Meet Our Team

Lee Coppock

Senior Director of Agronomy

Lee joined First Tee – Greater Richmond in February 2023. Lee serves as our Senior Director of Agronomy. He oversees creating and maintaining premiere conditions at Belmont, The Tattersall, and Elson Redmond. Lee has experience working as the superintendent at Salisbury Country Club, Assistant Superintendent at the Hermitage Golf Course in Nashville. Additionally, Lee interned at the Country Club of Virginia as a Golf Maintenance intern. Lee is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Crop and Soil Sciences. In his free time, Lee enjoys spending time with his family, golfing around the RVA area, and rooting for his favorite sports teams: Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, and all Virginia Tech athletics teams.

Sterling Simmons III

Head Golf Professional

A former First Tee – Greater Richmond participant, Sterling joined the organization in 2019 in a full-time role at the Tattersall Youth Development Center before becoming the Head Golf Professional at Belmont in 2025. Sterling is a Class A PGA professional and brings years of teaching and operations experience to Belmont.

Sterling graduated from Old Dominion University in 2018 and played on the club golf team for all four years. While there, he was a coach on the Norfolk Collegiate high school golf team, as well.
Sterling has qualified for the State Opens of Virginia in 2021,2022,2023 and 2024 and loves getting out to play Belmont when he can. Off the course, Sterling enjoys video games and attending NHRA drag races.

Anna Ferreyra Heit

Player Development Professional

Ana joined the First Tee – Greater Richmond team in June of 2023. Ana came to Richmond from Delaware State University, where she played Division 1 women’s golf. She brings both her collegiate golf experience and professional golf experience to her role at Belmont. Something Ana aspires to do is join the LPGA! Learn more here

JT Hintzen

Assistant Golf Professional

JT Hintzen joined First Tee – Greater Richmond in 2025, bringing a unique background in both professional baseball and golf. Originally from Greenwich, CT, JT played minor league baseball, reaching AAA with the Milwaukee Brewers and also spending time in the Detroit Tigers system and the Atlantic League. During the offseason, he worked various roles at golf courses along the East Coast, fueling his passion for the game.

A former Division II Pitcher of the Year at Florida Southern College, JT also attended Sewanee University before finishing his collegiate career in Florida. He and his wife, Sarah, moved to Richmond in August 2024. When he’s not on the course at Belmont, The Foundry, or Royal New Kent, JT enjoys hands-on projects like building greenhouses, beehives, and raised garden beds.

JT is excited to be part of the First Tee community, sharing his love for golf and mentorship with young players in Richmond!