The Midwest Invasion, Part 4
It’s May! Trees are blooming, birds are chirping, animals are scurrying around in the grasslands, and for us in the Midwest, it’s the real beginnings of Spring and the Summer to come. It also means we are getting closer to the Midwest Invasion! That’s what I’ve been calling the historical United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships that is coming to Madison, WI at the end of June and early July. This historic event is going to bring women from all around the nation, and the world, to participate in the largest women’s event to date. Already breaking records, this event promises to be one of those moments where you know you are part of something special. But what has led to this rise of women’s disc golf that will allow for such a momentous occasion? It is all the hard work and dedication from women dedicating their time and talents to growing the sport in their corners of the world. I have already written about several key players, and this week I want to share the story of Throw Pink, quite possibly the most recognizable brand on the women’s side of the sport.
Founded in 2013, Throw Pink’s mission is to, “make a difference in the fight to end breast cancer while inspiring women everywhere to get out and play disc golf.” I reached out to Sara Nicholson, the founder of this great organization, to share her story with our readers.
When talking about the motivation to get started, Sara says, “I started Throw Pink while working for the PDGA and running The Magnolia Open at the International Disc Golf Center.” At the time, this event was pioneering the women’s only format, and was started by Karolyn O’Cull and Addie Strozier in 2009. “I took over running it in 2011. The event brought so many new women to the competitive side of disc golf with its fun and welcoming environment”, Sara says. Throw Pink was born soon after because Sara, “Wanted to do more than make one big splash once a year. I knew we could and should reach more women and be doing this worldwide - every weekend.”
Looking back with hindsight, it is apparent that 2011 was a perfect confluence of events that helped reinvigorate women’s disc golf. In addition to Sara’s new idea, Chuck Kennedy created the Global Event, a worldwide event held one weekend each year designed to promote more participation in competitive disc golf. Sara recalls, “I played in that event at the IDGC and saw my name on the PDGA website with a list of more women than I've ever seen in my division.” Later that year the PDGA revamped the Women’s Committee, and the Women’s Global Event was born, with the first event held in 2012. This series of events lead to the foundation of Throw Pink in 2013. “It is efforts like the WGE, Throw Pink, Ladies First Disc Golf, Empowered Disc Golf, Wicked Aces, the Ladies Brunch, and all the companies and initiatives doing things for women, making women feel welcome in the world of disc golf that are helping increase the growth on the women's side”, Sara says. And of course, the pandemic helped with disc golf growth all around.
When it comes to the name, Sara says, “We named it Throw Pink because initially all of our fundraisers were based around breast cancer, and for the first couple of years, that's all we focused on with our charity events.” Pink being a synonymous color associated with breast cancer fundraising, largely due in part to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In 2015, the organization, composed of all women on the board of directors, chose to change their focus to, “Making a difference for all women's health initiatives. Modeled after the Ice Bowl, I tell Throw Pink event directors to pick a charity in their community to raise funds through their Throw Pink event and pick something that pulls at their heartstrings.” Most of the event directors are volunteers with full-time jobs, families, and tons of other responsibilities other than running their charity events. “I've found it makes the work more manageable if it's something that you're passionate about doing”, Sara says.
By combining charitable fundraising with a passion to grow the sport, Throw Pink has become one of the most recognizable brands in the game. Sara explains her success. She jokes, “Sleeping is overrated. Ha! But seriously, I have been fortunate to have many people help me. I worked at the PDGA for years and met many people running and playing in events. My friends and family bought a lot of Throw Pink gear and supported my events in the early days.” In addition to this public support, Sara was fortunate enough to have Harold Duvall as her co-founder. They met when he was the South Carolina State Coordinator when she first started playing sanctioned events. Sara recalls, “Innova sponsored The Magnolia Open in 2011, and Harold checked in with me afterwards to see how it went and to discuss how we could do more. After that, we met a few times to brainstorm ways to grow the women's game, and Throw Pink was born.” As with most successful endeavors, it takes a team to find success, and Throw Pink has certainly found a winning formula.
But the brand is much more than tournaments and fundraisers. They host disc golf training clinics for the public. They provide training for new tournament directors, including helping them through their first events. They run and support various women’s leagues across the country. They talk to schools and after school programs, both at the public and collegiate levels. Now Sara and her team are looking to the future, “One demographic I would like to do more for is our seniors,” Sara says.
The crown jewel for this organization must be the Throw Pink Championship held each year at Winthrop Disc Golf Course. Sara has always wanted to bring the women back to this track. “Jonathan Poole and Harold Duvall started the Women's Championship in 1999 in conjunction with USDGC and ran it for a few years before they handed it over to Mom and Old Man Wallace.” Unfortunately, the pandemic canceled all the early Majors in 2020, “So when we realized the USDGC was going to happen, Jonathan Poole had the idea to bring the women back to the big stage. He worked closely with the PDGA to create the Women's National Championship (WNC) that ran in 2020. It was successful and fun having the women back at that prestigious event”, Sara recounts. After the WNC success, Jonathan and Harold asked Throw Pink to get on board, and Sara jumped at the opportunity. Sarah explains, “Until 2021, Throw Pink had been doing a lot for the new players and amateurs, but we hadn't done a lot to support the women at the top of the game. As a huge believer in the ‘if she can see it, she can be it’ concept, I wanted to put my resources into supporting the women at the top of the game.” By doing this, the top pros had more opportunities, and in turn more young girls and women would have more exposure to the pro ladies, hopefully inspiring them to continue to play this wonderful game.
Sara and her team have expanded their efforts, introducing a new team event. The Throw Pink Women's Team Championship, currently the first Women's Only Team event in disc golf is happening at North Cove in Marion, NC, next weekend. Sara says, “We have 120 ladies - 30 teams with 4 women on each team, and we are raising money for Know Your Lemons. Ace Run Pro will be doing the coverage, and we have Innova, Upper Park Disc Golf, VII, Zuca, Ladies First, and so many other amazing companies supporting it.”
Throw Pink has clearly been a huge influence in the explosive growth for women’s disc golf, and that trend will continue well into the future. Sara says, “I love it. I think the pandemic helped; more coverage of women playing helped, and women's leagues, clinics, and women-only events helped. A lot of things aligned – ‘syzygy’ if you will.” Indeed, this cosmic alliance has translated to wild success, and we’re all better off for it. Sara also says, “Events like the WGE and the Ladies Brunch that are innovative and specifically welcoming to women are what we need to see more of from the PDGA, local clubs, and disc golf manufacturers.”
So, what does the future hold for Throw Pink? “Women's sports are exploding right now in our society, not just disc golf. I see hope for our future with this next generation of disc golfers being fans of the women's game, too, supporting it, watching it, and funding it. The work isn't over, we still have a long way to go, and we need everyone's help - not just women”, Sara explains. Indeed, it takes an entire community, including the men, and we all as a society benefit from these efforts.
