Dear Disc Golfer,

Your passion for the game is what makes disc golf so great. It’s clear that week in and week out, you’ll be practicing your shots, improving upon your skills, and supporting your favorite brands. Just like us, you got bitten by the disc golf bug and haven’t looked back since, and it’s this dedication that helps to build incredible communities around the world.

Competing in events is a huge part of the game, and we know that rain or shine, whether it’s scorchingly hot or snowing, you’ll be there to support your local club and see how well you hold up against the competition. We love that about you, and we never want it to change.

But when an event doesn’t quite meet up to your standards, there’s something we’d like to ask. Please keep in mind that every single tournament director, from the smallest C-tier around to the National Events and more, is a disc golfer just like you. He or she spends countless hours behind the scenes making sure everything is organized as best as possible. It’s not always perfect, but these efforts are often gone unnoticed and instead, people tend to only point out what went wrong.

Even if you didn’t have the most amazing experience, consider what a “thank you” would mean to your TD. If you feel the need to share with them things that you didn’t quite like, stop before you speak and consider your words carefully. Imagine that you’re in their shoes, spending tons of time organizing an event and doing it all for free simply because you love the game. Would you want to be endlessly criticized? Probably not.

We ask this of you: when you’re about ready to hit “publish” on your social media post that blasts the TD and everyone involved, take a pause. Don’t let your emotions get in the way of representing yourself and the sport of disc golf in the best way possible. Don’t let a bad round, cold weather, hurt feelings, or any other aspect take away from the fact that tournaments are downright hard to run.

Believe it or not, constructive criticism goes a long way, and if you have improvements to suggest for next year, doing so in a positive manner will actually help them to be received and understood so much more clearly. We’ve all seen the countless comment threads on social media where someone’s complaint turns into a battle among players while the true message ends up getting lost somewhere along the line.

Let’s not ruin the sport we all love and break down community relationships just because of a few harsh words. Instead, a little kindness and understanding can go a long way. Give your thanks to the TD’s who work hard, make some suggestions in a thoughtful and respectful way, and consider volunteering in the future – what better way to implement your suggestions, right? Disc golfer, this sport wouldn’t be anything without you and for that, we are truly grateful.

All the best,

Your fellow disc golfer