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“Disc Golf, Show Me the Infrastructure for Instruction!”
If you want to get better at disc golf, where do you turn? Beyond YouTube, there is not an obvious answer. The infrastructure for improving in disc golf is simply not there. But times are changing. With programs in schools, innovative teaching, and future disc golf-specific facilities players will have more tangible options on how to grow in the sport. We can learn a lot from how other sports have set up their developmental programs for finding and developing talent.
If a player wants to get a lesson it is up to them to get out and find an instructor. It is rare to find disc golf instructors advertising beyond word of mouth. While this keeps it a tight-knit community, I feel disc golf is losing out on many potential players due to a lack of developmental infrastructure. Let’s take a look at where disc golf is currently and where it may go in the future.
Teaching the Youth
Kids are the future of disc golf. The more disc golf is introduced to kids the more there is a need for infrastructure. Programs such as EDGE (Educational Disc Golf Experience) and UPlay (Universal Play Disc Golf) have done a wonderful job of introducing disc golf to children. I feel the next step will be the actual schools adopting disc golf programs without outside educators coming to instruct. This will allow for more consistent instruction of the sport to kids.
The main disconnect between kids and disc golf instruction is that we do not have enough qualified disc golf instructors. This is not only true of the disc golf community but especially in Physical Education programs at schools. We need to find a way to train PE teachers in disc golf instruction to properly introduce the sport to the youth. I feel disc golf needs a governing body for training instructors where they gain tangible credentials and can then teach the sport.
Instructors
The evolution of disc golf will come via educators and instructors. COVID brought about rapid growth with large quantities of new players entering the sport with little knowledge of the intricacies of disc golf, both historical and fundamentals. This is where well-educated and certified teachers can have a huge influence on the sport. Philo Brathwaite has been in the sport for over two decades and is a touring pro. He is a part of Disc Golf Coaches which is one of the main instruction platforms in the game. They teach online as well as in person. This is a great model to emulate and build upon in more cities.
Disc Golf Coaches’ approach is beyond simply teaching the fundamentals of the game. They provide two types of instruction; lessons and coaching. Lessons “involve teaching the technical aspects of the game like arm swing and footwork to create solid fundamentals for the new or developing disc golfer. Our Coaches teach proper footwork and body mechanics to create a powerful, consistent swing.” Coaching goes one step further and prepares the player for competition. “A Disc Golf Coach still gives instruction on proper technique, but disc golf coaching incorporates the extra physical, mental, and emotional aspects of competition to help players to perform at their very best.”
These are the types of subtleties that are going to bring disc golf to the next level. Let’s pivot for a brief example. Take soccer in the USA. Children are exposed to the sport from a very young age via television, PE classes, advertising, and a multitude of other channels. If a kid is interested there is already infrastructure in place to get on a team, find coaching, enroll in camps, train at soccer-specific facilities with soccer-specific coaches, try out for a select team, and on and on. The INFRASTRUCTURE is there. In disc golf, however, we simply have not built the infrastructure.
Soccer in the United States has the infrastructure set up to find and develop talent. This takes shape in the form of select teams all the way up to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA). Coaches scout out talent all over the country and provide teams regionally to compete against the highest competition. They train together to ensure skills and fundamentals grow within the entire talent pool. The USSDA “Strives to develop world-class players by providing elite, driven youth talents with development environments, which meet the highest standards, that empower them to reach their full potential.” They have programs for players aged 13-19 with increasing engagement as players progress. As disc golf progresses I see this being a model that we can emulate.
Enter disc golf. Can you imagine the talent that will surface when disc golf has infrastructure like this?? Believe me, it is coming. We are on the edge of a breaking wave and disc golf coaches and instructors will take this sport to the next level. Take a look at what Seth Munsey of Disc Golf Strong is bringing to the sport. He had been a strength and conditioning professional for over a decade working with NHL teams and owning his own fitness studio. He now operates Disc Golf Strong and has given all of his expertise to the sport he loves. Many touring professionals including Ricky Wysocki, Eric Oakley, Sarah Hokom, and countless others turn to Munsey for training and recovery. He is the first fitness professional to fully dedicate themselves to disc golf athletes.
Facilities, Camps, and Colleges, Oh My!
One of the best ways for players (whether kids or adults) to progress in any sport is by attending an intensive camp. This allows for small groups and one-on-one instruction during an extended time. This allows for the player to work on skills and get feedback as they progress. Camps are also extremely fun and can provide a lifelong love of the sport. For a disc golf camp to be a success there needs to be a disc golf facility (i.e. course with training area, putting green with multiple baskets, throwing net, etc.). In certain climates, there may need to be an indoor facility so players can train during the winter months. I feel this type of facility is on the horizon.
Young players are beginning to take disc golf more seriously. It is our duty to provide them with the facilities and guidance to pursue a career in the sport. Disc golf is becoming a viable option for youth to pursue as a career as more options and opportunities present themselves. Parents take note! According to Discgolfer Magazine, the Athletic Director at Milligan University, Mark Fox, put in a 9 hole course on campus with money out of his own pocket. He then started a disc golf program and started searching for recruits:
“One student, Zach Bivens, was attending college in North Carolina. When he heard of the program at Milligan, he immediately transferred here. To the best of our knowledge, Zach was the first person ever to sign a collegiate scholarship to play disc golf (2019). Another milestone for the sport.”
-Tim Barr
The article then went on to say:
“I asked AD Fox if walk-ons were allowed. He approved
-Tim Barr
the idea and within hours, we had 12 players, including Zach. It was obvious to me that the walk-ons had played before but needed coaching to bring out their hidden potential. What followed was nearly a year of hour-long practice sessions, set up to coordinate with the students’ daily schedules.”
Conclusion
Disc golf is in an era of defining itself. There are many new players in our sport that are looking for guidance and instruction. However, at the moment there is no obvious direction to start the journey. People like Seth Munsey and Philo Brathwaite are creating a path for others to follow. The interest is here and we must give players what they deserve for growth in the sport. We need teachers and instructors, facilities, and big thinkers to come together and take disc golf to the next level. What an exciting time to be in our sport.