Turning A New Leaf

The 2022 Disc Golf PEI Membership Tags sponsored by Lone Oak Brewing Co.

 

Poster from our DGPEI Social + Putting Clinic with Thomas Gilbert during Nationals.

 

2023: The Next Chapter

Starting in 2023, we have big goals and ideas for how we can bring Disc Golf PEI and the PEI disc golf community to the next level and continue to show the world why we belong on the global stage. One of the biggest changes coming to Disc Golf PEI in 2023 is the introduction of Committees to the organization. Committees will bridge the gap between the community and the Board of Directors. Each committee will have a specific focus and be chaired by a Director, but with a membership made up of community leaders. With the goal of leading the charge in their perspective areas of focus. Our five committees for 2023 are:

  • Development Committee: They are responsible for the development and educational aspects of Disc Golf PEI. They will teach at clinics, run development-focused sessions, and work with CanDiscGolf and other partners on coaching certifications in PEI.

  • Events Committee: They are focused on organizing and running the Disc Golf PEI Event Series, coordinating the Weekly Tag League, and planning fun/casual doubles or scramble events!

  • Member Committee: This committee is responsible for developing the Disc Golf PEI Membership Package, organizing member events & meetings, and advocating for the interests of members and growing the PEI disc golf community.

  • Outreach Committee: With the goal of establishing connections with community partners & sponsors and identifying sources of funding for Disc Golf PEI initiatives, this committee plays a crucial role in Disc Golf PEI’s 2023 efforts.

  • Adaptation & Inclusion Committee: This committee has perhaps the most important role when it comes to the longevity and growth of disc golf. They are responsible for guiding Disc Golf PEI and the community towards more inclusive programming and initiatives for women, transgender & non-binary individuals, and minority groups. As well as collaborating with the Development Committee to work towards adapted physical sport in terms of developing solutions that will allow individuals with physical limitations or disabilities to access disc golf.

My vision when developing these committees was to create working groups that focused on key areas of interest or pillars that we could build on in the years to come. My hope is that these committees will succeed in their own way and enable Disc Golf PEI to provide accessible sport/physical activity to all and create a positive and inclusive community for disc golf to grow year after year.

Following our AGM, we will have a new board and hopefully some committees filled with members teeming to help grow the sport. If all goes according to plan (for the most part that is!), then in 2023, Disc Golf PEI will truly be turning a new leaf.

With 2023 soundly underway, we start to look to the future and what the year ahead of us has in store for us, in disc golf and otherwise. A new year presents us with the chance to reflect on the past year and plan for the next one. In 2022, we had Disc Golf PEI’s biggest year to date. We launched the first-ever Disc Golf PEI Membership Package, sold out our flagship event at Glenaladale, at Canadian Nationals we helped run and coordinate from behind the scenes, and so much more! 2022 saw us have unprecedented growth in the PEI disc golf scene and Canada as a whole with the country seeing an impressive 39.5% increase in members from 2021 (2022-2023 PDGA Canada Annual Report).

2022: A Year in Review

Aside from the growth, as an organization, we set out the 2022 season with a set of six areas of focus that we wanted to tackle over the course of the year. They were:

  1. Youth Development

  2. Women’s Development

  3. Disc Golf PEI Memberships

  4. Web & Social Media Presence

  5. Nationals Events

  6. Volunteers

Now that year has come to a close I would say that we have hit all of those areas of focus in some capacity. Some of the areas saw great success, such as Youth Development, where we taught well over 700 kids and youth how to play disc golf through clinics at schools and community partners. Or at Nationals where we ran a Putting Clinic at the PEI Brewing Company with Thomas Gilbert and served as TDs for the Flex Starts. Or how over the course of the year we reached almost 21,000 people on our social media channels! Not to mention the efforts that were put in by Julia Campbell & Tannis Wood to put on the 2022 Women’s Global Event at Huck It.

All of that said, we did not hit every marker we wanted to in 2022. Despite teaching 700+ kids, we missed the opportunities to teach at summer camps and in some schools. We also slipped up when it came to organizing more events and community engagements such as Shot of the Week which debuted in 2021. Not to mention the devastating impact of Hurricane Fiona on our Island courses. The PEI disc golf community was heartbroken to see our crown jewel of Hillcrest wrecked and the newest gem, Kings Pine, left windswept. But thanks to the community, the Maritime Disc Golf Association, and supporters from across the globe, a relief fund was raised to help courses across the Maritimes rebuild.

Fortunately, the end of 2022 brought some good news. In the waning days of December, we received word that we had been approved for funding through the Jumpstart Community Grants program. This approval gave us access to funds that will be put towards purchasing baskets, discs, and equipment to deliver the Disc Golf for Kids Pilot Program starting this March at the Boys & Girls Club of Summerside. A program that will hopefully pave the way for more of its kinds across the Island and encourage more kids to pick up a disc!

The Supported By Jumpstart Badge that we received after being approved for funding for the Disc Golf for Kids Pilot Program.

 

The Disc Golf PEI Motto: Grow, Teach, Throw.

Rafe Hambly