Charlotte Park and Rec Youth League

[Disc Golf Live]

I think this was a great beginning for the park's youth league. I hope this will grow to where we have the need for more beginner courses. That could push the park department to let us put more beginner courses in town.

Yes! Beginner courses, not longer courses with a set of short tees.

 

[grodney]

It was another fun day Saturday. Threesomes helped keep the little kids just under 2 hours for the 18 holes. My daughter was the only girl again at Elon. I think 12-15 kids showed up. It was a little chilly.

Playing with my daughter in the 7-9 division was a 6-year old boy. I don't know if his parents want his name mentioned here, so I won't. This kid is amazing. First hole, 197 ft very slightly downhill. He throws a smooth forehand flick that comes up about 25 short. Misses the putt, but still. 2nd hole he absolutely parks the 162-footer with the same forehand flick. Drop-in deuce. By hole 4, I realize he is throwing lefty forehand for drives, and righty backhand for approaches and putts. What?! Due to some tree trouble and some missed putts, he ended up shooting 66, but that's still ridiculous for a kid that size.

 

[grodney]

Playing with my daughter in the 7-9 division was a 6-year old boy. I don't know if his parents want his name mentioned here, so I won't. This kid is amazing. First hole, 197 ft very slightly downhill. He throws a smooth forehand flick that comes up about 25 short.

Hmm, WFDF world record for u7 boys is 195 feet. Based on what I saw, this kid would have a legit shot of beating that in an open field.

http://wfdf.org/worldrecords/?r_sec=1

 

[5QU166Y]

I think I left my water bottle there today if anyone sees it. It was a green water bottle with a faded UNC Charlotte logo.

 

[TheUnderdog]

My daughter did her best this past weekend at Reedy Creek. She is really having a great time with this league.

 

[1978]

Hmm, WFDF world record for u7 boys is 195 feet. Based on what I saw, this kid would have a legit shot of beating that in an open field.

http://wfdf.org/worldrecords/?r_sec=1

Dang it... how do you get this done? Jordan totally throws farther than that. I wish I had known last year when he was "almost 7." By almost 8 he could out throw the under 8 record. Last time we played glow, I took 5 of his drives (because they were better and parked.) Last fall we played Bradford and he shot 3,2,3 on 13,14,15 Bradford, @ 7 Y/O.

 

[1978]

Really, under 1, .96m?

 

[grodney]

Dang it... how do you get this done? Jordan totally throws farther than that. I wish I had known last year when he was "almost 7." By almost 8 he could out throw the under 8 record. Last time we played glow, I took 5 of his drives (because they were better and parked.) Last fall we played Bradford and he shot 3,2,3 on 13,14,15 Bradford, @ 7 Y/O.

The Wiggins family might be a good resource. As I recall, for some age-group records, WFDF allows you to set up "competition-like" conditions, and they'll count it. I don't know what type of videotape/measuring specs they have. Of course the WFDF would be a good resource to ask as well.

Gracie had another fun week at Youth League. She's going through a swing change (power grip plus earlier reach-back), but she's adapting well. The 6-year old boy in her group shot 63 this week -- that's somewhere around a 675 rating. He crushed a drive up the #3 fairway. And #13. And #14. And #17. I have little doubt he could break the age-group record if given the opportunity.

 

[grodney]

This Saturday is the end-of-league "county-wide" tournament for the youth league. Park&Rec is saying there will be a Fall league starting in September, possibly including some parent/child rounds to mix things up. I don't have any numbers, but I think this has probably been a pretty big success for the first run.

 

[Stan McDaniel]

I was in the park and saw Alex doing some work with the kids before they played. What a great sight to have all those youngn's getting lessons and then competing. Kudos to Christian and Alex and others from Chuckers who have helped out, to Innova for their support and to Bryan Joyner from Meck County Park and Rec who inititated this league.

 

[BraveThrower43]

Pullin' for my Sidekick Peden to take it down in the championship this week! This is an awesome idea and I think it will only grow with time

 

[Lewis]

I've been wondering for years why this isn't already being done everywhere. It's good to see y'all are getting it started. :clap:

 

[grodney]

Youth League wrapped on Saturday with a 1-round "tournament". Gracie shot 73 (10 worse than her personal best 63) but that was still good for 2nd overall in the 7-9 year old division, and was best among girls that age. The winner was the aforementioned 6-year old bomber. He shot 59. A good time was had by all. Park&Rec plans to run Youth League again in the Fall.

 

[agibson]

Fantastic! Congrats to Gracie!

 

[bhadella]

It was very cool to be playing Angry Beaver on Saturday and see tons of kids playing Eager Beaver. Keep it up CGDC and Mecklenburg P&R! My daughter is only 8 months old but I have strong hopes that this league will be going when it's time for her to try it out!

 

[DaDiscDude]

ahhh crud, i live in cary, and i just saw this

 

[TheUnderdog]

This program was great. My daughter, Charlie, was the only girl in the 10-12 year old division and had not played with the boys during the prior weeks due to playing at the north site, Reedy Creek, having been grouped with the other girls playing at that site. She was a little intimidated by how much farther the boys threw than her at first and was trying to throw it as far as she could in the beginning. Which led to some errant shots and 2 7's in the first couple of holes. After I calmed her down and reassured her that accuracy and good putting (she's a great putter) can compete with distance she played very well. She finished 4 shots behind runner up and if she had taken bogey 4's on those 2 holes that she got 7's on she would have finished alone in 2nd by several shots. There was a LOT of talent in this youth program with one kid in the 13-15 yr old group shooting an 11 under par 43!! My daughter played with the winner of her 10-12 yr old group, Luke, and he shot a 7 under 47! Gracie played with Charlie the previous week and wowed me with her effortless drives and scored in the low 60's. One of the girls at Reedy Creek was only 7 or 8 and threw primarily forehand rollers with a champ rhyno, I believe, and she was excellent at it, often outdriving everyone in the group. It was as much fun for me to watch these kids as it was for Charlie to play in this league. She can't wait to do it in the fall. Kudos to Mecklenburg Parks and Rec, Bryan Joyner, Innova, CDGC, the Charlotte Chuckers, and all those involved in making this first of its kind league happen.

 

[grodney]

TheUnderdog - good to meet you and Charlie at Elon. Gracie will be 10 by the Fall, so she'll be in the 10-12 division if she plays in the league. Of course they'll be at different sites, but hopefully they would pay together at the end-of-league round.

Oh, and the annual kids tournament is Sat Oct 12. 2 rounds. They had 64 kids the first year and 80 last year. The age divisions this year are <6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, etc.

Past results:
http://www.discgolfunited.com/disc-golf-tournaments/tournament-dashboard.cfm/tourn_id/252
http://www.discgolfunited.com/disc-golf-tournaments/tournament-dashboard.cfm/tourn_id/422

This year's signup starts Aug 1:
http://www.discgolfunited.com/disc-golf-tournaments/tournament-dashboard.cfm/tourn_id/604

 

[turbosteve]

I was looking at the results and I noticed that there was a Zach Wysocki who won one of the divisions. Is he related to Ricky?

 

[grodney]

Yep, little brother. And sister Yvonne (Vonnie) also played the tourney. Ricky's dad told me they named their kids in alphabetical order (not necessarily using every letter). Seems like there are 5 or 6 of them, with Yvonne and Zach obviously being the youngest - ha ha. Guess if they have any surprises they'll have to go all Excel with AAron or something.