Interesting: "Why I'm No Longer a Disc Golf Tournament Director"

Michele Cozzens (That's her on the left.) is well known to the wider disc golf community as owner, with her husband Mike, of the Sandy Point Disc Golf Resort in Wisconsin. I happened upon this blog post of hers - she's a writer - and thoug... Please, if you go to her blog and comment, especially if you disagree, extend the "niceness" of DGRUS to your comments there!

After asking several questions about the format, scoring, the check-in procedure (which would be “impossible” for him because he works two jobs—blah-blah-blah—) he wanted to know about payout. “Now, I don’t mean to be modest (?), dear, but I noticed there’s nothing on your website about payout,” he said.

“Well that’s because we have no way of knowing what the payout will be until we have a final figure on the number of competitors. But the payout will be in line for the requirements of a PDGA A-tier event for the pros and B-tier event for the amateurs.”

“What kind of cash are we talking?”

“Amateurs don’t receive cash awards in PDGA events. It would compromise their amateur status. Instead they receive merchandise vouchers that are redeemable in our pro shop.”



“Well, that’s not right,” he said.

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

Just simple venting....no biggie!

[Nascar Dave]

Sometimes the love of the game gets outweighed by the dislike of the attitudes of the competitors. Most TD's run the event for that love because there's not alot of money in it. They get to show up early, stay late, sell the sponsorships, handles the reporting amist a host of other duties throughtout the tournament. They get to do all this for disc golfers to show up and play and have fun and for the most part, the majority do but Terry posted an excellent example of why TD's quit directing.
"the payout was too small" "we had to wait two hours in between rounds" "there wasn't enough water on the course" "when are we gonna get started" "can you wait for me, I'm only five minutes away" etc etc etc
I guess what I'm saying is I fully empathize, and I can only ask everyone that reads this to thank your TD because it's a thankless job to begin with. And check your feelings and try to keep them to yourself or address them with the TD at the appropriate time and not in a public forum, it's called respect. In my opinion, this is one reason disc golf continues to have a hard time growing, the lack of gratitude for the people that make it happen so you can come out and not worry about anything but your game.
Oh and if your game is the source of your true frustration, please direct it accordingly.
That is all, peace.

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

Sometimes the best way to deal with TDSS...is to talk about it! Get it out!! Vent a little!! One ahole shouldn't break a strong minded person like Michele.....just a bump in the road....eventually you move forward enough where that bump is no longer in the rear view. Hats off to Michele for all her efforts.

[BogieWon]

I totally agree with Dave and can empathize with Michelles' experience. Being a TD is an extremely thankless job. I assisted at the Feather River Open last weekend where we had about 75 participants.The local staff worked really hard to get the place in tip-top shape and make sure that everything was in order so that the players could just show up and play. The TD, Mr Neal Hoelwarth, worked really hard putting on the show and I cant remember anybody even saying thank you once! I made sure to get the players to applaud his efforts at the award ceremony, but that was about all he got out of it.
I guess that is what it means to be the TD. Lots of hard work with little gratitude in return. It reminds me of an old phrase about paying the cost to be the boss! I ALWAYS go out of my way to thank the TD in any tourney that I am in, or around.
It is all about appreciation and respect.
Thanks again Mr Neal!!!

[Russell Gore]

Sounds like an Ex ball golfer that we have playing in our area. First of all he knows more about our sport after only a year of playing than someone who has been playing for 30 years. Second he does not believe in returning lost discs unless you pay him a $20 ransom per disc, because in his words"finders keepers". Third he refuses to join the PDGA because they all have their heads up their asses and need to be more like ball golf. Forth he's just a total douche! This is coming out of a 45 year old man who ought to have enough sense not to be this way, yet he is.
It just boils down to some people are TOTAL DOUCHES!!! Plain and simple!!!!

[Bruce Brakel]

I think all she's saying is that she doesn't have time or patience for idiots. If that's what she's saying, she SHOULD go to Arizona during the tournament. Jon and I get those kinds of inquiries and we just wrap it up by saying, "Well, it's PDGA sanctioned so we'll be running it like any other PDGA tournament. We didn't invent the format." And then we call each other up and mock the doofus we just got done dealing with!

So either you develop an emotionally satisfying way of dealing with morons and jerks, or you let your husband run the tournaments and you go visit your mother for the weekend.

[Donny Olow]

I totally agree with Dave and can empathize with Michelles' experience. Being a TD is an extremely thankless job.

[Ian]

This job would be great if it weren't for the customers. -Clerks

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

Funny ass movie!!! lmao!!

[ROBEY the one.]

funny ass movie and true. did you get the nun mobile back yet?

[Disc Player Sports]

Anyone that has been a TD, understands exactly how she feels.
Everything that you do is scrutinized. When, where, how, and so on.
Hey I can do it better, but won't step up is the usual.

Know a bunch of ex-TD's including myself that have a bad taste for all the hard work that you put in for zero.
If it were not for the love of the sport...

[Nascar Dave]

Yes sir, the love of the sport and the satisfaction of knowing at the end of the day, you did a good job and ran the event the best you could. But even that grows weary over time.