Category: Blog

First Tee alumnus Kelly Allen is making an impact as a collegiate coach 

Golf has always been part of Kelly Allen’s life. “I’ve had a club in my hand since I was 2. I still have that little cut down 2 iron somewhere,” he said. 

Kelly joined First Tee – North Florida at 7 years old, and at 12, he decided to give up football and baseball to focus on golf. His choice coincided with the 2005 Masters, when Tiger Woods famously chipped in from the rough on 16 before going on to win in a playoff. Kelly remembers going crazy in his living room.  

“It was just super exciting what he was doing for the game, and I wanted a piece of it,” he said. 

As a teenager, Kelly traveled to a variety of First Tee national opportunities and earned the chance to play twice at the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach, which became his favorite golf course.  

“I made a bunch of friends across the country through First Tee,” he said. “I had unforgettable experiences and received timeless benefits. First Tee shows you that golf is much more than swinging a club and hitting a ball. It’s networking, seeing the world and building character.” 

Kelly is a Jacksonville, Florida, native and began his college career at Johnson & Wales before transferring to Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. The decision was largely driven by golf, but ultimately, Kelly said he’s glad he experienced attending an HBCU.  

“Being a part of a team culture, especially in golf, it’s very unique because unless you’re playing for a Ryder Cup or something like that, you don’t get that very often,” he said. “I enjoyed the comradery and the bond with my teammates. That whole idea of us against the world was the best part of it.” His team won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship in 2015. Kelly was also crowned the overall champion. 

Kelly has played golf across the country, but Brentwood Golf Course in Jacksonville is where he learned the game and still the place he calls home. The facility played an important role in the city’s civil rights history, when a group of Black golfers showed up to play there on a Tuesday. At the time, Black golfers were only allowed to play Brentwood on Mondays. They launched a legal battle that ultimately led to the desegregation of public recreation facilities in the area. 

Kelly was working at Brentwood when he learned about an exciting new opportunity. With support from THE PLAYERS, Edward Waters College, the oldest HBCU in Florida, was launching a women’s golf team and needed a coach.   

“It just made so much sense to pursue because Edward Waters is in the middle of the neighborhood where I grew up,” Kelly said. “Growing up I seen a lot of life get lost to the streets. I see this program as a great way to serve my community put some life back into it.” 

Kelly is passionate about building a winning culture at Edward Waters, and he’s learned a lot about coaching. “I realized quickly that this job isn’t just about golf. It’s about leading and nurturing young women” he said. “Each girl is facing her own unique set of challenges on and off the course. As a coach, you have to be able to help them navigate through it.  Some are away from home and their families for the first time. The coach is their advocate while they are here on campus.” 

Not only does Kelly coach his players on the course, but he also manages recruiting, tournament registrations, ordering uniforms, booking travel, planning practice schedules, player development and more. “It has been very challenging but that’s the reason I love it,” he said. “It’ll be that much more satisfying when we reach our goals.” 

In addition to his busy schedule as a coach, Kelly has his own brand called Golf By Kelly, which is all about bringing eccentric style to golf.  

The importance of embracing differences and different experiences 

February is Black History Month, an important time to recognize the contributions and remember the hardships endured by generations of African Americans. Appreciating diversity and what makes us each unique remains an integral part of First Tee’s DNA year-round.  

“When you bring together people with different perspectives and different experiences, the whole becomes stronger than the sum of its parts,” said Pepper Peete, whose career in golf began more than two decades ago when she established the men’s team at Edward Waters College, an HBCU in Jacksonville, Florida. Peete now helps lead culture and inclusion efforts at First Tee headquarters. 

Access for All 

First Tee has always been committed to reaching kids from all backgrounds and making sure they feel included in our programming. At First Tee we commit to: 

  • Appreciating what makes us different. 
  • Providing everyone ​with what they need ​to succeed, knowing that our needs and challenges may differ. 
  • Creating space that makes every individual feel like they belong and can see themselves reflected.​ 

Collaborating with others – including those who are different from you – is a Key Commitment at First Tee, and it means showing respect, kindness and care for everyone. Regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation or lived experience, we’re all unique.  

Here are some ways kids can get more comfortable learning about and from others. 

A-L-R is a tool for learning about others 

First Tee coaches introduce the concept of appreciating diversity by explaining that people differ in many ways and are similar in other ways, and we all have strengths and weaknesses. It is important for kids and teens to understand, accept and appreciate their own strengths and weaknesses, but it is equally important they do the same with others. 

Engaging others in conversation doesn’t always come naturally to children, but it can be one of the best ways to form meaningful connections across perceived barriers. A-L-R is a strategy we teach at First Tee. 

  • Ask questions: Invite your child to ask questions to discover more about a person’s background and past experiences, which might provide insight into who they are today and the commonalities they share. 
  • Listen to understand: Introduce active listening by encouraging your child to focus on what others are saying rather than thinking about what to say next. 
  • Reflect and respond: Invite your child to show how they were listening by responding with a thoughtful question or sharing your own thoughts or feelings on the topic at hand.  

Through this exercise, kids might learn they share common interests with someone who looks or sounds different to them. 

Don’t forget that in addition to learning about others, preteens are often grappling with and discovering their own identities. If your family positions diversity as an asset, your child might feel more comfortable being themself.  

Exposing your child to food, music or books from other cultures can help them see the commonalities we share and appreciate that our differences make the world a richer place. You can also discuss the diversity that exists within your own family or community to show that diversity is everywhere, including the golf space. 

“Golf has given me an opportunity to go places I never would have been able to go and meet people I never would have been able to meet,” said Peete, who was married to Calvin Peete, one of the most successful Black professional golfers in history. “I think golf can open up unexpected doors.” 

A lifelong golfer and mother to two daughters who played golf at HBCUs, Peete has seen the sport become more accessible, especially to women, and she believes the golf course is a perfect place to break down barriers. “You get to meet so many different people through golf,” Peete said. 

Ace alumna Jolie Venable is giving back to her new hometown 

From walking scoring to standard bearer to parking and transportation, Jolie Venable has volunteered in just about every role at Korn Ferry Tour events – including the Simmons Bank Open, the Visit Knoxville Open and the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. 

The First Tee – Tennessee alumna and Ace graduate got involved with the Tour through her First Tee chapter and made the most of the opportunity. “I’ve really enjoyed all the different jobs I’ve done at tournaments,” she said. 

Jolie began participating in First Tee when she was 9 and said it was the coaches who kept her engaged with the program, “They’re very enthusiastic, caring and passionate about getting kids into golf, especially girls who don’t necessarily feel like they have a place in the sport.” 

Jolie stuck with First Tee as she got older, eventually joining the Ace Program, its capstone program for high schoolers. Ace is designed to help teens game-plan for the future by encouraging them to explore their passions on and off the golf course. Ace participants complete four projects focused on education, career preparation, golf and community service. 

The community service piece was Jolie’s favorite part, she said. Not only did she volunteer at tournaments, but she jumped into new opportunities when her family moved to Panama City, Florida, about three years ago. 

Jolie asked around about a local First Tee chapter after the move but learned there was no programming in the area after Hurricane Michael devastated the region in 2018. But she happened to be volunteering at a golf event with veterans last year when she overheard a fateful conversation. 

“We were at Bay Point Golf Course, and I overheard Tommy Cooley come in and mention First Tee.  I popped my head in and asked the manager about the conversation, and it turns out Tommy was trying to get First Tee started there,” Jolie said. “I got in contact with Tommy, who had brought Nature Walk Golf Course on board, and he offered me a position.” 

Now a First Tee alumna, Jolie is lead coach at First Tee – Gulf Coast’s Panama City program location. She recruits new coaches and teaches kids. “I just love seeing the kids light up when they see something new,” she said. 

In addition to her work, Jolie is studying physical therapy. “Around fourth grade, I was diagnosed with hearing loss in my right ear, and I got really interested in the medical field. I really love helping people, and this will give me an opportunity to work with other athletes,” she explained. She’s also launching a nonprofit that will provide hearing devices for families who can’t afford them. 

First Tee – Gulf Coast now serves kids from South Alabama through Panama City. “Golf has given so much to me, and I am delighted the same opportunities will be provided to future generations in Bay County,” Cooley said. 

Learn more about the Ace Program. 

Help your teen feel confident in 2024 

Many people set New Year’s resolutions in January. The process requires them to consider aspects of their lives or themselves they’d like to change. While self-reflection can be a healthy process, it might add stress for teens, who already experience a growing number of external pressures. 

Kristin Westberg is director of curriculum and education at First Tee, and she acknowledges that adolescence can be a tough time for kids and parents. “The reality is that teenage years are filled with change: physical changes and hormonal shifts, changing relationships with family and friends, as well as social challenges at school,” she said. 

Perhaps given the filtered content that’s so common on social media – where teens spend an average of more than three hours per day – there’s also evidence to show many teens try to minimize the challenges they’re facing. Seventy percent of teens say they can’t stop worrying when something goes wrong, with 67% of teens saying they try to prevent others from finding out about the problem. 

“Combine this with new responsibilities and expectations that come with growing older as well as peer pressure, all of this can affect a teenager’s confidence,” Westberg said. But there are ways parents can help. 

Adolescence can be an uncertain time 

Westberg said teens are typically trying to resolve three big questions:  

  • Who Am I?  
  • How do I feel about myself? 
  • Will I be ok in my future?  

Those questions can be a lot for anyone to tackle, but especially for high schoolers, who may also be coping with increasing levels of anxiety, academic pressure and stress. That’s why it’s important for parents to focus on the process instead of the outcome and make room for failure as a first attempt in learning, Westberg said. 

While every parent wants their teen to succeed, sometimes the journey is equally or more important to their overall development. “Learning to demonstrate responsibility, honesty and resilience will help your teen apply those behaviors in the future, and they’ll be more likely to try new things and less likely to shy away from challenges,” Westberg said. 

Parents can also bolster their teens’ self-esteem by providing reassurance, even if everything doesn’t go right. “Be a safe space for your teen to process their thoughts and discuss challenges,” Westberg said. “Remind them of what they have achieved and what they are capable of. Sometimes they just need to know that you believe in them, no matter the outcome.” 

Don’t give up on getting through to your teen 

Sometimes it may feel like your teen is shutting you out or doesn’t value your opinion, but it’s important to remember that parents are crucial when it comes to providing support at a time when their teen might be experiencing lots of changes, Westberg said. 

“It’s easy to want to solve all of your teen’s problems or tell them what they should do,” she said. “Afterall, parents were teens themselves once and have learned a lot along the way. It can be frustrating to feel shut out, but real connection with your teen starts with listening.” 

It might come as a surprise, but research shows that most teens think highly of their parents and want to spend time with them, so keep trying to connect.