Being a Disc Golf Dad

What is it like for you?...

[Disc Player Sports]

I feel so LUCKY!
My son has been around disc golf all his life.
Did not push him. He's coming around on his own,
Been there when the Gurthies from Gainesville were and are around.
It is a positive influence to get more kids involved.
If more kids played, then more kids would play!

[Greg Simmons]

I love taking my kids to play. My 13 year old recently started Karate and it's helped his game. Now he ask to play instead of whining about playing.
i used to be into riding sport bikes, I rode about 20,000 miles a year, and had 3 motorcycles at one time. One day my wife told me "nobody enjoys that but you" I was PO'd for about a week then I realized she was right. I lost all interest in motorcycles and sold them. I took the money and started racing BMX with my kids. That was 100 times more enjoyable. Well I recently got injured and had to find a new sport. I was in the garage and found my old disc bag so the kids and I started playing and it's been awesome.
I found a new partner, Pete and he's totally supportive of having the kids jump in a game. My 18 yr. old's goal is to eventually beat Pete. When my 13 yr. old comes out we play doubles against Pete.

DPS said "It is a positive influence to get more kids involved.
If more kids played, then more kids would play!"
AMEN, if kids don't play then the sport will eventually die out. Kids are the future, even in Disc Golf!

[Disc Player Sports]

Just back from Melbourne Open, Melbourne Florids
Pro Master division had 30 participants with less Open 21 participants.
Is this the future? More masters than Open.
Open costs more and are kids going to enter?
You see it also in the amateur tournaments.
More Advanced Masters than Advanced.
The handwriting is on the wall.
Where are the kids? See some kids caddying for Dad... few. (and what about behavior - of the adults).
All this talk about growth... put it in for the kids..... why not have a Pro Clinic come to town?
Take one day at the local high school or The top pros who travel.
Can the PDGA pay for this? Or the Disc Manufacturers?
Try passing around these suggestions and push it back to the PDGA.....

[Greg Simmons]

Great Idea about recruiting from schools.
Here's an idea:
1.Have a local club start up a FREE novice or Jr. club or do it yourself,
2.Go to schools on thier Field Days and do a clinic/demo-demo the long drives and putting with a portable basket, hopefully this will spark interest with the youth.
3.Pass out flyers for the club at the school
4.Set up local mini FREE tournaments for the new club or a weekly game
You can also advertise at YMCA, Community Centers, Churches, and Sporting Good Stores.

We are doing this through the local Churches this year. I dont expect huge turn outs at first but I think it will grow eventually. Once you get the kids playing there's a good possibility the Dad's will start playing too.

Using FREE tourneys at the beginning is a good way to get kids, dads, and families interested in DG. As players progress the chances of them joining clubs or playing tourneys will increase.

Creating a website will help too. Here's ours
www.leaguelineup.com/disciples

[Manny Duran]

Well, my two boys have been playing disc golf now for almost four years now. My oldest, Chris, age 15, has played in around 25 tournaments, both sanctioned and non sanctioned. He started out just like any other kid, just messing around, chucking platic, which was o.k. cause I didn't want to push him at all. His first tourneys he played with the recs and just blew them away. Thats when he started getting seriously competitive. He developed just the sweetest, smoothest forhand you've ever seen. At a local/state tourney two years ago he won a distance competition, throwing 518 feet. He beat not only the ams, but also most of the pros. Needless to say, everyone was astonished. He has since been playing in the advanced division, and doing really well, although wrestling injuries stopped him from doing real well at worlds last year.He'll be back this year with a vengeance.
My 8 year old, Nicholas on the other hand, is a whole other story. He, like his older brother Chris, is an exception to the rules. Nicholas has played in 34 tourneys, both sanctioned and non. He also started out just playing for fun. Until last year when I began coaching and caddying for him. He raised his player rating by 103 points in three months. In April of '07 he set a WFDF World Record for distance in the 7 and under division, throwing 278 ft. (he throws much further now!) He also hit his very first ace that year. He also did really well at Worlds last year, winning the jr boys <10 division by 17 strokes. After Worlds, Nicholas was signed to the Innova scout team. From what I understand he is the youngest to ever be signed to major corporate sponsorship in this sport. Several other smaller companies have since sent letters in intent to get him sponsored. Amazing, I would have never thought my little boy would accomplish so much at such a young age. We still play at least three times a week, and we all practice our putting on a daily basis, and even practice putting at a mini basket inside the house when the weather don't permit us to play outside.
The future of our sport does depend on us getting our children involved. You don't have to push, just let them enjoy themselves, and the spirit of competition will come naturally. Be patient with them at first, as they will slow down the game and hopefully you have a group of guys who understand this. And I realized, adults will do what adults do on the course, but my experience has been, that if you ask the guys to be considerate of the kids, 9 out of 10 will. I can't tell you how proud I am of my boys and what they've accomplished, so you can only imagine how you would feel to see your own kids excelling at this sport that you know you love. Bring your kids out guys and hopefully we'll see you out on the course.

[Rizbee]

Manny is a great disc golf dad. A.J. and Chris had a great time competing at Worlds last year - in the same group almost every round (Manny - get Chris to sign up on this site!). Oh, and if you ever drive off with you shoes on the roof of your car, Manny can be counted on to track them down and send them back to you!!!!!!! Thanks - I'm still wearing them!

[Rizbee]

My son, A.J. started playing a little over four years ago (he was 12 at the time). I had had my old Mach 1 planted in the backyard for years, and all of a sudden he got interested in playing. I started taking him to Morley Field once a month to play - it took him a while to not be frustrated by how much farther I could throw, but he eventually got over that. Now he bombs it well past where my noodle arm can throw.

I had been a semi-competitive Open player in the early 1980's but had stopped playing by 1990 (grad school, marraige, job, kids...). I credit my son for re-kindling my interest in disc golf. Four years ago we packed up our gear and went on a 5-day disc golf road trip, which really changed our lives. Since then we have been playing a lot together, and have gone on a disc golf road trip each summer, which we call the Tour de Rizbee (see more at www.teamrizbee.com). We also play competitively, sometimes well, sometimes not, but it's always fun.

We recently led the effort to install a new disc golf course in our hometown. I've been involved as a volunteer in the parks system for 10+ years, so I knew my way around the process. I brought A.J. and my (much younger) daughter, Katie, to several park planning workshops so they could learn how government works. The new course was designed with beginning players in mind, but with alternate long tees added has also become popular with experienced players.

A.J. has started bring his friends along to play, and kids who live near the park are getting interested. We pass out old discs and EDGE discs to the local kids and give them a few pointers, something that they really appreciate. You won't see younger players in tournaments if they don't start playing recreationally. Getting the sport to grow requires giving up some of your playing time to teach others and be involved in adding and maintaining courses. You gotta give back.

My daughter has not been interested in playing and generally doesn't like being dragged along when we play. However, last week she and I played 9 holes together - the first time she made it all the way through the course. Rather than bring my regular bag I brought just one disc and played opposite handed. I think that helped, as it levelled the playing field a bit. We chatted the whole time - it was fun. I hope we do it again soon (but I won't push my luck).

Bottom line: have fun with your kids, doing whatever it is that you like to do. Be a dad (or mom) to them, teach them how to have fun (hopefully outdoors, off the couch). If it's on the disc golf course - BONUS!!!!!!

[Cal]

Hey all....so awesome to hear from other disc golf dads. Don't have many here in florida.
I have 2 boys that have been around the sport all thier lives but just really started to get competitive. I will tell you that they have brought out other kids to play but sadly the parents
don't seem to be interested in coming out to watch or participate with them which kinda takes the interest out of it for the kids. So I just try to make time and go pick up thier friends when we can.
My boys have now started a disc golf team called "TEAM WIK-KID". They have also started a small disc golf sales buisiness with the help of thier great grand parents. It has been great for me because I haven't had to pay for a tournament entry for almost 2 years now. (which the way the economy is these days it is a blessing ) These kids also have developed thier own rosin bag the "BOGEY FREE BAG" in order to pay for thier worlds trip this year in kalamazoo. I am really proud of what they have accomplished in the past months.
The sport seems to have given them a new outlook on everything from school to just being around other people by the respect I have seen them show for others.
Right now between the three juniors that we have, thier seems to be a little competition stirring up between them as far as what they feel is the best discs to throw, the 12 yr old loves his discraft, esp pulses, surges, buzz, meteors and of course the predator. on the other hand the 10 yr old feels that innova has the best to offer with C.E VALKS, STAR VALKS, DX ROCS, KC PRO AVIARS. The 3rd junior is kinda stuck in the middle still trying to figure it out. lol...
But the coolest thing has got to be when we get out on the course. Where I can just sit back and watch them develop into a sport that I dearly love. To see the appreciation they have for the sport really shows from interacting with others on the course and the way they practice everyday either it be at home in the front yard or on the course playing in tourney's. But most of all, it's them having fun and enjoying every minute I have to spend with them. I am truly lucky to be a disc golf dad!!!
cal lincoln
ssp #65
pdga #11800

peace to all

[Rizbee]

The local newspaper ran a story today about my son and I and our disc golfing. I copied it to my blog, so you can see it at this link:

http://discgolfer.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=29r12e676ifhc

[Myheartpumpsoil]

WHAT AN AWESOME CLUB!!!!!

My son, Tayton, 7, my daughter, Bella, 4, and, of course, the ol' lady, are all enamored at this new and exciting development in my life!

March 24 of '08 was my first disc golf anniversary! (Yes, i understand that knowing that is sad) =)
I placed 3rd, overall, Amateur Division, in the Southern Oregon Winter Series this year . . .
first and second place having over 4 years experience beyond mine own (3 first places each, no first places for me) =)

Today, Tayton and I along with my buddy, Benny, did one of those "lets play 5-7 holes at the local course while we have time" gigs, . . .

What? . . .

We happened to be less than 300' from the tee for hole #1 at Riverfront DGC after picking up his soccer cleats.

The best part is that when I got home, I just told the wife, " I could smell the plastic in the air, so we played 5 holes"
The grin on my son's face saved me. =)

So to appease her, I was forced to place a bucket in the yard and play an 18 hole mini round from random tee pads in our cul de sac.
lol
I know, tuff life, man!

We recently have began talk of not only a Mother's Day tourney, but a "Mother Hukkers" Wednesday night league (the night that we men get to babysit; so glad I have a basket, here!)

Anyway, I'm stoked about my son, Tayton's, quick development in skill with EACH game!
He only gets to play every 2-3 weeks, if any lately (thanks to Winter), but every time he comes out . . .
he'll have some trouble for the first 2-3 holes, then gets better and throws farther with each hole form there on out!

P.S. If you want to help towards a great cause for kids, then check out my "REC" video! =)

-Derek

[Manny Duran]

Just to add a little more to my boys list of accomplishments, we took a nice little drive from Pinetop Az. all the way to Bowling Green Kentucky (3,369 miles round trip) this past weekend for the Bowling Green Ams tourney. My 15 year old did very well taking 2nd place in the jr<16 division. He played with some very tough competition in some very tough conditions, but I think he did exceptionally well. My 8 year old, was the youngest in his division, and he won in a stunning come from behind victory in the last round over a very tough 13 year old player. He shot the best rounds of his life, with a round rated at 920-57, and the last round at 942-55. I don't think I've ever shot high a rated round in my life. Congrats to my boys and to all the winners at BG

[Rizbee]

Pass on my congrats to your boys!!!