Who's the next playa to be signed to Innova ?

[snap7times]

I say, "when is a Deaf player ever gonna get sponsored?"... just stirring up the pot... stir snap stirrrr...

[exczar]

Who is the highest rated deaf golfer and what is his/her rating? I don't believe the disc mfrs would ignore someone with a sufficiently high rating, period, unless there were some extenuating circumstances, and deafness per se would not be one, IMO.

[John Keith]

Well I just got 997 and have been in school fro 3 yrs. still bringing my rating up. I hope to shoot over 1000 with now having chance to play big events since I graduated. i just need to get my name out there more and produce at the big level. Thats my plan and goal for 2010 !! Looking forward to USDGC.

[mrspank]

Originally Posted by kvdiscpro

Well I just got 997 and have been in school fro 3 yrs. still bringing my rating up. I hope to shoot over 1000 with now having chance to play big events since I graduated. i just need to get my name out there more and produce at the big level. Thats my plan and goal for 2010 !! Looking forward to USDGC.

If all goes as planned, would you rather get picked up by Innova, Discraft or Gateway? In other words, how tightly would you like the strings pulled?

[John Keith]

well good question. I know Dave and Gateway and Ive received some disc as a "mixed sponsorship", and then i recieved some disc from gateway cause I have landed accounts for Him. I like some Gateway disc, but Ive thrown Innova my whole Game. I have lived and breathed Innova disc. I can throw Discraft and I like some of there disc. Its hard as a 997 to be so close to my 1000 goal and then start playing with new style and types of Disc! I dont want to lose any ground...and I want to keep doing whats working. But I dont want to be stubborn and miss a companies oppurtunity to propel me to a better player.
I like Gateway Disc and I can confidently use his overstable mids, Putters and still play my game, however Gateway doesnt have a full line of disc to match my shots and the type of disc Im confident with.
I obviously like Innova and can throw all Innova to keep my game progressing.But Im not sure what I have to do to become a Sponsored guy for them?
Discraft: I play with and know alot of really good Discraft guys. I think I could play and throw all Discraft and keep my game, with maybe a little re-tooling, practice time, maybe 2 mnths or so.And I would be proud to do so, Im not so stuck on a certain brand, as much as I am the Sport and my progression.
So Im not a brand snob, but I do want an oppurtunity that is going to help me.Meaning I like Gateway but Dave doesnt seem to have the resources to be able to help like I thought. (But I like Dave and Gateway and all that he does) he just really cant afford a "sponsored team" right now, So Im hoping a better option can find me while I play on Tour?
Sorry for the long answer, but Ive thought long and hard...

[John Keith]

Innova would be an Honor as I throw most of their stuff, but Discraft would be just as great as an Honor. Either way I would be a sponsored player and acheived one of my Disc Golf Life Goals.....

[John Keith]

I just want to prove to the scene in 2010 that I belong. I believe I can hang with the pressure of the Top guys, and I want my actions to speak for themselves. Im not going to go begging a company to look at me, but rather I want my play to be solid enought in the 4 A tiers Im playing this year to turn some heads and hopefully spark some Sponsorship Inquiries?

[snap7times]

highest rated deaf disc golfer that is part of Deaf Disc Golf Association is our back to back National Champ Justin Ashton, rated 965, hurt himself badly onroute to his first championship in 2008. He won a B tier in Texas in Open averaging around 1010 for the tournament I believe... There might be some others out there, but not associated with DDGA... Brock Dowell Finally played in DDGA's Nationals in 2009... 5 years ago, there were only a fewwww PDGA-DDGA players, in the last 2 years the numbers have grown exponently so we should see something happening in the next few years. Just like it took PDGA a long time to grow, DDGA is growing now... See what happens in 2010, last weekend alone, one of us won the open division in an ice bowl and another got 2nd in open at a c-tier... progress...

[two5twosix9]

congrats to chandler fry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John Keith]

Whos the Better Sponsorship? Is one company doing it better, supporting better than an other?

[my_hero]

Originally Posted by kvdiscpro

Whos the Better Sponsorship? Is one company doing it better, supporting better than an other?

Keith,

What are your "sponsorship" expectations? There are plenty of avenues for you in the DFW market.

[John Keith]

well Disc Would be great, A disc hook up...of any sort would be a start. I can represent who Im throwing! Of course some swag, shirts and hats and shorts showing off Discraft. Other than that I don’t know what’s available? What can I do? What can Discraft do? What are my options? I would rather not sale disc, but I want to throw them and represent them at A tiers. I would hope to be an asset enough to get help to go to certain big NT and A tiers. I can travel easy but helping with entry’s or being able to hang out with and have the support of the discraft guys would be cool?

Im 997 and I hope with My 4 A tiers Im about to hit My goal is to get USDGC qualified and bring rating over 1000+. I really feel this is my year.

[John Keith]

either way, thanks Hero.

[dgdave]

Kent, the pres of the DDGA, just got picked up by DGA

[snap7times]

Originally Posted by dgdave

Kent, the pres of the DDGA, just got picked up by DGA

Thanks dgdave, Kent is my advisor for DDGA, I'm the President now, Kent stepped down at the 2009 National Championship so he could focus more on his personal love for the game of Disc Golf. Kent and I have worked together for years now as I was his VP and TD for 2 years. Kent deserves the DGA sponsorship and we look to build on that since that is basically the first time a disc manufactuer has made the step towards the DDGA market...
FYI, Robert Huizar of New Mexico probably made one of the biggest jumps all weekend long at the Memorial in MA1, jumped 51 spots on the last day for the big "amateur" payout mini basket in 12th place, sick jump.

[John Keith]

Originally Posted by mrspank

If all goes as planned, would you rather get picked up by Innova, Discraft or Gateway? In other words, how tightly would you like the strings pulled?

What about being picked up by an Internet Store? does that happen? can that Happen? I think that would be cool to represent a store so I could throw what I wanted and still be sponsored? I know that was the whole philosophy behind Dave and Gateway Sponsoring mixed bag was, he's trying to open the thinking to sponsorships outside of the "main stream" idea of it having to be a certain disc company?
Do Internet companies sponsor guys?

[JHBlader86]

Originally Posted by kvdiscpro

What about being picked up by an Internet Store? does that happen? can that Happen? I think that would be cool to represent a store so I could throw what I wanted and still be sponsored? I know that was the whole philosophy behind Dave and Gateway Sponsoring mixed bag was, he's trying to open the thinking to sponsorships outside of the "main stream" idea of it having to be a certain disc company?
Do Internet companies sponsor guys?

I'm sponsored by PoorBoyDiscs.com which hooks me up with free PBD merchandise and I get wholesale prices on discs and some free discs occasionally. It's pretty good to be sponsored by a vendor because I can throw what I want, and they help sponsor many tournaments going in my area, and some tournaments for my friends and their clubs.

I'd say if you can get a chance to get a vendor to sponsor you take it. But apparently being a sponsored Intermediate player, most people in my division think I need to move up and stop "bagging." To them sponsorship means the disc golf gods have granted you magical skills to be a top player haha.

[John Keith]

funny, but yes.
I hope to have a great yer and push over the 1000 mark, maybe I could get an online local store to do that. Any suggestions on how to approach them and getting sponsored?
Advice?

[discette]

Originally Posted by kvdiscpro

funny, but yes.
I hope to have a great yer and push over the 1000 mark, maybe I could get an online local store to do that. Any suggestions on how to approach them and getting sponsored?
Advice?

Try starting a new thread.

[JHBlader86]

Originally Posted by kvdiscpro

funny, but yes.
I hope to have a great yer and push over the 1000 mark, maybe I could get an online local store to do that. Any suggestions on how to approach them and getting sponsored?
Advice?

Well I got lucky and happened to log on to their site and saw they were taking applications, but I still had to sell myself. If you know any on a personal level tell them what you can do for their company.

[John Keith]

thanks man i juts like the idea of internet and stores sponsoring guys, I think its a great way for our sport to go and grow . Not all just competing for the same players to throw only 1 brand. if we play for stores then all brands can be represented at the highest levels of our sport.

[John Keith]

Is this good marketing for the stores, are they having success with this type sponsorship?
what are the conditions of a stores sponsoring? is it diffeent? do you have to sale disc and make accounts?

[JHBlader86]

Originally Posted by kvdiscpro

Is this good marketing for the stores, are they having success with this type sponsorship?
what are the conditions of a stores sponsoring? is it diffeent? do you have to sale disc and make accounts?

My conditions are simply represent my sponsor through advertising by what I wear, handing out cards, some merchandise, gift certificates, sponsoring tournaments, and having good character. I regularly compare pricing from PBD to Sun King and Dynamic Discs, and tell them how we have better pricing. I'm not bound to a sales quota, but I was talking to Holly, the owner of PBD, yesterday and he said the company is really growing, and all the advertisement is paying off and they're sending me a bunch of PBD merchandise and discs.

[John Keith]

very Nice, thanks for the heads up and a good idea. I will try and propose this this spring. thanks

[unclemercy]

Originally Posted by exczar

Who is the highest rated deaf golfer and what is his/her rating? I don't believe the disc mfrs would ignore someone with a sufficiently high rating, period, unless there were some extenuating circumstances, and deafness per se would not be one, IMO.

don't be so sure, old man

[exczar]

Care to elaborate?

[711]

Originally Posted by exczar

Who is the highest rated deaf golfer and what is his/her rating? I don't believe the disc mfrs would ignore someone with a sufficiently high rating, period, unless there were some extenuating circumstances, and deafness per se would not be one, IMO.

Exczar, Deafness is a bigger disability than you realize.

Deaf Disc Golf has been around for quite some time now.
We are now entering our 12th annual Deaf National disc golf championship.
There are at least 1,000 casual Deaf disc golfers and about 100-200 competitors.
We have a huge grapevine that stretches nationwide. Imagine the potential exposure.

However, we may appear immature at times or even struggle with the language barrier.

This I suspect is the hardest knock on Deaf disc golfers. Even with the advancement of technology, only 10% of the people with hearing loss will be able to use the forums on equal footing due to language requirements. I know I (and snap7times) have been asked at times to help mediate or facilitate due to the language.

It may not help that we deal with equilibrium issues in between our two defunct ears.
Talk about holy OAT throws ;-)

After 12 years, I note about 30 players who are above a 900 rating and about 5 who are above a 950 rating with severe sensioneural hearing loss.

To date, only 1 disc company, DGA, has sponsored a Deaf disc golfer. Kudos to them for recognizing the potential marketing opportunity.

Notables:
Iron Lion has recognized a Deaf disc golfer
Gorilla-boy has recognized a Deaf disc golfer
Paragon has recognized a Deaf disc golfer
A deaf disc golfer has tried running for PDGA Board.
For the first time, a disc golf dvd was subtitled (2011 pdga pro worlds)
Unfortunately, 2012 am worlds was not subtitled. the jury's out for 2012 pro worlds.

Disability is a challenge. The majority of the world takes communication for granted.
Very few realize how much of communication is actually a privilege and how we struggle day in day out for accessibility.