Pictured: Brittany Woo (left) and Kelly McAnally Brown (right) with 2022 VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation recipients D'yan Robinson and Fei Rosebro.
Game Changers by Tripp Sheppard
VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation scholarship recipients Kelly McAnally Brown (’06) and Brittany Woo (’14) are teaching life lessons and leadership skills through their work with The First Tee – Greater Richmond. Collectively, their vibrant young minds are responsible for building “game changers” through innovative junior golf programming that helps develop valuable skill sets both on and off the golf course.
Join us for a Q&A about their golf journey, where they are now, and their strong desire to give back to the local community. Excerpts of these interviews appeared in the September-October 2022 issue of Virginia Golfer magazine. The full transcript is below.
Brittany Woo
What are your earliest memories of First Tee?
I have a lot of memories from First Tee since I’ve been a part of it for so long. I started playing golf when I was about seven years old. Some of my very early memories were when my dad would take me out and we would play what’s now called the Discovery Course – the par three loop - at the Chesterfield location. Eventually my brothers and I were old enough to sign up for golf classes. I’ll admit it - golf was not my forte back then I don’t think but as I continued with the program. I found it to be very fun and rewarding. Hitting a good shot, sinking putts or being recognized within the class and doing something well – that was all very good for my development as a child. … It was just fun. I had a lot of friends in the program. A lot of them I met when I was probably 9 or 10 and we continued the program until we were 16 or 17 years old. It started at First Tee and then we would start seeing each other at high school tournaments or VSGA events. It was that instant connection that I know somebody here…this is going to be a good time…this is familiar and comforting.
Were you attracted to the game or was it more a family push?
The first 2-3 years I think it was definitely my dad suggesting that I play golf. I tried soccer – wasn’t the greatest at soccer. I clearly needed to be doing something active and I think my dad realized that golf might work out. … I think he realized that golf was a good place for opportunity and the first few years it was him pushing me a bit to keep it going. After a season or two I realized the golf was pretty special and pretty fun and I was pretty much going to be with my friends at that point. I had really good golf coaches and I would look forward to seeing my golf coach. They were so energetic. Eventually I started going for the environment that First Tee created.
Do you recall how you found out about the VSGA scholarships?
I think my golf coach at the time actually presented the opportunity to me because I was a senior at this point and I was talking to my college counselor about local scholarships in the area. I got a list and then there was also talking to my golf coach at First Tee and he presented a list of scholarships – related to golf but not necessarily like playing college golf and VSGA was one of them. That and also just knowing the VSGA as a child growing up
Has the golf business been a dream of yours or has it evolved?
I think it definitely has evolved. One of the things that really started it off was the Spencer-Wilkinson scholarship. Also, the VSGA communicated with scholarship winners about opportunities locally and one of them was a VSGA internship. At the time I was interested in seeing other parts of the golf world. I had been a part of First Tee, had been in front of the kids, and had served as a volunteer coach through high school and into college and wanted to experience something different. Over time I realized that this type of professional career really matched my passion for golf – or at least my passion for giving kids opportunities to learn golf or creating opportunities that others might not have known about before.
After the VSGA scholarship I interned with First Tee headquarters (Jacksonville, FL) and that was pretty awesome because I definitely saw the business operations side of the whole organization - very opposite of what I was used to. From there, I interned with the Dominion Energy Charity Classic and that was really awesome too, to see an event from beginning to end and how we can use golf events to bridge the community together.
You’re the Senior Director of Programming for First Tee – Greater Richmond. Seems like a good fit. Is it?
I did all of these golf internships but at the time of graduating there weren’t really any open golf positions that I wanted to do or that I was interested in doing. So, I took a two-year hiatus from golf and worked outside of golf for the Development department at the University of Richmond. I really enjoyed my experience there and learned a lot from that specific role, but I think I was yearning to get back into the golf world. When this position opened up, I was definitely intrigued. e of graduating, It has been a good role for me professionally to learn and grow. I’ve gone from managing a small team of volunteers when I was younger to managing programs at three different facilities (Belmont, The Tattersall Youth Development Center & the Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range) and everything that goes into that.
… With Richmond, it’s like six degrees of separation when you’re working in golf and being able to meet other people and learn from them and get ideas from them but also try to bring that back to the kids that are at the First Tee. That’s been super important to me. I love working with the kids…just seeing their progression is really rewarding. …
For me growing up, I had this one coach that I would always go to for golf help or things going on in my life, trying to decide what school to go to – he was my go to person for sure and he created an environment that was very welcoming and very fun. So I kind of view this role as a way to try to live up to that in a sense where I want to be able to create an environment for coaches and staff members to be that coach or staff member that kids seek out in the golf world. I think we’re doing a good job of that – it’s very rewarding. Also a good job for professional growth too!
How closely do you work with Kelly (McAnally Brown)?
Her role (as VP, Impact) is what are we doing 5-10 years from now and being a strategic thought partner. We work together pretty closely on creating next steps. Like, who do we want to partner with, or, how do we maximize our efforts with a specific program that we have. Or, what is the best way for building out our team right now on the ground? There’s so much demand for golf or at least there’s a lot of demand for youth programs in golf. She’s been very helpful in creating a plan and helping me think through a lot of different things I might not have before so we’re successful in the long-term.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from her?
One of the biggest takeaways is that we’re all human at the end of the day. The golf industry definitely has its pros and cons, and one of those cons is that when it’s the busy season we want to be able to be out there to serve the community … She’s really given me perspective on making sure that we’re doing what we need to do to fuel ourselves and put our best foot forward at work every day. She brings that to light – at least for me. I’m someone that just goes and goes and goes until I’m close to the end of my tank – and she has been really helpful in making sure that everyone is re-filling their tank appropriately and making sure everyone is enjoying the work they are doing.
Do you spend most of your time at Belmont, or is it pretty evenly distributed amongst the three locations?
Right now, it’s pretty equally dispersed among the three. Having a golf course as your office has definitely been a perk. … It’s been nice to be at the facility and meet a lot of the people that come out. I enjoy meeting the different family members who come out knowing that they are embracing the golf course outside of a class.
Anything we haven’t touched on?
Being a part of the VSGA network, I don’t know if in looking back that I realized the types of opportunities that were out there. I don’t know if I was naive to it or I just didn’t know but looking back, I realize that golf has helped me so much in every single part of my life. … That VSGA scholarship was that initial door opener for all of that and I’d like to thank VSGA for that. I’d also like to thank First Tee for creating an environment where everyone is welcome who wants to be a part of the game and that you can be a part of the game without feeling intimidated or pressured, especially when you’re stepping into something new.
***
Brittany Woo
2014 Spencer-Wilkinson Scholarship Award recipient
EDUCATION
University of Richmond
2014 -2018 B.S. Business Administration and Management
2019 – 2022 Master of Nonprofit Studies
EMPLOYMENT/INTERNSHIPS
2010 - 2017
Seasonal assistant Coach
First Tee (Richmond, VA)
Summer, 2016
USGA P.J. Boatwright Jr. Internship
Virginia State Golf Association
Summer, 2017
First Tee Internship
Jacksonville, FL
2017-2018 Academic Year
Senior Internship, Office of Admissions
University of Richmond
July – November, 2018
Tournament Services Project Assistant
PGA Tour
November 2018 – February, 2020
Coordinator, Major Gifts and Parent Philanthropy
University of Richmond
February, 2020 – present
First Tee – Greater Richmond
Currently Senior Director of Programming
****
Kelly McAnally Brown
Who were your biggest golf influences growing up?
I had three men that were all really impactful in my life. Wylie French – a retired principal - who worked in the library at Landstown H.S. - was probably one of my biggest cheerleaders. I think some of my teachers actually had to start telling him to stop calling me out of class because he wanted to tell me golf stories or talk shop! Ed Holcomb was my personal golf coach out of Hell’s Point Golf Club which was awesome. He kind of took me under his wing and would basically take me to VSGA and MAPGA Titleist Tour events so I got more exposure to tournament golf. And last but not least - Mike Mungin who was my high school golf coach there at Landstown. Being the only girl on a team of all boys certainly comes with a lot of extra drama. He made sure everyone was able to compete and travelled to watch me play at one of the first at the time VHSL girl’s championships which they didn’t really have prior to me and Jenny Suh and some of the top girls growing up. We were really excited to play in the inaugural events for girl’s golf.
Did you ever cross paths with Red Speigle?
Unfortunately not. We moved to Virginia Beach when I was 12 and I probably just missed him. I’ve always heard great things about Mr. Speigle and I was very honored to receive a scholarship in his name - that‘s for sure.
Was there a scholarship awards ceremony?
I attended VSGA Day and I’m pretty sure I played golf afterwards. One of the things I remember is that by going, I actually missed DECA nationals and my marketing teacher was not really thrilled about it. To me, it was just such a huge honor to get a scholarship from the VSGA. Little did I know, that I actually also got a scholarship from DECA at the national conference. To me, the golf piece was certainly well worth it, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.
You played golf at Longwood. Favorite recollections?
I really enjoyed my time in Farmville and playing on the golf team. It was right around the time The Manor Golf Club opened and being able to play a very challenging, target golf course really helped my golf game. ... Just the camaraderie - going from playing on an all-boys team (at Landstown) to then playing college golf with other successful women players for me that was really fun. … I stay in touch with as many (teammates) of them as I can even today. …
We had just made the change to Division 1. We weren’t really in a conference so there really wasn’t conference play at the time. I think the overall experience as a whole was phenomenal. Certainly a stepping stone from Division II to Division I.
What lead you to VCU?
I had done a few internships – with what was the Korn Ferry Tour event then and I had done an internship with the PGA Championship out at Hazeltine so I knew I had a passion for wanting a career in sports outside of playing. Some of the members of the athletic department at Longwood – Troy Austin and Michelle Meadows – were both VCU Center for Sport Leadership alums so I kind of followed in their footsteps. It was a one-year graduate program – really fast-paced and hands on and a natural next step for me to kind of go that route. That program really helped give me a great foundation and helped launch my career in golf. … One of my professors there at the time – Carrie LeCrom – is now the head of the program which is really cool.
What attracted you to First Tee?
I had been spending a lot of time with IMG having to live where all of the LPGA Tour events were at the time that I was running. My last stop being the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic in really cold Green Bay, Wisconsin. And while I have some really fond memories of Wisconsin, I think for me trying to find a path back to Virginia was certainly important.
With First Tee, I was attracted to the mission of what we do and being able to give back to a community and a sport that has certainly given me so much. It’s still a pretty young career but I wanted to feel like I was giving back in a way that I could really connect the same way my trio (of golf influencers) helped me along the way to give me the life skills and the tools I needed to be successful.
Talk about your role as Vice President, Impact with First Tee.
I help provide our programming team a strategic vision for our youth programming – our overall impact on the youth here in the greater Richmond area. I also collaborate with a lot of our community partners like the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Henrico Police Athletic League to make sure we’re creating mutually beneficial partnerships that tie back to each other’s mission. And the third bucket is the impact on our staff here at First Tee. Certainly, making sure that our employees feel valued, working on development plans, or some other human resources functions. Impact for me takes on a few different forms but it all comes back to making the biggest impact possible on our community.
How closely do you work with Brittany (Woo)?
I look at us as really good teammates and thought partners around how we create to have the most engaged and high-quality youth programs that we can possibly have. I can’t say enough positive things about Brittany. … Having a former First Tee participant be able to rise through the ranks and now serve as our senior director of programming is remarkable. That’s through her hard work and determination and just her bubbly and great personality that she brings to work every day. … Anybody who has ever worked with Brittany has the same feedback – you couldn’t ask for a better teammate or thought partner when you’re working on projects and trying to take things to the next level.
You also teach a class within VCU’s Sport Leadership program?
Talk about full circle – I went from being in the Center for Sport Leadership to now being an adjunct professor teaching a class called SEED (Sport and Entertainment Event Development). It’s a two-semester course so I teach in the fall and the spring. The fall tends to be a little more lecture based around facility and event management. In the spring the graduate students are broken up into 5-6 groups and they actually partner with local non-profits and have to run an event from start to finish with no participants, no money, no anything. They’ve got to figure it out using the concepts in class that I help teach them. Then I act as a consultant if you will to make sure they stay on the right track.
Some events are brand new and some have been going on for a few years. For example, at First Tee we’ve done different SEED events with the students. Each class kind of brings a different idea to the table so I’d say it’s usually still pretty fresh. It’s just nice having a new set of eyes on having a fun event for kids. We try to stay hands off and let them run with it.
What’s it like having such great backdrops for work?
You couldn’t really ask for better facilities than what we have at First Tee. … They’re all jam packed. I enjoy getting out there and playing when I can but I don’t get to play as much as people think. It’s nice to be able to look out the window and see all of the action going on on Little Bell or Ringer. I certainly keep my clubs in the car just to make sure I get a 30-minute window.
How do you split your time?
We actually have a nice, new admin building that we share with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond. I’d say I spend probably half of my time at the office and the other half among the three facilities – whether it’s being at events or showing up for programs and things like that. We’ve got a great little spot in Manchester!
Anything else?
I continue to be grateful for all that the VSGA does for the scholarship recipients. … Those funds certainly go towards making a difference in young people’s lives to really get them on a great path to future success. I can’t thank them enough and look forward to continuing to give back in any way I can.
***
The Kelly McAnally Brown file
2006 Red Speigle Award recipient
EDUCATION
Longwood University (2006 – 2010)
B.S. – Business Administration / Marketing
Golf Team member
Virginia Commonwealth University (2010 – 2011)
M.E. – Sport Leadership
EMPLOYMENT
June, 2011 – February, 2012
Golf Programming and Sales
Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports
February, 2012 – December, 2013
Tournament Coordinator
IMG (Washington D.C. Metro Area)
December 2013 – August, 2015
Sponsorship Manager
Kingsmill Resort (Williamsburg, VA)
August, 2015 – March, 2018
Tournament Director
IMG - Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic (Green Bay, WI)
March, 2018 – present
First Tee – Greater Richmond
Currently Vice President, Impact