The PDGA Innovation Grant Program was created to increase and promote the awareness of the sport of disc golf and the Professional Disc Golf Association. Applicants are encouraged to think outside of the box to develop innovative and unique programs which will promote the sport and increase participation. Eleven applications were received by the PDGA office prior to the June 1st deadline for consideration for the first wave of these $500 grants to be awarded in 2015.

We're extremely happy and proud to announce the recipients of the five PDGA Innovation Grants have been selected!

2015 PDGA Innovation Grant Winners

Aleksander Makarov #47551, Russia

Disc Golf Instructionals in Russia

Aleksander and his partners (Yuri Zelentzov #8647 and Nizniy Novgorod DGC) wish to travel around country to promote disc golf through clinics and demonstrations. He has and will continue to partner with several Ultimate Frisbee organizations, taking an existing Frisbee population and attempting to teach them the fundamentals of disc golf. The funds would be used to purchase materials necessary for instruction. His goal is to show disc golf to the most active Frisbee players and promoters in Russia, who will eventually take the baton and become a DG ambassador in their specific region.

Andy Thompson , Cocoa, Florida

Disc Golf and 4-H

This project involves a lesser-known group to the world of disc golf; the 4-H club. 4-H programs are typically geared towards agriculture, but the students of Andy’s club are also being taught the value of outdoor recreation and sportsmanship through sport and physical fitness.He will host a special camp for some of his 4-H students to teach the sport of disc golf.

Each student will be provided a starter set to take home once the program is complete, so that they are encouraged to continue playing disc golf with their families. The camp will run for 3 days, and will be held at Wickham Park in Melbourne, FL. Andy will be the primary instructor, although he will bring in local pros to enhance the instruction. The focus of the camp will not only be the basics, rules and etiquette of disc golf, but also will instill the lifelong values of healthy living habits and environmental stewardship.

Matt Shaffer #46917, Ashburn, Virginia

Traveling Disc Golf Education Program

The idea is to teach disc golf at the Round Hill Elementary School. Currently, disc golf is a part of the curriculum, but they are using laundry baskets attached to garden stakes. So, the use of the funds are to upgrade the equipment. The impressive nature of the program stems from the involvement of the local disc golf club. Matt founded the LoCo Disc Golf Club in 2011, and it currently has over 40 active members and a weekly league.

The club will use proceeds from the league to support the disc golf program at the school, purchasing discs and other equipment as needed. There is a detailed timeline included in the proposal, explaining the involvement of both students and parents, encouraging both demographics to get involved. The club will lead the majority of the activities, as they are planned after school projects, however Matt is also working with the Phys Ed teacher at Round Hill.

Finally, once the program has been successfully implemented, the baskets purchased through the IG program will travel to another local school, providing them with the same opportunity as the kids at Round Hill. The ultimate goal is to host a school team tournament at the local course (Franklin Park).

Adam Richardson, Florence, Alabama

Using Disc Golf to Promote Outdoor Activity for Homeschoolers

Adam is in charge of a co-op homeschoolers group and is looking to promote disc golf as a lifetime fitness activity through a combined curriculum and education. As homeschoolers are not privy to the same recess outlets as those within the school walls, Adam has weekly meetings at the local high school to take advantage of the facilities.

There are two local disc golf courses close to the school that he will utilize throughout the program by taking field trips, but he wants to incorporate disc golf into his co-op recreation program. Not only will he instruct the fundamentals and rules of disc golf and the PDGA, he will also tie in science and physics lessons through explanation of the aerodynamics and flight properties of the flying disc.

The funds requested will be used to purchase discs and equipment, but more importantly, junior memberships for the participants of the program (max 10). Adam is in direct contact with over 200 kids and has the experience and knowledge to see the project through.

Dr. Justin Menickelli #31347, Cullowhee, North Carolina

Encouraging Inclusiveness Through Disc Golf

“Inclusiveness happens when people with and without disabilities participate and learn together in the same environment.” Dr. Menickelli is a professor at Western Carolina University with a background in physical fitness, kinesiology, and exercise science. The idea of the program is to hold a workshop for WCU students and those in the UP Program, which is developed for college-aged persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The workshop will focus on the positive recreational and fitness aspects of disc golf, and will take place in an inclusive environment. They (Justin and other students in the WCU disc golf club) will teach the basic fundamentals, rules, strategies, and etiquette involved in the sport of disc golf, emphasizing it as an inclusive recreation activity. This program will instill in its participants the value of a sport environment that contains inclusiveness, understanding and respect.

The PDGA office wishes to thank everyone who submitted an application for this round of grants. Applicants who were not chosen this time are encouraged to re-submit their applications for consideration in December 2015. Five additional grants will be awarded in mid-December of 2015 with an application deadline of December 1. Information, guidelines, and an application can be found on the PDGA Innovation Grants page.