Volunteering Blues

I volunteered to spot for the players (including some pros, as well as some "pros") at a local tournament recently, and the guys who ran the show were great as were 95% of the players. I got many thanks for my time, etc., which was very cool.

There was one cocky guy whom I won't forget, though. When he landed a 400'+ teeshot that had to hyzer around a large tree on a stretch of land about 30' wide (dead center), I complimented the throw and said, "Man, I'd like to see that one again!"

He answered in a manner that indicated how bored he was with his own greatness, "How many times?"

Just my personal opinion: don't be that guy. I passed up the majority of a day with my family to give something back to the sport, and it's too bad that the one jackass in the field is the thing I remember the most about an otherwise fantastic event.

[kcbrez009]

Correct. Definitely the exception and not the rule.

Jack Davis said:

All I can say is that i would like to think that "that guy" is an exception and not the rule. Most people that are better than I (and most are) that I have met have been courteous and well mannered. Any person that is that "confident" in his game is probably that good at disc golf because he lacks any other kind of life and that would also be a testament to the fact that he probably has few friends since he has a vein that runs from his A$$ to his eyes that gives him a $hitty outlook on life.

[kcbrez009]

Nope, he wasn't. And nope, I wasn't. It was an unbelievable shot. I genuinely wanted to see it again, and anyone who heard me say what I said would know it wasn't sarcasm.

kindofabuzz said:

Maybe he was being sarcastic? You made a sarcastic comment, so he replied with one.

[kcbrez009]

Thanks, Mark.

I don't know how good a spotter I am, but I'm no horror story. lol. I find the discs and wait for the player to tell me if he/she wants me to get them if they're potentially OB or in the shizzle. I play the game, so I know when to congratulate a player on a good shot. Then I shut up and stay out of the way while they play the next one.

I wish I was the type of guy to forget the one or two a$$h013s and remember the other 98% who are good dudes, but I'm just not wired that way, perhaps to my detriment.

mark ellis said:

It is not always fair to judge someone based on their social skills in the middle of a tournament round. Some players put a ton of work into preparing for competition. Some players are very intense while competing. Some players are so upset with themselves if they are performing poorly they are not concentrating on the outside world.

As I have mentioned on other theads, I suffer from all those flaws and more. I don't mean to be obnoxious. I wish I could help myself and be a model of patience and diplomacy at all times.

I have experienced a varied and mixed bag of tournament volunteers including spotters. I don't say this in isolation. I have been on both sides. I have worked many tournaments. I have run tournaments great and small. I have made stupid mistakes while running tournaments that diminished the fairness and enjoyment of the players. I try very hard to never make a mistake twice.

When it comes to spotters, I have had great spotters. I have had horror stories. I would much, much, much rather have no spotter than a bad spotter. Most spotters are not tournament players. Some don't even play the game. The concepts of courtesy are foreign to them. A basic understanding of the rules is beyond them. Some are given brief directions by a tournament official then want to enforce their twisted ideas of how tournaments should be conducted or how a rule should be enforced. I played in a group during a World Championships where, by chance, every member of the group was a certified official and a spotter, who didn't know an OB line from a mando (or his rear end from...) insisted we do things his way.

I have thrown bad and deeply disappointing shots only to have a spotter give me an enthusiastic congratulation. I have had spotters interfere with my shots for a variety of reasons. I had a spotter insist my disc went in a pond at a particular spot. Mark it, take the penalty, take the next shot them walk up to where my shot really landed, perfectly in bounds.

Spotters scare me. I have no problem doing cooperative spotting within my group. I do know that many spotters expect praise no matter how well they do their job. The worst spotters likely do not appreciate the harm they do.

None of this is meant to demean kcbrez009 in the least. He may be the best spotter in the world. A flippant comment from a competitor in the middle of a round would not cause me any upset were I a spotter, volunteer or spectator.

[mr ed]

hey now,be the duck and let it roll off.Volunteers of America,thanks for your time kcbrez009.Peace

[Bill Burns]

mark ellis said, in part:

It is not always fair to judge someone based on their social skills in the middle of a tournament round.

Mark,

That is an excellent point! My opinion of the general personality of some of the DGers I have met over the years, especially some of the more recent movers and shakers, is different than those that most others have of them, and using my 20/20 hindsight, I can see that I was interacting with them during warmup time right before a WDGC round, or right before or after a BOD meeting, when being social, even to someone they have not seen in a long time or even met, is not in the forefront of their minds. Likewise, they may think I was abrupt or rude, because I may not have been respecting their time in a way they thought it should be respected.

Thank you for reminding me about what weight a first impression should have, especially when that person has their game face on. If the only time I reach down to pet a dog is when that dog is eating, my impression of that dog's temperament will probably not be indicative of the dog's "normal" behavior.

[Bruce Brakel]

Thank you for spotting. I always appreciate having a spotter.

[Jamie]

Why did you let him get under your skin? Next time that happens, just fight the guy. You'll feel better.

[kcbrez009]

You're right. I should've just punched him in the throat. lol