The Kansas City Disc Golf Divas and the KC Disc Golf Development Group had the incredible opportunity to participate in Camp WIN this summer. Camp WIN is designed to empower girls in our community by introducing them to over 14 new sports and fitness activities over four days. High school girls serve as team leaders, and instructors come from local universities, colleges, high schools and other area organizations. For more information on WIN for KC and Camp WIN, click here.
We had 2 sessions on July 2nd. 9:45 – 11:45 for ages 9-12 and 12:45 – 2:45 for ages 6-8 with approximately 120 girls in each session! The girls had so much fun, all smiles and positive attitudes- and so did we!!
Our volunteer staff included Rhonda and Ben Crosby, LaRon Harris, Jaimee Crosby, Elisabeth Borg-Bowman, Ruthann Lammers and Cathi Stark.
Here are some of the thoughts and feedback shared from this amazing experience:
“After an entire day of showing young ladies what disc golf is about I can say I am feeling inspired. Inspired to find joy in little moments, inspired to reach out even further and share my love for disc golf with more people. Watching the girls today made me rethink how I react to disappointment on the course. We told them all to have confidence and not to get discouraged. Even when they missed their putt (some badly), I saw smiles and a little more determination on their faces for the next throw. The best part was seeing them make a putt and hearing their disc hit the chains. You could see that sparkle in some of those eyes…that sparkle that came into many of our eyes the first time we hit chains. The sparkle that makes you want to play more and more. Being able to pass some of my knowledge and passion for something to people other than my own children was a great experience for me. If just one girl asks her mom or dad to take her disc golfing because of something we did today; I consider that a huge victory towards growing our sport.” – Ruthann Lammers
“I got a kick out of the chorus of ooohs and aaaahs when LaRon threw a driver diagonally across the field; “Daaaaaaaang!” and “Holy Moley!!!!” But I realized how important it was for us to be there when a little girl asked meekly “Can girls play disc golf too?” To be honest, it broke my heart a little. But yowza, those girls were there to play!! I had them finish out every putt, instead of walking back to the line after they missed, and they RAN to the disc when they realized they still had a chance to throw it in, no matter how many tries it took – ching!!!!
The images that stuck with me, and made my day: A little girl hitting her “action” stance every time she stepped up to putt, and if she missed, going back to putt from her previous lie because a drop-in putt was “too easy!” A girl throwing forehands every time, with a sly smile on her face because she was doing something different from all the others and she LIKED it. A little girl holding a beautiful disc, enthralled by the feel of the plastic, wanting one of her very own – I know that feeling! The girl with a wild gleam in her eye wanting to putt from the far cone on her second time through: “Do I *have* to putt from the close one?” At the end of every session, there were several girls who didn’t want to stop yet. I wanted to take them all with me to Rosedale so we could all keep playing! I sincerely hope we’ll see them at another clinic, and then playing in the Junior Girls division of a tournament.” – Elisabeth Borg-Bowman
We ended each group with a big ring of fire
And here’s a little fun Kansas City Disc Golf History of Growing the Sport
In 2007, Duane ‘CD’ Steiner participated in Camp WIN providing disc golf instruction to the girls.
Then again in 2008 along with volunteers Steve Glover, John Theiss and Kevin Hart.
