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I’ve never considered myself to be athletic, and never thought I would find a sport that I love. I first became involved in disc golf because my boyfriend and his dad play; I started just spectating, then caddying, then blogging.
Before I could even throw a disc more than 100 ft, I was fascinated by the mental and strategic aspects of the game at the advanced and professional level. One of the complaints that has always stuck out to me comes up when someone plays in divisions above their abilities or drops down as a “bagger.” To a degree, these are legitimate concerns—people tend to play their best when they’re competing against someone of at a similar or slightly higher skill level.
Having seen this effect the way one performs, I know it can be frustrating when a guy is asked to play with women—especially at the rec level—in a small tournament in order to have the required 3 people per card.
A few weeks, I played a non-sanctioned event in my hometown, Columbia, MO. There were only two women signed up to play, so we had to play with two men each round. This made me uncomfortable at first because I was worried they would have a bad attitude about being stuck with the ladies. However, I was pleasantly surprised. People I knew for a few years and people I had just met all acted the same: they talked to me about how long I had been playing, gave me suggestions when I needed them, high-fived me when I did well, and even talked about how they wished their girlfriends or daughters would play.
Any guy who has not only played on a ladies card, but has engaged in conversation or encouraged a female player, embodies the Spirit of the Game. Or, really, anyone who takes the time to encourage and support players who are still developing their skills instead of becoming frustrated or impatient embodies this spirit.
Just one of these people can counteract several instances of having to play in an intermediate division because there weren’t enough people to make a rec division, being told that disc golf is not a “real sport,” or even self-criticism during a rough round. These are the people who make disc golf great!
Before I could even throw a disc more than 100 ft, I was fascinated by the mental and strategic aspects of the game at the advanced and professional level. One of the complaints that has always stuck out to me comes up when someone plays in divisions above their abilities or drops down as a “bagger.” To a degree, these are legitimate concerns—people tend to play their best when they’re competing against someone of at a similar or slightly higher skill level.
Having seen this effect the way one performs, I know it can be frustrating when a guy is asked to play with women—especially at the rec level—in a small tournament in order to have the required 3 people per card.
A few weeks, I played a non-sanctioned event in my hometown, Columbia, MO. There were only two women signed up to play, so we had to play with two men each round. This made me uncomfortable at first because I was worried they would have a bad attitude about being stuck with the ladies. However, I was pleasantly surprised. People I knew for a few years and people I had just met all acted the same: they talked to me about how long I had been playing, gave me suggestions when I needed them, high-fived me when I did well, and even talked about how they wished their girlfriends or daughters would play.
Any guy who has not only played on a ladies card, but has engaged in conversation or encouraged a female player, embodies the Spirit of the Game. Or, really, anyone who takes the time to encourage and support players who are still developing their skills instead of becoming frustrated or impatient embodies this spirit.
Just one of these people can counteract several instances of having to play in an intermediate division because there weren’t enough people to make a rec division, being told that disc golf is not a “real sport,” or even self-criticism during a rough round. These are the people who make disc golf great!
