"A Player's Game" II: A Challenge

[Nemmers]

I might have ruffled a few feathers with an earlier post about disc golf being a "player's game." Not because I was wrong or those who disagreed with me were wrong, but because nobody really knows. Any game worth growing depends on the players of the sport, so it's sort of a moot point, I guess. Questions on how to grow it, make it better, or if the efforts to do so are even worth the effort are purely subjective. Agree or disagree, in reality it makes no difference.

Nevertheless....

Going back to the original article that inspired the first thread, Robin McLean writes this in the second-to-last paragraph in his article titled "A Player's Game" in the Summer 2013 issue of DiscGolfer magazine:

I can't see the wisdom in cutting out the old guys who built the sport. I can't see why amateurs pay into the pro purse. And I don't think a serious priorities discussion should wait another year. This is the most important decade that disc golf will ever have. ..."

He's right. Perhaps not about this being "the most important decade disc golf will ever have" -- who the hell could ever know that? -- but he's right in another sense. Why would amateurs pay into a pro's purse? And why would we sit on our hands and wait longer to talk about why it's beneficial to have a serious discussion about the priorities of the game?

I don't have the answer to the question of priorities. Why would I? How could I? I just started playing. I can barely hyzer-flip a goddam Mamba and here I am on a soap-box talking about the "future of the game." Y'all probably think I'm crazy. Maybe I am.

I'm a fan....which in case you didn't know is an abbreviation for "fanatic." I'm fanatical about disc golf. I love it and I want other people to have the opportunity to experience joy from it too. Would they find it eventually without people like me out there talking them into taking a break, grabbing a disc, and talking a leisurely stroll through the park with a purpose? Maybe. Maybe not. Do people like me want to risk the latter? No.

That said, I challenge every fan of the game – especially those with a real passion for it – to reach out to neighboring clubs and start a town/city/county/regional cup. Here on the southeast coast of North Carolina, players in Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender & Onslow counties are getting together to conceive a traveling trophy (a Regional Cup of sorts) to get to know the locals and introduce others in our respective communities to the joys of disc golf.

Now, we haven't worked out the details and everyone has their own ideas, but since North Carolina is so rich in pirate history I think a "Pirate's Booty Cup" would go over well. We could hold local events and the county wide winner would perhaps fly a Jolly Roger (designed by the winner of a contest devised by the collective from the respective communities) at the flagship course in the county in addition to having possession of the traveling cup. At events we could have pirate costume contests and pirate disc dye contests to appeal to the more creative throwers. And maybe even construct pirate slogans suited for disc golf that can be heard around the course for great throws or to start the match. You know, something to appeal to golfers of all ages.

We've got a few buy-ins for these types of ideas here, but I'm of the opinion that if more local clubs bonded together to improve the quality of events and preach the wonders and majesty of disc golf in their own areas it would not only generate more players but cause growth. More growth equals more courses, and more courses equals more fun….for all of us. And as we all know, "most fun...wins."

In the final analysis it's a question of priorities. There are those who are content to enjoy the game on a personal level, and that's all good. But for those who aspire to attract more players for the greater good, I think this topic merits discussion.

What are your thoughts? What are you or your club doing to promote the game? Your ideas could benefit players all over the country, so the only stupid one is the one you keep to yourself. I'm curious as to what's worked or is working for y'all.

 

[Royal Hill]

Nemmers,

I understand your passion as you share it, and I feel that your goals are noble.

You have some dueling goals that might overlap a bit. You mention growth of playing populations, and also mention driving attention to a competitive competition between clubs for a "cup". Both are good in their own ways but also pay attention to target groups.

A competitive cup, when you go through all the construct, fairness, etc… ends up delivering the competitive goods to the cohort who's already playing and focused like a laser beam on competition. It tends over time to get into smaller circles, rather than outwardly expanding circles sometimes.

unless… its based on attendance numbers… or where new players are an asset and advantage to the end.

Real growth comes from widening the nets we cast, and with our events fishing for fish we haven't caught before. Fish that don't bite on the same motivators we've used before. We've already shown we can catch those fish. And we'll keep fishing that way for sure most of the time, we can't help ourselves… that's what caught us, and we naturally want others just like us, right?

But it brings it to your other point of discussion. Strategy for a club area? Many ways. Inter club cooperation always sounds good to me,to any common goal.

Keep your amateur events - amateur in focus, your competitive events focused on honorable competition, your fun events - fun in nature, charity events - yupp, focused on charity, your outreach programs focused on reaching outside the circle. And don't morph them all back to the same. Again, it seems like we can't help ourselves sometimes turning everything into a usual model - and falling back on growth assumptions that everyone is motivated by stuff, competition, winning, small time gambling, etc…

 

[Nemmers]

Nemmers,

I understand your passion as you share it, and I feel that your goals are noble.

You have some dueling goals that might overlap a bit. You mention growth of playing populations, and also mention driving attention to a competitive competition between clubs for a "cup". Both are good in their own ways but also pay attention to target groups.

A competitive cup, when you go through all the construct, fairness, etc… ends up delivering the competitive goods to the cohort who's already playing and focused like a laser beam on competition. It tends over time to get into smaller circles, rather than outwardly expanding circles sometimes.

unless… its based on attendance numbers… or where new players are an asset and advantage to the end.

Real growth comes from widening the nets we cast, and with our events fishing for fish we haven't caught before. Fish that don't bite on the same motivators we've used before. We've already shown we can catch those fish. And we'll keep fishing that way for sure most of the time, we can't help ourselves… that's what caught us, and we naturally want others just like us, right?

But it brings it to your other point of discussion. Strategy for a club area? Many ways. Inter club cooperation always sounds good to me,to any common goal.

Keep your amateur events - amateur in focus, your competitive events focused on honorable competition, your fun events - fun in nature, charity events - yupp, focused on charity, your outreach programs focused on reaching outside the circle. And don't morph them all back to the same. Again, it seems like we can't help ourselves sometimes turning everything into a usual model - and falling back on growth assumptions that everyone is motivated by stuff, competition, winning, small time gambling, etc…

Thanks for the input, Royal. We're definitely keeping everything we've got going -- we're basically talking about incorporating the qualifiers for the cup into the respective club montlhies -- so nothing will really change. Just want to make more events for the locals and make it more attractive for others who have been on the fence about participating....to include the young'uns whose interest might be more on the creative side (e.g. coloring discs and costume contests) rather than just throwing.

Baby steps.....

 

[WaterHole]

After all the searches online I can't find a DG league or club in my area.. My question is how would I go about trying to start one or getting it started?? Would it be a private venture or trying to get the city involved? I would love to be able to do this but have no idea on how to start.. :\

 

[Nemmers]

After all the searches online I can't find a DG league or club in my area.. My question is how would I go about trying to start one or getting it started?? Would it be a private venture or trying to get the city involved? I would love to be able to do this but have no idea on how to start.. :\

The first step is just to get to know the players at your local course by playing with them. Once you develop a rapport, bring up the idea of having a match or skins tourney, maybe for a small wager like a disc or gift certificate. Unless there are no courses in your area there's really no need to get the city involved to start up a club. All you need is one other player.