2021 PDGA Board of Directors Elections

[odysseus]

Who cares if David Schreff plays disc golf!

David is a mogel within the sports and digital entertainment world. He instantly legitimizes the BOD and provides an immediate exponential boost to the upward trajectory forced upon the game by COVID.

Ya'll been waiting for your disc golf angels. First Rainwater. Now Schreff.

Vote him in before he changes his mind.

 

[odysseus]

*Mogul

 

[robdeforge]

From the comments section:

Submitted by PDGADavidSchreff on Jun 4, 2021 at 4:06pm

Please note one correction that didn't yet appear when I submitted my career summary, namely, that I served as Chairman of the Board of USA Volleyball, the governing body of the US Olympics and Paralympics Committee.
Further, through my work as President, Global Marketing and Media for the National Basketball Association (NBA), I sold/managed the corporate sponsorship and media deals through our exclusive rights representation of the USA Basketball Olympic Dream Teams for the 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta) Olympics. Thank you for your support of my candidacy.

 

[filobedo]

The last candidate is an odd one. Clearly a very impressive resume in the sports and entertainment world. Yet he's a very new PDGA member, and has yet to play in or even register for a single tournament. How much does he even know about disc golf, the PDGA, etc.?

To me there's one very obvious strong candidate, and I'm undecided on who to vote for in the other two slots.

Since 2016, a few opportunities to grow the sport have been derailed due to ego it seems. If the PDGA membership misses this opportunity to elect someone with his credentials, the sport will continue without major sponsorships compared to professional cornhole and other fringe sports. The candidate's resume reflects he has contacts with decision makers at public companies instead of the traditional local contacts at the restuarant down the street from the local course or the local landscape company. Since I have been a member, the only large corporate sponsorships I remember were Woodchuck Cider and Microtel. Please give this guy a chance for a couple of years. He does not come across as a person looking to fleece the local club.

 

[bwgort]

Since 2016, a few opportunities to grow the sport have been derailed due to ego it seems. If the PDGA membership misses this opportunity to elect someone with his credentials, the sport will continue without major sponsorships compared to professional cornhole and other fringe sports. The candidate's resume reflects he has contacts with decision makers at public companies instead of the traditional local contacts at the restuarant down the street from the local course or the local landscape company. Since I have been a member, the only large corporate sponsorships I remember were Woodchuck Cider and Microtel. Please give this guy a chance for a couple of years. He does not come across as a person looking to fleece the local club.

What profit incentives does he have? Is he trying to create any dg businesses? Do his current business intend to move into disc golf?

 

[ru4por]

This discussion seems focused on the smallest percentage of the PDGA membership. I personally think, dreams of moving the sport past its fringe status is foolish. Set that aside though.

I want my PDGA focused on providing increased support to the AM side of the game, grow the volunteer base, bring new players to the sport and promote the healthy family angle of the game. I want my PDGA to support a large effort to get new courses in the ground. Not gold level championship courses, that will challenge the top 75 players in the world, but park courses, neighborhood nine holers.... I want my PDGA to continue to assist clubs, TD's and players learn and love the game. Really, I don't see a 7-11 or Piggly Wiggly sponsorship doing much for me or any part of the game that I care about.

 

[aredoubles]

Who cares if David Schreff plays disc golf!

David is a mogul within the sports and digital entertainment world. He instantly legitimizes the BOD and provides an immediate exponential boost to the upward trajectory forced upon the game by COVID.

Ya'll been waiting for your disc golf angels. First Rainwater. Now Schreff.

Vote him in before he changes his mind.

Since 2016, a few opportunities to grow the sport have been derailed due to ego it seems. If the PDGA membership misses this opportunity to elect someone with his credentials, the sport will continue without major sponsorships compared to professional cornhole and other fringe sports. The candidate's resume reflects he has contacts with decision makers at public companies instead of the traditional local contacts at the restuarant down the street from the local course or the local landscape company. Since I have been a member, the only large corporate sponsorships I remember were Woodchuck Cider and Microtel. Please give this guy a chance for a couple of years. He does not come across as a person looking to fleece the local club.

Going back to what I asked on the very first page - major sponsorships and media coverage would be awesome for the DGPT. I'd love to have this guy on the DGPT board. But how would those help the PDGA from a board seat position? I'm genuinely asking, because I don't know.

Let's take one concern of PDGA at the moment, which is am tournaments filling up instantly and leaving out a lot of disgruntled players. How does this guy help with that? What proposals does he have for helping local clubs run more tournaments to accommodate more players? Does he know anything at all about how tournaments are set up and run? That's just one example. Of course other folks on the board can step in with more experience there, but...so would other board candidates.

Someone mentioned that he used to be on the board of USA Volleyball, and oversaw some grassroots efforts there. Where are the details on that? That is by far the most relevant experience for a PDGA board seat. And it should've been important to include in his personal statement, which is all the information we're provided to inform our votes on.

 

[odysseus]

Going back to what I asked on the very first page - major sponsorships and media coverage would be awesome for the DGPT. I'd love to have this guy on the DGPT board. But how would those help the PDGA from a board seat position? I'm genuinely asking, because I don't know.

Let's take one concern of PDGA at the moment, which is am tournaments filling up instantly and leaving out a lot of disgruntled players. How does this guy help with that? What proposals does he have for helping local clubs run more tournaments to accommodate more players? Does he know anything at all about how tournaments are set up and run? That's just one example. Of course other folks on the board can step in with more experience there, but...so would other board candidates.

Someone mentioned that he used to be on the board of USA Volleyball, and oversaw some grassroots efforts there. Where are the details on that? That is by far the most relevant experience for a PDGA board seat. And it should've been important to include in his personal statement, which is all the information we're provided to inform our votes on.

This discussion seems focused on the smallest percentage of the PDGA membership. I personally think, dreams of moving the sport past its fringe status is foolish. Set that aside though.

I want my PDGA focused on providing increased support to the AM side of the game, grow the volunteer base, bring new players to the sport and promote the healthy family angle of the game. I want my PDGA to support a large effort to get new courses in the ground. Not gold level championship courses, that will challenge the top 75 players in the world, but park courses, neighborhood nine holers.... I want my PDGA to continue to assist clubs, TD's and players learn and love the game. Really, I don't see a 7-11 or Piggly Wiggly sponsorship doing much for me or any part of the game that I care about.

Two words: Top down.

Yes, Grassroot is great. Bottom up is great.

However, David's greatest asset is his level of global networking. This alone is worth its weight in game development and financial support gold, for all players, across all levels.

 

[ru4por]

Two words: Top down.

Yes, Grassroot is great. Bottom up is great.

However, David's greatest asset is his level of global networking. This alone is worth its weight in game development and financial support gold, for all players, across all levels.

I could not disagree more.

 

[aredoubles]

Two words: Top down.

Yes, Grassroot is great. Bottom up is great.

However, David's greatest asset is his level of global networking. This alone is worth its weight in game development and financial support gold, for all players, across all levels.

Again - let him join the DGPT board then. I think that'd be an awesome fit. Have him help the pros and tour reach broader audiences and get more mainstream support, and grow the sport that way.

But I don't get how he helps the PDGA board. That's not what they do. Maybe his experiences with USA Volleyball could provide some insight, but he declined to offer any details on that.

 

[Ahildy13]

Volleyball is a sport that has been in the Olympics since 1964. I don't know how much he has done to "advance the sport", but I do know I can't name a volleyball player outside of the cast of Top Gun.

 

[roblee]

We can vet the other candidates through their disc golf communities. Some I've met, one I know. What are David's accomplishments in those positions? Was he successful? Is he a team player? He may be great for DG but he's an unknown commodity. It's more important to know about him because he's offering magic potion and he has takers. ACTV8me is in Beverly Hills. Can anyone from there vouch for him? Viacom, Marvel, Disney, NBA, Olympics oh my!

 

[Hampstead]

He didn't mention smaller baskets. It seems like he doesn't understand the future of the game.

 

[DiscgolfStu]

This discussion seems focused on the smallest percentage of the PDGA membership. I personally think, dreams of moving the sport past its fringe status is foolish. Set that aside though.

I want my PDGA focused on providing increased support to the AM side of the game, grow the volunteer base, bring new players to the sport and promote the healthy family angle of the game. I want my PDGA to support a large effort to get new courses in the ground. Not gold level championship courses, that will challenge the top 75 players in the world, but park courses, neighborhood nine holers.... I want my PDGA to continue to assist clubs, TD's and players learn and love the game. Really, I don't see a 7-11 or Piggly Wiggly sponsorship doing much for me or any part of the game that I care about.

I don't see why investing in the pro game has to come at the expense of the Am side?
More awareness and better sponsorship is a good thing and will only help with the development of everything you have listed, IMO.

 

[DiscgolfStu]

Some more thoughts on ^^: Grass roots basketball in Canada was a footnote before the Raptors came to Toronto. Now there's several Canadian NBAers. Basketball in Canada would be toiling in mediocrity if it weren't for the sponsorships and development from the top.

Austen Matthews led the NHL in goal scoring this year. He's from Arizona. He does not play hockey if it weren't for the development of the pro game. No one in Arizona does.

If you want more courses, better courses, more kids playing and the resources to do it - it's a top down equation in sport.

 

[ru4por]

Some more thoughts on ^^: Grass roots basketball in Canada was a footnote before the Raptors came to Toronto. Now there's several Canadian NBAers. Basketball in Canada would be toiling in mediocrity if it weren't for the sponsorships and development from the top.

Austen Matthews led the NHL in goal scoring this year. He's from Arizona. He does not play hockey if it weren't for the development of the pro game. No one in Arizona does.

If you want more courses, better courses, more kids playing and the resources to do it - it's a top down equation in sport.

I cannot help but to laugh at attempts to compare disc golf with the NBA. Honestly, there is absolutely no comparison.

I have to believe that Canadians were playing basketball in parks, on the streets and in gym class well before 1995.

 

[biscoe]

If you want more courses, better courses, more kids playing and the resources to do it - it's a top down equation in sport.

You are both right, and both wrong. Disc golf has only reached the point within the past few years that top down matters at all. Prior to that it was all bottom up. Now it is both.

 

[DiscgolfStu]

You are both right, and both wrong. Disc golf has only reached the point within the past few years that top down matters at all. Prior to that it was all bottom up. Now it is both.

I thought about this after I hit "enter". You're right.

 

[DiscgolfStu]

I cannot help but to laugh at attempts to compare disc golf with the NBA. Honestly, there is absolutely no comparison.

I have to believe that Canadians were playing basketball in parks, on the streets and in gym class well before 1995.

That's my point. Canadians were playing in parks and streets and gym class before 1995. And that's as far as it went, or would ever go.

Basketball, at some point in it's history, was no bigger than disc golf is today. It evolved. It didn't evolve solely on the backs of grass roots organizations. It needed big money and a larger presence in the public domain. Now more and more kids play and there's an insane amount of resources being poured into the game. So, you can laugh at the comparison all you want, but then your ignoring the point.

For whatever reason, disc golf gets sh*t on by it's players. I always hear people say, "It's throwing plastic in the woods", well guess what, playing baseball is "hitting a ball with a big stick". Why disc golfers are afraid of success and evolution is beyond me. Let it ride. It's gonna happen with or without you. If you read this forum from 2-3 years ago, everyone said that disc golf would never get to where it is today. They were SO sure of it. Well, it's probably surpassed those meager expectations. Time to accept it.

 

[biscoe]

For whatever reason, disc golf gets sh*t on by it's players. I always hear people say, "It's throwing plastic in the woods", well guess what, playing baseball is "hitting a ball with a big stick". Why disc golfers are afraid of success and evolution is beyond me. Let it ride. It's gonna happen with or without you. If you read this forum from 2-3 years ago, everyone said that disc golf would never get to where it is today. They were SO sure of it. Well, it's probably surpassed those meager expectations. Time to accept it.

A thousand times this. Disc golf has this huge inferiority complex in relation to other things and that colors how sooo many things in disc golf are/have been done. This occurs even at the PDGA level, hell, it might be most conspicuous there. We offer everything up for free to municipalities just to get courses in the ground. We essentially bribe amateur players into competitive play with lots of trinkets. There is no value placed upon organized competition in and of itself like there is in EVERY OTHER SPORT ON EARTH.

I personally was a naysayer for a long time on the potential for the Pro game and the potential of the Pro game to better the game for all of us. I have seen the light.