PDGA Executive Director Resigns

[Cgkdisc]

I briefly presented a different way to address school age development at the August Summit meeting. We'll see if the seed planted eventually gains traction moving forward.

 

[Future_Primitive]

LOL wow I never expected that, I just figured they were raking in money. That just seems weird, whatever I'm not a watcher of sports so it makes sense I know nothing about the business and such. That just seems insane with all the money involved tho.

So when the NFL or MLB brand is on a game, jersey, hat, whatever they don't take any cut of that? I just dont' see how that's possible, it's so ****ing wierd lol. There's billions on merchandise alone and they don't take a cut when there label is on something? There are what like 20 years of Madden and more for MLB video games and they aren't taking a cut? They aren't making a profit when their name is on stuff do they cycle that money in the non profit?

Here is an article about for better clarification. Sounds like the NFL league office was a nonprofit (insert many laughs) while the 32 individual teams were not. Looks like the finally gave up the charade in 2015 to avoid any PR issues with a league raking in $9 billion annually. :doh:

 

[lyleoross]

So apply, please.

If nothing else, you'll exhibit some qualities they'll realize they should look for in everyone else.

I'm gonna assume you're serious, but hopefully, you're just pulling my chain. As you well know, I like to tweek noses, and as my company knows, if I see something wrong, I'll say it. In today's corporate America, that is called being politically unsavvy. A bad thing to do. Bosses don't like being told their pet projects won't work because they don't have the right tools.

All of the bs they teach you when you get an MBA, about empowerment of employees, listening to them, doing what they say, it ain't bs, but convincing managers that it ain't bs is tough.

 

[lyleoross]

Of course, teaching is a profession as fraught as any other, including running the PDGA. All of us here are crazy about disc golf, but I hope we can all agree that molding young minds in the classroom, teaching kids how to think critically and how to be good citizens is way more important, noble and personally rewarding, as a profession, than running the governing body of a miniscule cult sport like ours.

Taking a teaching job that pays a fraction of the wages of your previous private sector career makes total sense, especially considering the massive public service teachers deliver. I'm pretty sure the public service one would deliver as the ED of the PDGA would be much less.

Okay, so you understand how important teaching is, that's good. But someone out there has the same view, possibly misplaced, about being the ED of the PDGA. No really.

 

[lyleoross]

Is there a reason the PDGA is non profit? Seems odd that it is in a land where spots organizations can make billions.

As an aside to what others have said, if the PDGA was in the money business it could make for real conflicts of interest. At the outset, I think they became a member directed non-profit specifically to make sure that a monied interest in the sport didn't control the sport to their own interests.

If I recall, and one never knows with me, the DGA spun it off to make it member run?

Chuck...

 

[lyleoross]

I briefly presented a different way to address school age development at the August Summit meeting. We'll see if the seed planted eventually gains traction moving forward.

Have you talked with Three Putt? He seems to have a feel for parks development and play in parks (directed at school-age kids) that seemed interesting. His perspective on school play is also telling, at least for me.

 

[onemilemore]

I was being cheeky or mean. I meant it. You are a stable, smart voice. I don't always agree with you, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it.

The problem I see is, grow the youth level seems great, but how is the $65,000 question.

No you're good man. I wish I had the answer there. I think Brian has done a great job of making the sport more visible through his travel to various recreation and outdoor conferences, so I hope it will be something that moves along that same trajectory. Even if it just means a practice basket in every park or campus, I think we'll get there.

 

[corin_brown]

So when the NFL or MLB brand is on a game, jersey, hat, whatever they don't take any cut of that? I just dont' see how that's possible, it's so ****ing wierd lol. There's billions on merchandise alone and they don't take a cut when there label is on something? There are what like 20 years of Madden and more for MLB video games and they aren't taking a cut? They aren't making a profit when their name is on stuff do they cycle that money in the non profit?

All revenue from fees, rights, licensing, mercy etc. goes to the clubs, which have always been for-profit businesses, not to the league offices.

 

[corin_brown]

Okay, so you understand how important teaching is, that's good.

Thank you for writing this. I wanted that to be crystal clear to everyone, how important I think teaching is. So much so, that it bears repeating. Teaching is very important.

But someone out there has the same view, possibly misplaced, about being the ED of the PDGA. No really.

As disc golfers, we should be so lucky. Just don't see it happening.

 

[lyleoross]

Thank you for writing this. I wanted that to be crystal clear to everyone, how important I think teaching is. So much so, that it bears repeating. Teaching is very important.



As disc golfers, we should be so lucky. Just don't see it happening.

Pet peeve, how poorly we view and treat teachers. Good to know you're on the good team.

 

[Consult20]

Implement a "Disc Golf Experience" into Disney World, Disney Land, and what the hell, the Wisconsin Dells -- that'll get the kids attention.

 

[demon102]

All revenue from fees, rights, licensing, mercy etc. goes to the clubs, which have always been for-profit businesses, not to the league offices.

Gotcha, ya it's pretty clear I know nothing about his realm lol. Nice to get some insight from you guys.

 

[the_lung]

Whenever folks start bandying the non-profit status of the organization, I always like to remind everyone of the textbook definition of this designation, and its exact economic and legal implications.

In a nutshell, a nonprofit organization puts its surplus revenues back into the organization, rather than distributing its surplus income to the organization's shareholders as profit or dividends. This is done almost entirely for taxation implications - so that the nonprofit organization can receive income tax exemption, charitable status for donations, etc.

Also, the non-profit designation doesn't imply that the organization isn't supposed to make a profit.

 

[Cgkdisc]

This quote seems appropriate regarding the caliber of some potential candidates and their satisfaction with the proposed salary:
"If there is one thing I've learned in my years on this planet, it's that the happiest and most fulfilled people I've known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest. - John Glenn"

 

[lyleoross]

This quote seems appropriate regarding the caliber of some potential candidates and their satisfaction with the proposed salary:
"If there is one thing I've learned in my years on this planet, it's that the happiest and most fulfilled people I've known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest. - John Glenn"

Thanks Chuck. Some days it feels like we forget, not just here, but as a country. Money isn't everything.

 

[pmay5]

This quote seems appropriate regarding the caliber of some potential candidates and their satisfaction with the proposed salary:
"If there is one thing I've learned in my years on this planet, it's that the happiest and most fulfilled people I've known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest. - John Glenn"

Profound and timely Chuck.

Godspeed John Glenn.

 

[filobedo]

Some perspective. I am qualified. MBA, PhD, project management position. MBA talent starts well above this, but money is only about fifth in terms of motivation. Empowerment, independence, having a say, making an impact, all of those things matter way more. People who's retirement is reasonably set would take this job at the drop of a hat. Finance, oil industry, aerospace etc. All areas that have pensions or well structured retirement plans that allow early payment.

I agree with Chuck. They will get plenty of offers from insiders, and if they communicate the structure of the org well, they should get outside offers too.

We need an outsider with your skillset that has contacts and experience throughout the sports and entertainment industry. The new leader also needs to make necessary changes (bring in business people to educate the know it alls on what can be improved, added or eliminated) and attract companies to support and grow the sport. The salary does appear way too low to attract anyone with the required education, experience and skills though. Many people I work with have a MBA and the majority of them graduate school and start around the salary posted at the entry level. The salary indicates this is a job and not a career. Hopefully they interview candidates based on skills and experience instead of personality and hopefully Brian has a say in the process. He is a phenominal leader and willing to listen to everyone.

 

[lyleoross]

We need an outsider with your skillset that has contacts and experience throughout the sports and entertainment industry. The new leader also needs to make necessary changes (bring in business people to educate the know it alls on what can be improved, added or eliminated) and attract companies to support and grow the sport. The salary does appear way too low to attract anyone with the required education, experience and skills though. Many people I work with have a MBA and the majority of them graduate school and start around the salary posted at the entry level. The salary indicates this is a job and not a career. Hopefully they interview candidates based on skills and experience instead of personality and hopefully Brian has a say in the process. He is a phenominal leader and willing to listen to everyone.

I'm mixed about the outsider thing. It seems a good enough idea, but in practice, in corporate America, it has a mixed result at best. Most of the time it fails. When it succeeds it's because there is one goal that the corporation has in mind, and that leader is good at that, and that goal is big enough that other failures don't matter. For example, if your one goal was to bring in sponsorship, and you brought in someone who did nothing but, they'd succeed in that. But you'd probably lose ground in tournament development, game development, recruitment of membership, and youth development.

Yeah, I know, if you bring money they will come. No, what happens is more borderline players go Pro because there is more money to support them, but it doesn't bring in more pros/players from outside, not at the levels you're going to get. Remember, there has to be a base, a market before you can get real money into anything. So a money person might get some more money, but nothing like what people are lusting after. I know a high-level money development person who works for non-profits. Usually animal places, but sometimes homeless. She's trained in it and has done it for twenty years. She has the advantage of an emotional hook, especially with animals, and it still doesn't work like people are thinking here.

The best outside person to bring in is an expert from a highly related field. Sports. Now, those guys are available. Soccer club presidents etc. But getting a good honest one is tough. If Ultimate had a similar structure with leadership, that would be a good place to look.

The real problem with the outside guy is they just don't have a feel for what drives the business. They also don't understand the mechanics of the business. Now, it might work for disc golf, because we are so simple, relatively speaking. But the first time the manager makes a decision based on what he thinks is sound business, that goes counter to what the Board and players knows works, he loses credibility.

 

[Consult20]

...The best outside person to bring in is an expert from a highly related field. Sports...

Can you imagine a sports outsider coming in wanting to implement drug testing? Yikes!

 

[lyleoross]

Can you imagine a sports outsider coming in wanting to implement drug testing? Yikes!

Hilarious, but at this level, no way.

They did a drug testing regimen on people on welfare (clearly they must be the big users "eye roll"). The tests all came back negative. You want to find the drug users, go to Washington DC. Hang out with your local congressperson.

Mary Jane has none of the side effects that alcohol does. Deaths per year from alcohol 88,000. The number of overdose deaths from Pot - 0. The number one opponent to legalization, pharmaceutical companies. Pot replaces opioid-based prescription drugs in the treatment of pain. Number of deaths from opioid and other prescription drug overdose per year - 26,000.

The definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

BTW - I don't partake, I'm just not willing to be stupid about it.

If I were the ED

1) turn a blind eye to drugs. Discourage, but don't make it an issue. I'd rather have a player high than on heroine - sorry, legal opioids. I'd rather have guys getting stoned in the parking lot than drinking beer - all things being forbidden in the parking lot that is.

2) stop with the - we are so clean - image. We aren't ball golf. I like what snowboarding has done. Turns out catering to rebels, or to rebel wanna be's, is very profitable.

3) if I were going to try and raise money for the PDGA - I'd brand the image, and hire a marketing company. Hell, if you can sell pet rocks, you can convince teenagers that wearing a disc golf shirt is de rigueur. Look at the crappy branding they buy from aerospacious, and other clothing companies. Then I'd make a line of "cool" shirts and shorts that are labeled and marketed by the PDGA. By cool, I mean I'd have someone who understands the teenage mind develop them, not me.

Right now, Innova, DD, and Discraft have a huge presence in sporting goods companies. Why can't disc golf clothing have a presence in such places?

Of course - that is why I'll never be ED. It's a risky and potentially costly venture.

BTB - have you looked at the old images of Stork and Dunipace from the 70s. Long haired hippy freaks in tee shirts and tube socks. Oh wait, that was me in the 80s. Sigh.