“Here’s Lookin’ at You, Kids”
Day 6 was all about the Juniors for me. I followed them at Pleasant Hill and that is exactly what it was…so pleasant. I have never been so impressed with a group of young athletes. Everyone was having such a great time, wishing fellow competitors “good luck”, complementing each other’s shots, laughing when they hit a tree…they were being kids and having a ball. You all would be so proud that these kids are the future of our sport. And they were GOOD! It was so cute to hear them strategize their shots and occasionally asking for advice from “Daddy, the Caddy”. They knew all throws, the rulebook and respected each other. It was simply a joy to be out there with them today.
I started the day out following <10 Boys (pictured in the photo to the left) Nick Duran, Drew Mosley and Ezra Hapner, who I mentioned in a previous blog as the youngest Worlds competitor. At seven years old, he throws a mean sidearm! This photo was one of my favorites. Notice the disc in the upper left hand corner and the determined look in his eyes. This was Hole #1 at Pleasant Hill.
The Swedish Juniors are dominating their fields. Oscar Stenfelt shot a 42 the first round today with an unofficial rating of 1044. Pretty strong contender for ANY division I’d say. Not to mention his friends in <19 Boys: Victor Grundström and William Gummesson. They are battling to take over 1st from Louisiana’s Nageeb Laborde. It’s going to be a fun match to watch. I wonder who wants it the most. Dan Hastings isn’t out either. It should be an exciting day tomorrow as they play Water Works.
I caught up with < 19 girls Audrey Quirk and Christine Claring as well as < 10 Lydia Dillen. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, as girls always do. Audrey was laughing pretty much the entire time I saw her. She has such a zest for life! (Audrey, Lydia and Christine)
Do you remember having sports idols growing up? I do. Mine were Mary Lou Retten and Kerri Strug. Yes, I’m sure that ages me. They were so determined to win. They fought and fought for what they knew they deserved. Not only do I see that determination in our youth, but I heard them wanting to mirror their disc golf idols. I heard one group saying “Nate (Doss) throws a Buzz like me.” “Not anymore, he throws Avengers.” “Oh well I’m pulling for Climo. You know how sweet a 13 Time Roc’s plastic would be?” These youth are watching you. They want to be you. They look for guidance and motivation. Always carry yourself professionally as you are making an impression on a child at all times. Always remember that. Amateurs, too. They’ll hit the Amateur field before reaching the ranks of Professional (although in some rare cases they skip Amateur altogether). Everyone should be on their best behavior in order to grow as a sport; especially in the eye of the media.
Ok, back to the youth…I took some pictures while out today and wanted to share my favorites. Enjoy:
Tomorrow will be the last round(s) before Semi Finals and Finals on
Saturday. You must focus on the dream and the birdies will come. You
can do it. It's not too late to make a move. Never give up!
Tomorrow evening will be the combination player's party and PDGA awards at Grinder's. This starts at 5:30 PM and ends at 7:00 PM.
Peace,
