida. For more information about the Top 50 Kids Teacher Award, please contact U.S. Kids Golf at playandlearn@uskidsgolf.com.
Kelli Corlett from Haggin Oaks Golf Complex instructs Jordan during Angels4Hearts.
2015 Top 50 Kids Teachers:
Roger Adams…Grafton, Mass.
Leighann Albaugh…Midlothian, Va.
Ryan Anderson…Calgary, Alb., Canada
Peter Bakker…Lake Mary, Fla.
Matthew Baran…Osterville, Mass.
Paul Belongie…Johns Creek, Ga.
Sean Bolduc…Carmel, Ind.
Fred Bond…Monroe, N.C.
Kathy Bounds…Raleigh, N.C.
Allen Burton…Hickory, N.C.
Jessica Carafiello…Old Greenwich, Conn.
Eva Chaffin…Baton Rouge, La.
Brendan Cody…North Oaks, Minn.
Kelli Corlett…Sacramento, Calif.
Michael Dickson…Bethesda, Md.
Carlton Dove…Virginia Beach, Va.
Brian Fallon…Rye, N.Y.
Suzie Fisher…Broken Arrow, Okla.
Justin Foster…South Kent, Conn.
Daniel Gaucher…Middlefield, Conn.
Linda Gaudi…Fairfax, Va.
Jeremy Green…Salt Lake City, Utah
Bryan Heim…Columbine Valley, Colo.
Marshall Hoiness…Minneapolis, Minn.
Michelle Holmes…Chesapeake, Va.
Jarod Jenkins…Glen Ridge, N.J.
Emanuel Kasio…Kiserian, Kenya
Mark Krizic…Chicago, Ill.
Sally Krystyn…Olathe, Kan.
Sean Lanyi…Yorba Linda, Calif.
Christy Longfield…Bee Cave, Texas
Sheryl Maize…Lakeville, Minn.
Jonathan Mielke…Omaha, Neb.
Christopher Moore…Johns Creek, Ga.
John Mullen…Falmouth, Maine
Mark Nelson…Weston, Mass.
Ryan Peffer…Tuxedo Park, N.Y.
Aaron Pohle…Billings, Mont.
Gene Powell…Liberty Township, Ohio
Eddie Roethlisberger…Ponca City, Okla.
Jim Salinetti…Winchester, Mass.
Robert Sedorcek…St. Albans, Mo.
Cortney Shrout…Broussard, La.
Maggie Simons…Charlotte, N.C.
Steve Stahl…Charlotte, N.C.
Jim Sykes…Savannah, Ga.
Matt Walter…Franklin, Tenn.
Adam Williamson…Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
Matthew Wilson…Los Gatos, Calif.
Phillip Yudys…Glen Ellyn, Ill.
2015 Master Kids Teachers
Joseph Anders…Farmers Branch, Texas
Michael Berning…Kennesaw, Ga.
Michael Bulger…Fairfield, Conn.
Gary Cressend…Augusta, Ga.
Ray Cutright…Macon, Ga.
Joseph DiDomenico…Pelham Manor, N.Y.
John Dunigan…Malvern, Pa.
Alejandro Duque…San Jose, Costa Rica
Mike Fay…Boyne Falls, Mich.
Jeff Frasier…Gainesville, Ga.
Rudy Gonzalez…Laredo, Texas
Rick Heard…Boca Raton, Fla.
Chris Holmes…Heathrow, Fla.
Brian Jones…Cincinnati, Ohio
Ralph Landrum…Florence, Ky.
Andrew Lane…Los Angeles, Calif.
Doug Lawrie…Burlington, Ont., Canada
Matthew Primrose…Riverview, Fla.
Brandon Ray…Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Dylan Ross…Lerma, Mexico
Rick Timm…Centennial, Colorado
About U.S. Kids Golf
The U.S. Kids Golf Foundation, a Georgia non-profit recognized as a 501(c) (3) charity, was created in 2001 and provides services that include competition and instruction. The Foundation organizes over 900 tournaments each year for more than 10,000 players, ages 5-18. These tournaments include Local Tours in more than 50 cities, eight Regional Championships, the European Championship, and the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship and Teen World Championship, which are held each year in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
The vision of the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation is to provide kids and their families the opportunity participate in the game of golf through instruction and competition. With the belief that family interaction is critical in the development of young golfers, parents are encouraged to serve as caddies for their kids during tournaments and to develop positive coaching techniques.
U.S. Kids Golf, LLC is based in Atlanta and manufactures equipment and related golf products designed for kids. It was created in 1997 when Founder/CEO Dan Van Horn found that his children were losing their interest in golf due to not having the proper equipment. In addition to more than 4,000 golf shops and retail locations in the United States, the company’s products also are available in more than 75 countries worldwide.
