Disc Golf Comes to the Library

Wauconda Public Library

As disc golf continues to grow, so do the opportunities to share our passion for this great game. The sport is no longer living on the fringes of society, and more people are curious about how to get started. Most of us are aware that various professional players host clinics around the country, but regular folks like you and me can also do our part to ‘grow the sport’.

Several months ago, Mike Krupicka, the state director in Illinois, asked myself and my wife to host a clinic at the Wauconda Public Library. We thought it was a unique opportunity, so we agreed to give it a shot. This week I wanted to share with you our experience, as this was our first attempt at an event like this.

The Wauconda Public Library has a simple mission: “The purpose of the Wauconda Area Library is to provide and promote a variety of library resources and services in response to the informational, educational, cultural, and recreational needs of both the residential and business communities.” The library itself is an amazing building that evokes a sense of awe and amazement as you ascend the steps to the entrance. Inside is a well-organized, clean, and relaxing environment where people of all ages are welcome to visit. Outside, there is a lovely grass area adjacent to some wetlands. A perfect place to set up our clinic.

The McHenry County Disc Golf Stewards were gracious enough to lend us two practice baskets for the event. In addition, I was able to bring a wide selection of easy to throw discs, mostly mid-ranges, and putters, for people to try. We met our liaison, Kelly Kuningas, and she helped us set up. The event began at noon, and none of us knew what to expect of if anybody would even show up. But it wasn’t too long before the curiosity of flying discs outside the window took hold, and the kids came outside.

 Now we aren’t the best golfers in the world, so why should we be teaching? The truth is we both have a strong passion for the game, and a good enough understanding of the game that we are qualified enough to share our knowledge of the game. And our first opportunity to share our passion was with Jake and his grandmother, who usually come to the library on the weekends to play Mario Kart in the gaming center.  We agreed to keep things as simple as possible and just let the kids throw. A brief breakdown of the basic movements of a throw (footing, reach back, pocket, follow through) and then we just got out of the way. Jake was all smiles as he had a natural knack for the throw, even thought it was his first time ever tossing a frisbee. Even grandma gave it a shot.

Then more kids came out, ranging from Christopher, a very shy 4-year-old, all the way up to Mike, a young man in his late teens who came armed with lots of questions about how discs fly, the different shapes, and how he can get involved. We had a basketball coach dad and his two sons, one of which was very interested in putting, and the other who was more interested in playing in the dirt. Unfortunately, there were no girls on this day, but one of the boys asked to take home an extra disc for his sister.

It wasn’t a huge turnout, but for the children and parents that did participate, they had nothing but positive things to say. It was awesome to hear the boys asking their dads if they could go play disc golf. It was also great to see so many fathers out with their kids as well. If we sparked a passion in just one of those kids, then the whole thing was worth it. And it did seem like each of them took a liking to the game. Every kid left with at least one disc, as well as a pamphlet with more information and a list of nearby courses for reference. Who knows, maybe I’ll run into one of these kids soon at a course.

If you are looking for more ways to get involved with the sport, I recommend doing something like this in your area. It is a great way to share the sport and show the community what a positive impact disc golf has to offer. There is an old Swahili saying that goes, “Each one, Teach one”, and so I challenge each of you to get out there and share your knowledge of this great game with your communities.