The lesson for our prospective TD is that there are a range of preferences and incentives among disc golfers. There's no right formula to please us all.
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
Sorry to call you out (not really, just being polite) but you did exactly what my OP was talking about with ams whining about not getting plastic for winning. You're an AM. be happy you got your players pack, play the tournament, get your ratings bumped and be happy to play this sport in an organized manner with the help of one or two extremely dedicated TDs who really don't want to hear the complaints when they hand out a trophy instead of plastic to some greedy Rec players who should be cashing in AM2.
Being that you're an intermediate player, you'd get your players pack and payed in plastic... why are you complaining again???
One thing I used to do for trophies. When I would get custom discs made for an event - I would get black trophy discs made w/the tournament stamp in only enough qty to give to the winners of each division being offered. That way it was "special" in that there were only so many made - but it didn't cost extra to have a trophy made. Just one of many potential options.
i'd prefer a $1 hand warmer over a $100 trophy.
i would just donate a trophy to a trophy shop so that it can be re-used for kids.
I see I have found two of the "whiney poons" I mentioned when I said that ams should play for trophy only to begin with, being we are AMATEURS and not professionals making a living off of this. Hopefully you decide one day to move up to a level that promotes competition and cash payouts so you don't feel like you got ripped off anymore. Pros play for cash because they are PROFESSIONALS trying to make a living doing this, Ams play the sport to support the professionals and like any other sport, should only be given trophies. Ever get paid out in hundreds of dollars in basketball merch for winning an amateur basketball tournament (replace basketball with ANY sport)?
As for my tournaments, if you're playing rec (and you place), you get a trophy. If you're playing MA2 or MA1 you get paid out in plastic and if you're in Open you get the cashola (minus tournament costs). As always (because they bitch if I don't) the ams ALL get a players pack valued at more than their entries.
I've been taking note of all the great ideas that have been brought to this thread and will definitely be getting something unique that the players who do place will actaully WANT to have on their shelf. The traveling trophy seems fun, but for rec?
And I agree with Snowren, that if I don't do this right this time, it won't work any other time, so I will definitely be careful when treading this line in hopes that I get it right and the baggers move up, the new players start playing and love it and everyone just goes on as normal (as this will be the norm if it works).
I never felt that not being as good a another player, and participating in a division with other people who are not as good, makes it that I don't deserve the same treatment as other ams who get merch payout in their division. I play for fun, but I wouldn't want an "AM3" winning trophy as much as the next person. I have never won "hundreds of dollars" worth of stuff. It only seems right that after paying $35 to participate, that if I play well and win, that $40 of discs seems fair.
Which is why we went the route we did with our version of "trophy only". You pay the same amount as the other division that has scaled payout but you get your moneys worth in discs for your entry automatically and if you play good you also get a trophy. It puts alot of value into participating in a tournament. Now if you want to take the chance at getting more payout then play up.
The main issue I have seen is value of the tournament experience. That's why you see so much bitching about trophy only or payout or players packs. Players, most of them, want to get their moneys worth back for the entry fee they paid.