Do things really happen for a reason?
Posted by dizzydevo January 11th, 2008. Discuss
Back in 1988 when I turned 21, not that it ment much as far as legality to drink. They changed the laws and I was grandfathered in so at age 18 I was a booze hound. O-tay back to subject.... I was intorduced to Disc Golf by a friend Corey who lived in Canton, OH. Canton had just gotten the first course in with 9 holes at Spiker park if I remember right and the other 9 to come later in the year. The year may be off but it was the year that they were gonna add 9 holes. So Corey took me my friend Tim Hurley and his cousin who introduced us to Corey out for a round. I was hooked then and so Corey gave Tim and I 2 discs to play with 1 being a DX Stringray of which is now at the bottom of Freedlander Park Pond, the other I think was a Comet?? not sure but it was a putter or multi-purpose disc of which I do not have.
I played for another 4 rounds over the summer that year and lost interest and drive to play. So now comes yet another friend Ryan Watson who was playing DG at Freedlander Park. He gives me a call to join him out on the course for a round and I eagerly join with my trusted empty head. He gives me a couple discs to use to try and play a couple holes. I do so and feel that I can get back into it. I just need my Stingray and I will show them....Ha ha ha ha such fools I've played before so I know what to do and I can show them a few things......
I grab my trusted never used since the last time I played Stingray and went out for another round with Ryan and the WOODGA club members. My head swelled with now know stupidity instead of ability to throw. I step up and make the very first throw ever in quite a few years. You guessed it wild off into the never never land and underbrush. I trudged on bragging about my playing before and everyone else just going about their thing and my abilities will show again just wait give me the next hole. No wait how about the next. This goes on until hole 9. On the left the dreaded pond of doom and on the right the dreaded slope of out of bounds. A narrow path for a straight shot thrower that has lost total control over what they had. I make my throw and in the drink it goes. That does it I'm done for the day this isn't going as the brain claimed. We mark the spot where it went in to retrieve it after the round, a good swim in stinky water was cooling but the after smell was left to be desired.
I find out where to obtain some discs and a bag thinking that I can do better with the right look. Ya gotta have the look man otherwise how can they tell your a Disc Golfer dude. So I figure it's close enough to my birthday so why not get a starter bag and a few discs to check out as well. The BIG 40 was close at hand and I went out each Sunday I could and as many days throughout the week as I could fit in. I want more!!!! So I buy an el-cheapo portable basket that came with 3 discs and I figure the kids can use those ones. I set the basket up in the back yard and start chucking discs like a mad man after his prey. They were all over the back yard, across the railroad tracks, across and in the road, on top of a parked semi truck. My goal was if I couldn't make the basket then I want to get it inside the open door of the factory across the railroad tracks. At least I would get longer second shot practice along the way.
The seaosn goes on and I hear about all the tourny's people have played in and this person made xx amount of $ in this tourny etc.. Ron Howiler and Tabi Alltop kept telling me that I should play in at least one tourny before the season is over. So I had it set once I heard about the Dover course and the Very first tourny there.
Dover was just finished being installed and the people getting the Dover club started had the first tourny. This was my first tourny being in and I was fidgity all these pro's around and 2 womens world champions. I got Valarie Jenkins autograph on a new White Dragon. Well I'm movin' on up, to the east side hey hey yeah.
Swelled head aside I sat there most of the time not even able to get much of a word in edgewise with everyone catching up on times and getting things going for the tourny to start etc.. I kept hearing a few things that I have heard before from people about clubs and joining one and participating in one. Most of the experienced player want to play and that is it. They don't want anyting to do with the course maint./upkeep. They don't care if you lose a disc that is marked. They were bragging on how they removed the names and kept them without attempting to call the person. They kept saying that they have paid their dues coming up in ranks and now it's their turn to bilk the Ams for all they can they are owed that.
This is what I got from both the Dover tourny and the Canton Turkey Bowl. Now me as an Am sitting back listening to this take most with the grain of salt intended but the way others kept on let me know that not all think that way, just a select few and they are usually the ones that show up for the tourny hoping that there are tons of Ams to pay them the winnings they might win.
Not thinking or caring that what they are saying around newbie players/tourny players is not presenting the best side of DG. So I started asking the same questions a few other WOODGA members were asking late in the season. "What does the Club have to offer me for the money I put in?"
So I have been researching way to answer this question and have a satisfied recipient. Details on this stuff later.
Anyway, I sat back one Sunday afternoon when the club scrambles were done and had a thought. That being this, If I were to have stayed with DG back when I was first introduced, how would things be with me compared to now.
One I would prolly still be the big drunk I was back then but playing DG tourny's and winning some money along the way...prolly not the best of things mentally speaking either. I would be burnout with clubs and fund raising for tourny's. The fun would be drained from me because I would burnout fast given the mentality I had back then. I prolly would be one of those that just play to win money no matter where, who or how. I would prolly be one of those that go diving for discs and not calling the numbers but instead removing them and keeping the disc for myself or selling them for a quick buck.
I look at myself now with DG and how I am thinking about the game/sport now compared to then. I will still make a few bucks along the way but I will do it with honesty and integrity. I will play in more tourny's along the way, stay with the club and help it grow. But mainly the most I get from DG is the peace of mind I get when I play even on the bad days. I can say this now that the fog of booze has been lifted for the past 7 yrs with a few special occasions for relapse. I see a way to help kids find an activity that is good for them no matter how skilled/unskilled they are at playing. All are good in their own eyes so lets keep the fantasy going man.
So I wrap this up with the same question as the title.
dizzydevo Says...