Things that hold disc golf back....

1. the cliques. you know.. the "clubs" that don't encourage newcomers and don't seem to support adding more people.
2. the PDGA discussion site being member only. so my membership lapsed..or I am a newer player.. that means I cant post? that's just stupid. don't argue. it is.
3.really aside form the "uber" attitudes I seem to get from some people, that's all I can think of. if we don't share this with others, than have fun being stuck in the 80's and having it go nowhere but backwards. we need to open up more to newcomers and find ways to draw them in.the "attitude" just gets to me that I see sometimes.

sorry to sound angry, but it's the truth sometimes.

[mdub]

if by "...holds disc golf back" you mean from popularity or becoming a mainstream sport (Olympics, ESPN, XGames, etc...) you need to look no further than the short HISTORY of Snowboarding. It was not "accepted" at all until it shook it's "negative" image. I'll let you discuss what those negatives are but "you can't know your future if you don't know your past".
...just my opinion :)

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

Arthur said:


They are afraid to have some side bets and when you might fill their bags with stones,they don't see the joke in that.....
I guess I was born in the wrong country.....;(


So...I guess the flaming paper bag of dog crap is out of the question? LMAO!!!!

[Drx49er]

mdub said:

if by "...holds disc golf back" you mean from popularity or becoming a mainstream sport (Olympics, ESPN, XGames, etc...) you need to look no further than the short HISTORY of Snowboarding. It was not "accepted" at all until it shook it's "negative" image. I'll let you discuss what those negatives are but "you can't know your future if you don't know your past".
...just my opinion :)

For awhile, many ski resorts would not let you snowboard, but not anymore. The image has changed and it's on ESPN, ABC and video games.

As for the bad attitudes, I've been lucky and found that most of the people I meet are friendly. I've struck up many conversations with people on courses. I haven't had a chance to get a lesson from a local pro. That would be great. Grow the sport by getting your friends and family to join you. Coworkers are also a good option. Then they can get their friends playing as well.

I know in many areas, players are mostly counter-culture and I'm cool with that. Most of my friends over the years fit into that category. Bad behavior is bad for any sport, drugs and alcohol are not allowed on a football field. You don't see Tiger Woods drinking a can of beer right before he tees off. Even chewing tobacco has left MLB for the most part. There is a time and place for everything. Drink the beer after the round is over and chill with your friends. Throw your trash away. Be respectful of others. Welcome newbies! Watch your language around families. A park should be a place for all.

If we can all enjoy the same sport, we should be able to put aside the little things and just play!

[don]

drugs not in football ha thats a f-ing joke those guys are the biggest abusers of pain pills there are. Sure the league has cracked down now but how about in the 70's or 80's Those guys were loaded. Chew has left baseball? how many games have you seen lately? My wife doesn't even like to watch with all the spitting that goes on and the roid issue. What about basketball, players flashing gang sings and sporting gang tats. With the same crap that goes on with the football crew. Come on, every sport has their folks that take part in or abuses the leagues rules.(ie John Daily) Some just get caught more than others. All the PDGA can do is put the rules into affect however that will not remove the problem. Oh and by the looks of things baseball and football, basketball are still doing great with lots of tv time and guys getting paid the biggest bucks even with some of them getting into shootings at bars, dog fighting,abuse, man slaughter etc, etc, etc. It seams to me that although the image of some is not wanted it's not affecting the game on a hole. Huge stadiums are still selling out. Go figure.

[Donny Olow]

People hold People back . Everyone wants to Win, but nobody wants to lose. Some are Givers and Some just Take Only.
Players NEED to let other Players PLAY !!!!!! Regardless of what's going on !!!! Part of Life !!!!

Some just seem to always need a excuse for not playing well !!!! Get over it already !!!!

[John Wright]

For the most part I've seen the sport grow , from when I started chucking plastic 15 years ago.I'd have to agree with everything you said. But I'd like to add that we need to remember when we go out we are the ambassadors of our sport. Just because we've got real discs and that group up in front of us has a bunch of wham-o discs that they got free with a fill up at the local gas station doesn't mean they don't belong on the course. Let them play, offer advice, show them what a disc golf disc looks like. tell them about some of the clubs, shops, etc in the area. if the sport is going to grow we're gonna have to make it grow.
Also, help support your local shops, put up some flyers at the courses you play, spread the word. If folks really want to play let's how them where to find the tools

Drx49er said:

mdub said:

if by "...holds disc golf back" you mean from popularity or becoming a mainstream sport (Olympics, ESPN, XGames, etc...) you need to look no further than the short HISTORY of Snowboarding. It was not "accepted" at all until it shook it's "negative" image. I'll let you discuss what those negatives are but "you can't know your future if you don't know your past".
...just my opinion :)

For awhile, many ski resorts would not let you snowboard, but not anymore. The image has changed and it's on ESPN, ABC and video games.

As for the bad attitudes, I've been lucky and found that most of the people I meet are friendly. I've struck up many conversations with people on courses. I haven't had a chance to get a lesson from a local pro. That would be great. Grow the sport by getting your friends and family to join you. Coworkers are also a good option. Then they can get their friends playing as well.

I know in many areas, players are mostly counter-culture and I'm cool with that. Most of my friends over the years fit into that category. Bad behavior is bad for any sport, drugs and alcohol are not allowed on a football field. You don't see Tiger Woods drinking a can of beer right before he tees off. Even chewing tobacco has left MLB for the most part. There is a time and place for everything. Drink the beer after the round is over and chill with your friends. Throw your trash away. Be respectful of others. Welcome newbies! Watch your language around families. A park should be a place for all.

If we can all enjoy the same sport, we should be able to put aside the little things and just play!

[Jack Davis]

AMEN!!

Hawkins said:

Haters

[Drx49er]

don said:

drugs not in football ha thats a f-ing joke those guys are the biggest abusers of pain pills there are. Sure the league has cracked down now but how about in the 70's or 80's Those guys were loaded. Chew has left baseball? how many games have you seen lately? My wife doesn't even like to watch with all the spitting that goes on and the roid issue. What about basketball, players flashing gang sings and sporting gang tats. With the same crap that goes on with the football crew. Come on, every sport has their folks that take part in or abuses the leagues rules.(ie John Daily) Some just get caught more than others. All the PDGA can do is put the rules into affect however that will not remove the problem. Oh and by the looks of things baseball and football, basketball are still doing great with lots of tv time and guys getting paid the biggest bucks even with some of them getting into shootings at bars, dog fighting,abuse, man slaughter etc, etc, etc. It seams to me that although the image of some is not wanted it's not affecting the game on a hole. Huge stadiums are still selling out. Go figure.

I never said those things didn't exist. I'm not naive. Most of those problems are from bad apples who get paid way too much to play a game and are allowed to behave that way because they can put a ball in a hoop or catch a pass or hit a slider. It's not right. But until the fans say, "I won't support a team that allows that behavior" and the money stops, it will continue.
I do feel for a sport to grow, it needs to be received by many different people. It's hard to get people on the course with you when the group in front is passing a joint or acting like a total butt. There is a time and place for things. we all need to help not hurt the sport we love to play.

[Hootie]

Elitist attitudes suck, but so do the attitudes where people think "I'll do whatever the heck I like on the disc golf course, who gives a damn". It seems to me that a lot of the basis of this new counter-culture follows along this line of thought, or is just just some sociopathic people use it as an excuse to further their own ends?

Things like littering, vandalism, drug use, anti-social behaviour, all of this comes from a lack of respect for the community and its members, and its not just in disc golf, its everywhere. Now its up to us as a disc golf community to police against this sort of behaviour, and it will happen when clubs and communities gain the confidence required to punish individuals for unacceptable behaviour. The effect of this attitude is increased when you look at the situation in which disc golf finds itself: we're trying to gain credibility in order to become a more mainstream sport (well some of us are anyways!), and any negative behaviour attached to disc golf and its players is amplified as people ALWAYS take more notice of negative press (the media use this tool VERY effectively).

Its simple really: behave yourself when you're at your local disc golf course.

[AuSSie]

hmmm i dont think that all drugs are bad

i dont see the problem with it in moderation as long as it doesnt effect anyone else around that person

[Star*man]

There are few Negatives holding Disc Sports back in my area of the Golden Horseshoe (Toronto Hamilton Niagara) with several million people within an hours drive. The problem is LACK of Facilities- places to play.
There are 3 courses between Toronto and Hamilton . Two are in Provincial Parks that have an admission charge of $12.
The Third Toronto Island Course is ON an Island and I believe requires a boat trip on a Ferry of about the same cost .

A family of 4 would be hard pressed to do this activity often.

We need FREE Parks (Like The Mohawk Park in Brantford or Algonquin) to provide a stream of new players willing to pay for time in Premier Courses.

[Drx49er]

AuS-Discgolfer said:

hmmm i dont think that all drugs are bad

i dont see the problem with it in moderation as long as it doesnt effect anyone else around that person

I don't use any drugs. I I don't even like to take advil if I can avoid it. I think drugs should be legal. I'm not going to use just because it's legal. I don't even drink or smoke and those are both legal. It's a choice everyone should make for themselves. I doesn't belong on the disc golf course, neither does alcohol. Play straight, get loaded after the round.