Peachtree Corners, Ga. – U.S. Kids Golf is proud to announce the recipients of its Top 50 Kids Coaches Award, and 18 new Master Kids Coaches, the premier recognitions for the world’s most outstanding youth golf instructors. Coaches from 29 U.S. states and six countries are a part of the current class.
“We are proud to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of these coaches,” says Dan Van Horn, President and Founder of U.S. Kids Golf. “Their dedication and commitment to the game, and more importantly, their students, is a great benefit to the facilities they represent, the families they serve, and especially, the young players who are starting this lifetime journey of golf.”
Since 2004, the U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Coach award, is widely recognized as the pinnacle achievement for junior golf coaches worldwide. Award recipients are chosen based on their contributions to youth golf in their community. These contributions include but are not limited to coaching players ages 12 and under, use of the Player Pathway in advancing their players, creativity, engagement with parents, organization, and experience. Coaches named a Top 50 for a third time earn the title of Master Kids Coach.
“Becoming a Master Kids Coach is the highest distinction for kids coaches,” noted Van Horn. “These are the professionals that have dedicated a career to youth golf and families, consistent excellence, which is not easy, and truly embody the spirit of the U.S. Kids Golf mission.”
All awards will be presented on Wednesday, January 25, during a special presentation at the PGA Show in Orlando.
Top 50 Kids Coaches, Class of 2022:
Allie Andersen… Spring, Texas
Jacob Baird… Owasso, Okla.
Tim Bakker… Missoula, Mont.
Mia Bartolotta… Coral Gables, Fla.
Drew Belt… Belden, Miss.
Jonathan Botelho… Middleton, Mass.
Lee Bromley… Cardiff, U.K.
Matt Brown… Fort Smith, Ark.
Brian Burgwyn… Cary, N.C.
Daniel Byrd… Clemmons, N.C.
Evie Carter… Leicestershire, U.K.
Maria Paola Casati… Selvazzano Dentro, Italy
John Dipollina… Middlefield, Conn.
Kellie Edelblut… Southern Pines, N.C.
Brock Elder… Greensboro, N.C.
Sean English… Baltimore, Md.
Vanessa Fassler… Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Tim Fraley… Bend, Ore.
Darren Game… Bourne, U.K.
Michelle Grafos… Spokane, Wash.
James Hanson… Brighton, Mich.
Laura Holmes-Landon… Virginia Beach, Va.
T.J. King… Fairhope, Ala.
Collins Kipkurui… Nairobi, Kenya
Aaron Koerner… Boise, Idaho
Taylor Lambertsen-Slocum… Chicago, Ill.
Kenneth Leech… Boca Raton, Fla.
Connor Luke… Atlanta, Ga.
Eugene Marais… Ecopark, Vietnam
Paul Maurer… Elkridge, Md.
Joe McNeil… Lacoste, Texas
Chris Meade… Fredericksburg, Texas
Daniel Murphy… Lutherville, Md.
Kelli Murphy… Auburn, Ala.
Zachary Newell… Key Biscayne, Fla.
John Pallot… Coral Gables, Fla.
Eric Poon… Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Juli Roberts… Oviedo, Fla.
Eva Rogers… Medinah, Ill.
Pamela Saladino… Beloit, Wis.
John Schmoll… Greenwich, Conn.
Suzy Smith… Diamondhead, Miss.
Erik Sorensen… Newbury, Mass.
Kim Stevens… Union City, Calif.
Sean Stewart… Orlando, Fla.
Evan Teplitsky… Klagenfurt, Austria
Kyley Tetley… Broken Arrow, Okla.
Monique Thoresz… Westchester, N.Y.
Jacob Tilton… Atlanta, Ga.
Chris Yoder… Columbus, Ohio
Master Kids Coaches, Class of 2022:
O.J. Amaya… Bonita, Calif.
Cole Baker… Bismarck, N.D.
Frankie Chan… Shenzhen, China
Matt Clinger… Spring Hill, Tenn.
Nix Duncan… Roswell, Ga.
Matt Eschenburg… Spring, Texas
Adam Fangman… Union, Ky.
Neil Gowan… Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Blake Isakson… Phoenix, Ariz.
Preston Johnson… Charleston, S.C.
Denise Kafferly… Niceville, Fla.
Don Kueper… Carlyle, Ill.
Brad Lawrence… Ancaster, Ontario
Jimmy McMullen… Clemmons, N.C.
Tara Morris… Castle Rock, Colo.
Miriam Piland-Rice… Lake Mary, Fla.
John Rudolph… Greenville, Del.
Andrew Spaulding… North Prairie, Wis.
Shelby Thibodeaux… Spring, Texas
For more information on the U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Kids Coach Award, visit: https://foundation.uskidsgolf.com/about-our-coaches
About U.S. Kids Golf
U.S. Kids Golf is the world’s leading organization for helping grow golf among youth and families. Founded in 1996, U.S. Kids Golf offers equipment in three distinct lines of clubs in up to 10 sizes. The U.S. Kids Foundation hosts more than 1600 tournaments globally – including the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship held annually in Pinehurst, N.C.; and its Coaches Institute includes over 1800 members around the world. The Foundation also owns and operates Longleaf Golf & Family Club in Southern Pines, N.C., a “Living Laboratory” of golf’s best practices and newest ideas to make golf a better game for everyone. In both 2018 and 2020, U.S. Kids Golf was recognized by the National Golf Foundation as one of the “Top 100 Businesses in Golf” based on influence, innovation, and social good among other criteria.
Connect with U.S. Kids Golf:
Website: www.uskidsgolf.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/USKidsGolf
Twitter: www.twitter.com/USKidsGolf
Instagram: www.instagram.com/u.s.kidsgolf/
