It seems that word is spreading. A sense of community is what keeps a town like Emporia, KS the welcoming place that it is when big tournaments come and go each season. Currently, every Wednesday at 5:15 pm, local Emporia disc golfer Lupe Jr Esquivel has begun a ‘Beginners Disc Golf League’ that currently has 11 participants. At some point Lupe wants to move the weekly league to the weekend in order to accumulate more interest, and increase the number of kids coming out to chuck some plastic. Many of the kids coming out are very new to the sport, and so for now the league is focusing on the beginner level courses in Emporia, in specific both the Emporia Middle School & Flint Hills Technical College courses. Lupe’s crew consists of himself, his son Isaiah Esquivel (Team DD), Jeff Burdiek, Brett Stone, and so far any other local players willing to volunteer an evening for the growth of the sport.
These volunteers go through different grips for driving, upshots, and putting with the budding disc golfers; as well as backhand techniques mixed in with forehand variations. The inspiration behind the league is simple: getting kids out of the house after school, and introducing, many of them for the first time, to a sport that has brought Lupe and his family so much joy. Lupe’s interest in disc golf started long before his son started seeing success: “For me it’s all about family. My brothers and I have always been into disc golf, and it’s always been fun. It even ends as an effortless workout. At the end of the day your rounds can take you walking for miles, and you don’t even notice it until the next day. DD has helped out a ton with city exposure to the league, and access to plastic for the kids to throw. I have fun playing, and I want to show everyone that comes to our league the same level of fun that disc golf can be”. If you were wondering just how you could help Grow Disc Golf, it can be as simple as gathering a few like-minded players, taking an evening a week, and playing a round with local kids who have never played before. #GrowDiscGolf