Worlds in the Media

[David E]

Dirk - well put!!

[Dirk]

From the Director of the PDGA

"The main mission of the PDGA is promotion and growth of the sport around the world."

http://www.pdga.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=30591&page=35

Yet the PDGA called Jack and Chap inquiring about press write ups for the World Championships?? Excuse me ? The PDGA is relying on local TDs to promote National coverage of the largest Disc Golf event in History?!! If the PDGA had done absolutly NOTHING to promote the Worlds, what are they doing with their time and our dues?

The only major media coverage of the entire event came from an article in the KC STAR from after being contacted by the local TDs.

I'd say the PDGA Administration has failed miserably at promoting this support in the press to increase awareness and sponsorship money. And now the pros are unhappy on the PDGA discussion board because their payouts dont even cover there costs to travel to the Championship... I don't blame them, the PDGA administration is ineffectual and is not doing the job.

Thankfully the logistics of the tourney were well handled by the local TDs and KCFDC to ensure that everyone from around the world had a great experience playing.

[John Chapman]

From the Director of the PDGA

"The main mission of the PDGA is promotion and growth of the sport around the world."

http://www.pdga.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=30591&page=35

Yet the PDGA called Jack and Chap inquiring about press write ups for the World Championships?? Excuse me ? The PDGA is relying on local TDs to promote National coverage of the largest Disc Golf event in History?!! If the PDGA had done absolutly NOTHING to promote the Worlds, what are they doing with their time and our dues?

The only major media coverage of the entire event came from an article in the KC STAR from after being contacted by the local TDs.

I'd say the PDGA Administration has failed miserably at promoting this support in the press to increase awareness and sponsorship money. And now the pros are unhappy on the PDGA discussion board because their payouts dont even cover there costs to travel to the Championship... I don't blame them, the PDGA administration is ineffectual and is not doing the job.

Thankfully the logistics of the tourney were well handled by the local TDs and KCFDC to ensure that everyone from around the world had a great experience playing.

First of all, everyone please relax.

The PDGA does not have the staff needed to pull off a major championship such as the Worlds without the hard work of the host club. There's only 5 full-time staff members in the PDGA office.  Yes, I wish they/we would concentrate a little more on attracting the media that is already out there rather than trying to create our own (PDGA Media), but we all need to do a better job of getting media out there. Guys, let's concentrate on what we can do to make things better in own little piece of the world. We've done a great job of showing folks outside the region how good disc golf in Kansas City is.  Let's not spoil it by necessarily criticizing PDGA without all the facts.  Kansas City disc golfers are friendly, congenial, and good sports, and we just kicked it up a notch (BAM!) on the fun meter last week as well.  Let's keep that good energy going for a while.  Thanks to everyone that helped out last week.

Chap

[Mike Penney]

WOW !! That is some serious reading on the pdga thread about Worlds. I believe a good amount of it to be valid. I'm not pdga current and probably won't be any time soon. My honest opinion is it's a joke. Harsh words I know but the truth in my mind. What would be the incentive to give them 60-100 dollars? So I can play in a handful of events that are nearby? Seriously, who is the pdga? and better yet why give them our hard earned cash? If the mission statement is to promote disc golf, then please by all means tell me where the major media outlets where for the biggest event in disc golf? I don't think that should be placed in the TD's shoulders, when there is an organization that is supposed to be doing that. Right? KCFDC ran the world event, got the "local" media involved, got the general public's interest in our hobby that others choose to call a sport, yet I know the pdga was there with their hands out.Entry fee's go up, dues go up, yet pay outs remain the same.  I mean Rick has a hard enough time getting 20 bucks from me for my KCFDC dues. They way I see it I'd rather donate 4 hours of my time improving a course. Which in reality is improving a park I like to visit.  IT was a GGRREEEAAAT event and I am by no means trying to take away from it, but the pay outs was weak at best. So Dirk's comment is completely valid. PDGA boo....KCFDC yea! think globally act locally

[Rick Rothstein]

I doubt if you noticed Mike, but the actualization of the Worlds was a result of partnerships between the KCFDC and the PDGA, the various Parks Deparments and Bill Stuecke, and also the great work from a host of volunteers—some of them in the Club, some not, some from KC, some from out of town. Many companies and individuals supported the event as well. As a PDGA Board member and a part of the KC Worlds team, I'm hoping to use my unique position to offer suggestions that might help future Pro-Am Worlds to shore up some of the weaknesses of our event. I find yours and Dirk's blame game to be rather non-productive. Also, several of your assumptions demonstrate a lack of knowledge.  You ask who is the PDGA? Do you even know who is the KCFDC? But, as the saying, goes, opinions are like noses, everyone has one.

Rick

WOW !! That is some serious reading on the pdga thread about Worlds. I believe a good amount of it to be valid. I'm not pdga current and probably won't be any time soon. My honest opinion is it's a joke. Harsh words I know but the truth in my mind. What would be the incentive to give them 60-100 dollars? So I can play in a handful of events that are nearby? Seriously, who is the pdga? and better yet why give them our hard earned cash? If the mission statement is to promote disc golf, then please by all means tell me where the major media outlets where for the biggest event in disc golf? I don't think that should be placed in the TD's shoulders, when there is an organization that is supposed to be doing that. Right? KCFDC ran the world event, got the "local" media involved, got the general public's interest in our hobby that others choose to call a sport, yet I know the pdga was there with their hands out.Entry fee's go up, dues go up, yet pay outs remain the same.  I mean Rick has a hard enough time getting 20 bucks from me for my KCFDC dues. They way I see it I'd rather donate 4 hours of my time improving a course. Which in reality is improving a park I like to visit.  IT was a GGRREEEAAAT event and I am by no means trying to take away from it, but the pay outs was weak at best. So Dirk's comment is completely valid. PDGA boo....KCFDC yea! think globally act locally

[Mike Penney]

I wasn't blaming anybody for anything. The worlds was a very well ran event, that couldn't have been pulled off with out the help of ALL the people involved. Now with that being said...My point about the PDGA is this.....where does the money go??? I know they generate a large amount of it....It's very easy to see where twenty dollars to the KCFDC goes...picnic,club championships, general club meeting...which refreshments are provided for. It's not hard to meet the KCFDC, all you have to do is come to one of the before mentioned events. An example of my disappointment with the PDGA is I live here in KC, the club (KCFDC) hosts a handful of PDGA events, to which they (PDGA) receive monies from. Does that get put back into our local scene? Where's the Missouri tour? There's 2 big cities (STL & KC) and one smaller but has just as big event as the Wide Open in Columbia...Why isn't there something like the KDGA set up here in my state? But all of that has nothing to do with the original point...Where was the major media outlets? If you call covering the "World Championships" on the PDGA website promotion of disc golf then this "sport" is always going to remain a backyard hobby.

[Keizer]

[Dirk]

I'm all for keeping the good vibe of the worlds flowing as it was a great success, but critical reflection is also beneficial. KC is rich in courses and relationships enabling the growth of disc golf as a result of bringing the World Championships here. We are  flourishing as a result of local work and volunteering. I appreciate the family of PDGA volunteers that travel from event to event and have helped coordinate the growth of the sport, likely long before I even knew what disc golf was, but..

It seems the PDGA feeds on its own players to supply pro purses instead of major sponsors. What actions are happening with a National strategy to grow the sponsorships of this sport? Leaning on local hosts who repeat disjointed but similar patterns in different cities without any central strategic plan to grow purses and Media coverage is not effective.

So if the "The main mission of the PDGA is promotion and growth of the sport around the world." What did they do to support their primary objective this year?  Next year is it just up to the next town and club to figure out how to run the worlds media and sponsorship in their own way, like it was this year?

5 full time employees should have be able to get some major media coverage for the biggest PDGA World Championship in history. Sponsors like media coverage. Sponsors bring money to the purse, instead of feeding off dues that yield poor salaries for the sports best players.

[David E]

This is from my home town newspaper in Kirkwood, MO

http://www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com/Articles-i-2009-08-14-166240.113118_Audrey_Quirk_Disc_Golf_World_Champion.html

A little more good pub for the sport!

BTW - played with her dad John in Adv Masters, GREAT GUY!!!

[kcRhyno]

does anyone know if Metro Sports ever ran that coverage from Swope right before worlds?