Board Candidate Announcement

[shawnsinclair]

Shawn Sinclair #10819
[email protected]

I am running for a position on the PDGA board of directors.

I'm asking you to help me utilize my experiences for the benefit of disc golf. I know that I am not unique in the fact that I have worn many hats in this sport. On the competitive side I have firsthand experience as an amateur player, regional local pro, touring pro, elite pro and international player. In addition to competing, I also have experience with administration within the sport. I've run and continue to run multiple events a year from non-sanctioned charity events to A tiers as well as been instrumental in helping with multiple NT's and over 10 majors as a PDGA Marshal for Pro & Am Worlds as well as USDGC. Additionally, I've lobbied for the creation of courses, I've presented to city councils, and I've donated time, money, and manpower to pushing this sport forward. I've also had the great joy of playing disc golf in every state in the union as well as on four continents and I haven't missed too many opportunities to talk to local players to get an understanding of what things they do well as well as listen to the troubles they have faced. I'm currently on the PDGA rules committee and I have been the chairperson for the disciplinary committee for 6 years. I am a former school teacher with a degree in kinesiology and I have given countless disc golf lessons and clinics around the world. I also have some experience with how the board of directors works as my wife is a former PDGA board member and I have attended and participated in four of the last PDGA summits. Quite simply put, I have varied experience to bring to the board.

If elected I have a handful of issues that I would like to work towards:
• Encourage more players to join the PDGA or renew their memberships.
• Help players better understand the purpose of the PDGA.
• Dispel myths about the PDGA.
• Work towards a true amateur division and encourage lower entry fee, trophy only am events.
• Expand on the use of technology to bring instant information to the members and move away from older types of media.

In addition to disc golf, I have participated in many other competitive sports throughout my entire life. I feel that seeing how other organizations run their sports is extremely valuable. In the last four years, I have participated in 27 endurance competitions including 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, marathons, ultra marathons and triathlons. These events ranged in size from 200 to 44,000 participants. It has been very interesting to see so many people of all ages and walks of life participate just for the satisfaction of having the finisher's medal put around their neck.

One of the most common statements I continue to hear is "If we had more money in our sport we would have more players." I don't agree with this statement. Take the 2011 New York City Marathon as an example. There was over $800,000 in prize money awarded. Yet, there were less than 20 men and 20 women competing at the elite level for that money. However, there were 47,000 runners paying $255 each that participated for only a player's pack and a finishers medal. This example raises a lot of questions related to disc golf.

• Why are there millions of people who play disc golf, yet only a few thousand who play tournaments?

• How can the PDGA get more people to play tournaments?


o How do we get more women to play tournaments?

o Would it be better to have more or less tournaments annually?

o Do we need more or less divisions?

o Do we need different age protected guidelines?

o Do we need lower entry fees?

o How do we get more companies outside of the sport interested?



I know each and every one of you reading this has ideas and potential answers to these questions and more. If I am elected to the board I would welcome and encourage you to contact me with those ideas and questions so that we may continue to move this sport forward. I want to break down the imaginary wall players have created with the PDGA.

EDUCATION
Sonoma State - BA kinesiology 1994
Sonoma State - Teacher Certification 1996

OCCUPATION
Peyton Designs LLC, Bowling Green, KY 2005 – present
Peyton designs contracts with companies across the country and world. We have developed websites and online applications for individuals and large companies like Tribune and Sony.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PDGA Tour, 2001 – 2005
I was a full time touring pro with my wife Juliana Korver. I have played disc golf in all 50 states, Canada, and four continents.
St. Isabella School, San Rafael, CA 1998 – 2001
I taught K-8 Physical Education, Health, Computer Education.
Historic Preservation Board, Bowling Green, KY 2010 - present
This is a design review board that uses historic preservation guidelines to work with home owners and builders to preserve the integrity of historic buildings.
University District Board, Bowling Green, KY 2010 - present
This is a review board that ensures the safety of all group living structures affiliated with Western Kentucky University such as fraternities, sororities, and religious groups. We review each groups required application along with building and fire inspections to make sure each structure is inhabitable for the upcoming year.

DISC GOLF EXPERIENCE
Tournament Director, 1997 – Present
PDGA Tournament Player, 1996 – Present
PDGA Marshal, 2006 – Present
Professional Worlds, Amateur Worlds, USDGC
Chairperson PDGA Disciplinary Committee, 2007 – Present
PDGA Rules Committee, 2009 – Present

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Thanks for taking the time to post this and wish you the best of luck. I have always thought the PGDA seems out of touch to an extent, with the type of players you speak specifically about getting more involved in organized disc golf.

I know each and every one of you reading this has ideas and potential answers to these questions and more. If I am elected to the board I would welcome and encourage you to contact me with those ideas and questions so that we may continue to move this sport forward. I want to break down the imaginary wall players have created with the PDGA.

:clap::clap::clap:

 

[_MTL_]

As someone who has served under Shawn on the discipline committee and as a PDGA Marshal, I both as a PDGA member and a PDGA State Coordinator, fully endorse Shawn for the position.

I truly believe in his ideas and most importantly, his intent to improve this sport.

Please join me in voting for Shawn when the ballots are released.

 

[AndyJB]

Im going to say the same thing to you that Ive said to others...you have a great track record and awesome ideas. But i have heard those ideas before. I wish you the best, but I also have zero knowledge about the politica of the PDGA. Hopefully you are more stalwart in your ideas then others before you...because the changes you want are changes we NEED.

Except the women thing. I always hear people complaining about women not playing...maybe its just the Colorado and Montana areas, where I play the most, but I would say most tourneys have about 10-20 percent women and any given day on the course I would put it closer to 30 percent of players are women. That seems like a pretty healthy amount to me...unless the goal is to match the population and have the sport be 53 percent women. I dunno, but Id say 10-30 for a sport of frisbee is pretty good. Am I way off base?

 

[shawnsinclair]

As long as I have been aware of the stat published by the PDGA (since 1993) women make up 7% of the PDGA membership. That number has not changed in 20 years.

However I agree with you that that percent is higher on a day to day recreational level. Here in KY we average 3-4 women per tournament yet when I go out to the courses I see about 25% of the players are women. I know just south of us in Nashville they have a huge group of women. They run a weekly women's league.

I don't know what the answer is to get more women to play more tournaments. I do know that there have been huge efforts to try and change this yet it has not. My wife (Juliana Korver) emailed every single TD for over 10 years asking them to do something special at their events hoping to entice more women. She would then compile that information and put it on her website as women targeted events. Following that, she would email that list to the hundreds of women on her list. However after 10 years of zero change she quit doing it.

My main reason for running is not because I have all of these magical ideas that will change the PDGA, but rather I want to be a open pipeline to other players members or not. There seems to be as I said in my platform statement an imaginary wall between the players and the PDGA. I would love to get rid of the us versus them mentality. I want to hear everyones ideas and thoughts. Compile them and we will start to see a pattern and those are the areas to focus on and take to the board.

 

[Ripper]

• Work towards a true amateur division and encourage lower entry fee, trophy only am events.
• Expand on the use of technology to bring instant information to the members and move away from older types of media.

I'm liking it!

When do we vote?

 

[onemilemore]

Rohnert Park representing!

As to your question about how the PDGA can get more people to play tournaments, I have three words:

Speed of play.

With a wife and child waiting for me to get home, it is pretty unrealistic for me to play a tournament, as it literally takes double to triple the time it takes for me to play a casual round. If the PDGA could focus on increasing the rate of play, I think more people would participate and, possibly, spectate. Less down time would certainly make things more exciting. If I wanted to take five to seven hours out of my day, I would play ball golf.

I also appreciate your perspective coming from a participant in endurance events. As an avid runner, it constantly blows my mind how many people are out at races not just participating, but spectating. However, I think running is something much more natural and accessible to people than disc golf - everyone ran in P.E. when they were a kid, whether they liked it or not - so I am not sure if the comparison is there quite yet. However, if you can make PDGA events more festive and communal, like a running event, then you would be on the right track. This also comes back to my core value of getting disc golf in schools. If it becomes something people are familiar with from their youth, like running, then the game will grow.

Good luck!

 

[AndyJB]

Mr. Sinclair...

You answered my question perfectly and professionally...which really matters to me. I wasnt trying to sound ignorant, but yes, I see plenty of women playing for fun. Competitive play is a different beast entirely. We set up a womens division at our Birdie Bash that was still eligible for grand prizes, but had their own prizes as well. I heavily advertised it and talked it up to any woman I saw on the course...end total? 3 women. My wife, her best friend and my buddies girlfriend. Yet some od the same women I talked to and gave flyers to...and believe me, I emphasized the "fun" portion of the event to them most of all...showed up the day of the tournament trying to catch a round not as part of the event.

So thats going to be a tough battle. Your wife did just about as much as anyone teying to get more women competitive, but it just didnt grow. I offer much respect to her...and not just because my wife throws a ton of JK discs! Thats going to be a tough nut to crack. I have no solutions.

I whole-heartedly support the trophy-only Am divisions. As a lifetime Am player, Id much rather have a shot at a trophy and a decent players pack if that was the difference between paying 60-70 dollars for a tournament and 30-40 dollars.

 

[shawnsinclair]

Here is my first big question.

If you have not joined the PDGA or decided not to renew your membership, how come?

I want to start compiling a list and see what the major reasons are for not joining or renewing. I will get the list started.

• To expensive
• I don't play any tournaments
• I only play 3-4 events a year so I just pay the $10
• I don't know what I get for my membership fee
• I don't care about the magazine or a rating

I really want to hear from players on DGCR that are not members. Members feel free to chime and tell me what might get you to renew.

 

[DiscJunkie]

Here is my first big question.

If you have not joined the PDGA or decided not to renew your membership, how come?

I want to start compiling a list and see what the major reasons are for not joining or renewing. I will get the list started.

• To expensive
• I don't play any tournaments
• I only play 3-4 events a year so I just pay the $10
• I don't know what I get for my membership fee
• I don't care about the magazine or a rating

I really want to hear from players on DGCR that are not members. Members feel free to chime and tell me what might get you to renew.

I have not renewed for a couple years now.
The membership is very difficult to justify if I don't play tournaments. Mostly due to my work and family situation, it is very dificult to travel to tourneys.
I might join just to support the PDGA at a lower rate, like $20-25, but not ~$50.
Don't play tourneys.
Too expensive.
I'd love to get the magazine and the rating, but it's not worth $50 to me.

 

[BgWvDave]

Shawn,
On the platform stated above and what i know of you as a player and a person you would get my vote. Thanks for coming on here and sharing your views and interacting with this forum.

 

[oddjob]

same thing as DJ, don't see the point in renewing for $75 if i'm not playing tournaments. i would rather invest the money in my local club for course improvements.

 

[Goatman]

I would like to see ALL TDs treated the same. Not the "high dollar" TDs getting away with murder while small time TDs cant get the help they should from the PDGA. I've told you this before, but it is my BIGGEST gripe. If the PDGA is going to bend over for HDs, they should do the same for me. If all the PDGA is about is $$$$, they should be a corporation.

 

[_MTL_]

I would like to see ALL TDs treated the same. Not the "high dollar" TDs getting away with murder while small time TDs cant get the help they should from the PDGA. I've told you this before, but it is my BIGGEST gripe. If the PDGA is going to bend over for HDs, they should do the same for me. If all the PDGA is about is $$$$, they should be a corporation.

I've never seen this.

Examples?

 

[_MTL_]

I believe Membership should be tiered. The USGA does this.

I'm the bottom level member of them and I get a bag tag, a US Open hat and a US Open preview magazine. But I don't get to play in USGA events.

I've never liked that the PDGA membership is basically the same thing for the guy who says "yeah I don't play PDGA events, but I'll support the org" and the guy who plays 30 events a year.

 

[Goatman]

_MTL_ the example from my end is when 2 years ago I ran a C-Tier, submitted the report on time, and paid all fees on time. However, it was pointed out from a former PDGA player that I had made a mistake on the report. I had listed the wrong scores for 1 card on the second round. I wrote the PDGA and informed of this mistake 4 times listing everything that needed to be changed. The PDGA changed the report all 4 times incorrectly. All within the the time required for my report to be filed. I wont throw dirt the other way and give an example of the negative side of my comment. Mr. Sinclair knows my point as I have discussed it with him.

 

[_MTL_]

_MTL_ the example from my end is when 2 years ago I ran a C-Tier, submitted the report on time, and paid all fees on time. However, it was pointed out from a former PDGA player that I had made a mistake on the report. I had listed the wrong scores for 1 card on the second round. I wrote the PDGA and informed of this mistake 4 times listing everything that needed to be changed. The PDGA changed the report all 4 times incorrectly. All within the the time required for my report to be filed. I wont throw dirt the other way and give an example of the negative side of my comment. Mr. Sinclair knows my point as I have discussed it with him.

Thanks for the information. I fail to see how this proves your point of favortism towards certain TDs and rather think it was just a combo of multiple human errors.

 

[shawnsinclair]

Great feedback thank you and keep it coming.

I did a quick google search and found the following information on other athletic associations and their memberships. ***Disclaimer I don't know anything about any of these organization so if any of the information looks incorrect please chime in. This is merely what I found on each associations website. All of these association offer different benefits for joining. All of them are very similar to the PDGA. However two things are clear, most charge less than the PDGA and the same price for am or pros. One thing to note is that with some of these organization there is a big difference between the tournament player and the elite player. Example is the USGA and the PGA tour player or the USBC and the PBA tour player.

USA Triathlon $45 am and pro.
USGA (Golf) $20 just to be a member.
USATT (Table Tennis) $49 am or pro.
USBC (Bowling) $36 for sport $21 for standard.
AMA (Motocross) $49 for supporting and racer.
USMS (Swimming) $43 to be a member.
USATF (Track and Field) $30 am or pro.

Here it the breakdown for the PDGA 2012:
Pros 3965 x $75 = $297,376
Amateurs 13207 x $50 = $660,350
Juniors 917 x $30 = $27,510
Total membership income = $985,236

That is a large chunk of the PDGA operating budget.

So what is the trade off if we introduce a supporting only membership $20, then reduce the membership fees down to say...$35 for everyone? That's a $350,000 + hit! We would need +/- 13,000 additional members.

Would that entice more of you non-members to join?
Would there be a significant number of new members to offset the loss of revenue?
Is the magazine of any value? It costs the PDGA $155,000 a year plus shipping to produce. We already have pdga.com which is an online magazine. Which by the way anyone can submit a story or video.
What benefits would you want to make it worthwhile for you to join?

 

[shawnsinclair]

Here is another interesting membership issue, retention. Where are they going and how do we keep them?

PDGA # 2012 2013 % change
19001 - 20000 161 160 0.6%
20001 - 21000 151 167 -9.6%
21001 - 22000 172 173 -0.6%
22001 - 23000 183 188 -2.7%
23001 - 24000 159 184 -13.6%
24001 - 25000 177 201 -11.9%
25001 - 26000 209 239 -12.6%
26001 - 27000 216 248 -12.9%
27001 - 28000 221 248 -10.9%
28001 - 29000 236 284 -16.9%
29001 - 30000 237 291 -18.6%
30001 - 31000 214 238 -10.1%
31001- 32000 235 284 -17.3%
32001 - 33000 256 301 -15.0%
33001 - 34000 287 335 -14.3%
34001 - 35000 340 414 -17.9%
35001 - 36000 321 380 -15.5%
36001 - 37000 293 350 -16.3%
37001 - 38000 315 380 -17.1%
38001 - 39000 351 429 -18.2%
39001 - 40000 299 382 -21.7%
40001 - 41000 314 406 -22.7%
41001 - 42000 384 496 -22.6%
42001 - 43000 426 544 -21.7%
43001 - 44000 419 524 -20.0%
44001 - 45000 403 521 -22.6%
45001 - 46000 463 735 -37.0%
46001 - 47000 557 990 -43.7%
47001 - 48000 545 988 -44.8%
48001 - 49000 513 965 -46.8%
49001 - 50000 535 941 -43.1%
50001 - 51000 862 1037 -16.9%

 

[prerube]

I support any kinesiology major