Introducing kids to the game

[zenbot]

So here's a little background I have a 3 1/2 old daughter and a 1 year old son. They both play with minis and full size discs. They're always around to help me play Perfect Putt 360 by taking my putters and putting them in the basket if I miss. =)

Do any of you have kids that play? What was your experience like? I would like for disc golf to be our family "thing" but don't want to force anything so they end up hating it.

[BrotherDave]

My buddy has a 4 month old boy that is definitely going to forced into DG. We have a running joke that the kid will be a prodigy except for the fact that his dad will only let him play with a Roadrunner since that's virtually all he throws.

[sidewinding]

There are some things you have to do to keep them interested.

1. Don't make them tee from the same tee as you but make a "Kid Tee" that's closer to the basket, especially for the very young and or beginners. I will usually find a stick laying around and lay it down for the kid's tee or I'll say wherever my first drive lands will be the kid's tee. Once they get good they will want to move back to the normal tees.

2. Keep score and track their scores. My 9 year old daughter has beat me or her mom on hundreds of holes and nothing makes her happier.

3. One disc is all a kid needs. A light weight stable midrange (Shark or Roc) is best. A light weight stable putter is good too.

[mashnut]

3. One disc is all a kid needs. A light weight stable midrange (Shark or Roc) is best. A light weight stable putter is good too.

I agree with this, but when I took a friend's kids out earlier this year they saw me using different discs and really wanted to be able to carry around a couple different ones themselves. I gave each one a shark and an aviar, and it didn't really matter which one they threw on most of their shots, but they loved getting to pick out their disc each time like a 'real' disc golfer.

[hatfield57]

My 4 yearr old loves carrying his own bag like everyone else, he wants to try different discs but generally only tees off then walks with me to my disc and plays again from there. Right now he will only throw a flick (forehand), no point forcing the backhand, i'm sure he will do that when he is ready.
He is obsessed with the sport, he wants to play everyday!

[Midnightbiker]

I don't have a lot of experience with kids, but I have seen some very young kids make some shots that would put me to shame. Just start them off with a Mid and a putter, as light as possiable.

I did play with guy that brought along his 8 year old son, and we would let him tee about half way to the basket. He seemed to have a good time.

[solomon.trenton]

So here's a little background I have a 3 1/2 old daughter and a 1 year old son. They both play with minis and full size discs. They're always around to help me play Perfect Putt 360 by taking my putters and putting them in the basket if I miss. =)

Do any of you have kids that play? What was your experience like? I would like for disc golf to be our family "thing" but don't want to force anything so they end up hating it.

i take my 10 year old step son out back and have him try to drive to a certain point in the yard. i help him on his form and he helps me in the wood shop in return.

[innova]

Future world champions.

I am fifty. I did not start competing in events till 98. I threw my first disc golf related disc in 94... sure I threw frisbees in the 70's but that is not the same and we all know it.

I have done well at events... but my point is I can only imagine what my skillset would be if I had started at 3 1/2 or one year old.

Good gawd.

Make it fun. Teach them form early. Wow. You could have the next Climo on your hands.
Why the heck not? Gotta come from some dad. Why not you.

[asu225]

I've got an 11 year old daughter and 4 year son and would love it if they got interested. One big reason I don't play more than I do is because I hate playing alone. I've taken them to the course one time and they both really seemed to like it but until we all get a little better, I might try bring just one of them at a time. The little one can get side-tracked pretty quickly.

[Omega SuperSloth]

I've got an 11 year old daughter and 4 year son and would love it if they got interested. One big reason I don't play more than I do is because I hate playing alone. I've taken them to the course one time and they both really seemed to like it but until we all get a little better, I might try bring just one of them at a time. The little one can get side-tracked pretty quickly.
i agree with leaving the little ones at home i dont know how many times ive thrown on a blind hole only to get up there a find a toddler playing around with the basket while mommy and daddy f around with the cooler .

im not totally against bringing little kids but you need to watch them like a hawk making sure youve got them covered if some heat comes in. Also be considerate of your other dgrs too you dont know how much it scares us when after we throw a 100 yard drive some little kid comes running out of knowwhere and we realize we could have just nailed them 100 feet from the tee.
If you wanna bring the babies do it during the week before 3:00 otherwise just leave them at home thye really dont care about playing dg anyway . I know you guys wanna get em started early but preschool is just a little too soon.

[swellerdiscgolf]

I've got a 5 year old with some discs of his own, and a 1 year old who loves to throw in the front yard. When I bring them to the course, they stay in the stroller most of the time, thanks to the flat ground around the coast here. My 5 year old throws RHFH because that's what I did for awhile. Now that I throw RHBH, I'm trying to get him to do the same. My 1 year old throws RHBH, because that's what she saw me doing.

[hippiediscdude]

I've got a 5 year old son that loves to play. Hes been playing with discs ever since he was an infant. I tell you what, he doesnt have much of a drive but he putts pretty consistently with in 15-20 ft. He loves to play disc, I am hoping his interest for the sport doesnt fade over time. Would love to have the next Climo in the family(minus the freakishly huge ears). I think that kids have just as much right to be on the course as we do. Saw a 12yr old in a tourney this weekend that played better than alot of the adults.

[3monsterboys]

i bring my 3 year old son with me once a week. he has his own bag with 3 frisbees in it. yeah i let him toss around frisbees he has better control and they are lighter so they go further and it helps him with confidence. i let him pick the tee pad we will play from when we go. main thing is we both enjoy the walk(hiking) in the woods. we also take time to enjoy nature. everything from the difference from trees that are cut down to trees that fell, wild flowers, animals, we even saw 5 deer cross our fairway. that was pretty cool he thought they were kangaroos. :) just remember why you play, to get out of the house, and to enjoy the flight of your disc. teach that to you child and you will have a happy kid.

[mashnut]

If you wanna bring the babies do it during the week before 3:00 otherwise just leave them at home thye really dont care about playing dg anyway . I know you guys wanna get em started early but preschool is just a little too soon.

I personally love to see families out enjoying the local courses. I think that encouraging this demographic is great for the image of our sport, and is the absolute best way to get the next generation of disc golfers excited about the sport. I think it's a little silly to say that kids don't belong on a disc golf course, when this is a sport that advertises itself as accessible to everyone, and friendly to beginners.

I do agree that parents who bring their younger kids should be very careful to teach them about etiquette and the possible dangers, but most families I've seen on the course are very respectful in this way. Kids who grow up playing with their parents are probably going to be more likely to be the kind of disc golfer who respects the course and other players IMHO.

[sidewinding]

If you wanna bring the babies do it during the week before 3:00 otherwise just leave them at home...

Is that legal?

[billnchristy]

Our daughter will play a few holes. We usually let her tee off and then play best disc. She played one entire course and appeared to have a good time.

We don't "make" her play and when she doesn't play we try our damndest to keep her out of anyone else's way. I think she does pretty well but is pretty oblivious to things happening 300 feet away from her so we have to keep the eye out.

[Three Putt]

My oldest daughter comes with me to golf. She knows her little sister is too flighty to do one thing for an hour and can't come with, so she can get one-on-one daddy time. She pretends to like baseball so she can go with me to games for the same reason.

So I have an 8-year old who really does not want to play disc golf, she just wants to connect with me in some way. We have been doing this for about three years now. Here is what I have done, most of it has been mentioned before:

1. I make up a place for her to tee from. She gets about 50' on a good day, so the actual tees are demoralizing for her.

2. She has a bag with discs. I started her with a 150 Magnet, a 150 Shark and a yellow 150 Cheetah. The cheetah is her favorite animal and yellow is her favorite color, and I use it as a reward. I told her it was a hard disc to throw but if she is doing well and trying hard I'll let her throw it on some holes. So it is a reward to her, if she gives me a good effort she gets to throw the driver she is dying to throw.

3. She always wants to throw what I throw, so I screwed up and bought her discs I don't throw. I actually swap out my putters for Magnets and my fairway drivers for Cheetahs when she comes with me. I make a point out of throwing the Magnet a lot since that is the disc I tell her to throw all of the time.

4. Another reward for her was the Roc. I throw Rocs, but she has a Shark. I found a domey 150g Roc and bought it. This spring I gave it to her as a reward, telling her that her game had improved and she was ready for her first Roc. She thinks it's a HUGE deal now that she gets to throw Rocs like daddy. In reality a domey Roc and a Shark are not all that different, but it keeps her interested.

5. She loves Egyptian stuff, and Disc Golf World had golf towels with an Egyptian hieroglyphic-looking pictures that said "Putt like an Egyptian." She thinks it's super cool, and when she gets mud on her discs she uses my towel so hers won't get dirty. If you look around you might find a mini or something that relates to other stuff they like that they will think is cool.

6. We keep score but she knows that she tees off 300' closer than I do, so it never seemed to impress her when she beats me. She also thinks I miss putts on purpose so she can win. One day she will realize that I'm really just that bad of a putter.

7. I have learned to accept that a round of disc golf with a child means coming home with a bag filled with rocks, leaves and wildflowers. I bring along a wildflower identification book this time of year and we take wildflower breaks. A kid has to be a kid. So we sneak some outdoor education in there.

It's not creating the next Juliana Korver, but she has my genes so the chances of athletic greatness were slim to begin with. It makes for some decent father-daughter time. In the long run that's more important, anyway.

[billnchristy]

Look at Marshall Street...they have lots of Pyramids DGC swag that sounds perfect for her.

[solomon.trenton]

i agree with leaving the little ones at home i dont know how many times ive thrown on a blind hole only to get up there a find a toddler playing around with the basket while mommy and daddy f around with the cooler .

im not totally against bringing little kids but you need to watch them like a hawk making sure youve got them covered if some heat comes in. Also be considerate of your other dgrs too you dont know how much it scares us when after we throw a 100 yard drive some little kid comes running out of knowwhere and we realize we could have just nailed them 100 feet from the tee.
If you wanna bring the babies do it during the week before 3:00 otherwise just leave them at home thye really dont care about playing dg anyway . I know you guys wanna get em started early but preschool is just a little too soon.

theres a difference between families in the park and bringing your children to get some exercise and spend time with you. maybe if you had a family you might understand it.

[solomon.trenton]

Is that legal?

it is in mehico:)

[Geoffro]

I agree with s.t - I really like seeing little kids getting involved in the game, even if they are just "playing along," not really playing. Any family-friendly activity where parents are interacting with kids is good - especially ones away from computers, TV, etc.