I hope you brought some pancakes because this blog is going to be a little bit sappy.
My disc golf career didn’t start when I was 20 when I bought my first disc, it was in the making from the time I was very young. It was all those hours on the church lawn after service, where I would throw a frisbee with my dad and siblings, waiting for my mom. It started when I was playing catch with an Ultrastar with my dad at the beach because I was too cold to stay in the water. It started when my dad and I would throw frisbees for our golden retriever Raven, and when we had an Aerobie in an open field. My arm was always being prepared for disc golf long before I ever touched a disc; I guess we’re just frisbee folk.
My disc golf career wouldn’t be where it is today without the love and support from my dad, Michael. When I got home from playing my first round of disc golf my dad drove me to the sporting goods store to buy a 3 pack of starter discs (because I didn’t realize Sabattus sold them). We threw that Aviar, Shark, Leopard pack in the backyard after supper and then we returned to the shop so he could buy a set of his own. That was 10 years ago and we’re still best cardmates. He still uses his starter set 150g DX Aviar too, every hole.
We bought I-Dye Wraiths together, starter packs the same day, and he’s always the person who I want to play a new course with. My dad is the person who I’ve logged the most rounds with on UDisc, and our names are on dozens of scorecards that are probably jammed in a drawer somewhere. He’s witnessed a few of my aces, and my most recent snowman so he gets to see all sides of my game. I’m incredibly lucky to have such a great dad, though he was pretty fortunate as well as my grandfather loved ball golf and he got to see us chuck some plastic in the backyard. So maybe it was always destiny that brought Streeter’s to disc golf. It’s special to be able to share a sport in adulthood with your parent. Not everyone in a family loves disc golf to the same extent, and it’s pretty cool that I get to share all of it with my dad.
If you didn’t know we were related and you were on a card with us, it would be pretty easy to figure out. Firstly we’re always wearing shorts. And we’re both just sooooooo calm after we hit a tree on our drive, and definitely don’t react with the same abrupt anger towards trees. One thing we both used to do was the chicken wing throw. Neither of us started with a forehand but we knew how to throw a chicken wing shot. I’ve since developed a forehand and can no longer throw a chicken wing, but my dad busts it out sometimes to the amazement of disc golfers everywhere.
In the past, Dad and I would watch Jomez, CCDG, or TheDiscGolfGuy’s coverage of events on our own time. It wasn’t unusual for our first conversation of the day to start with “Have you watched the back 9 of the second round yet?” With Covid-19 keeping everyone home and off the course for a bit, and us watching a lot more tv than usual, we’ve watched a few rounds together, and it’s kind of awesome.
My favorite disc golf memory will likely be playing hole 6 of the Eagle together in the Champs vs Chumps. When I found out about Champs Vs. Chumps Volume 10 being filmed at Sabattus I immediately bought a spot so we could play together against Simon and Paige, players we’d been watching for years. There was rain aplenty, and I didn’t throw well, but I got to play a tournament hole with my dad. That memory will last forever not just on YouTube but in my head. We got to take his upshot for the card, so unless we get to play another Champs vs Chumps, he’s got bragging rights. We’re not Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. playing together, but that’s kind of what it felt like to me.
Here at Sabattus Disc Golf we have a motto; Family, Fun, & Fitness. It’s not alphabetical, it’s in order of our priorities. We love to see families playing rounds together on every course. We see plenty of families; from young ones on the Hawk and Owl, to older families testing the Falcon or Eagle courses. Please tag us if you have a special moment here at SDG; that’s one of the things that drives the people who work here. We want it to be great every time you bring your family to play at SDG. If you use #PlaySDG we’ll be able to find your pictures and videos on social media, where we can share them with all of our followers.
I hope that you all have someone special in your family to play disc golf with. Whether it’s your dad or mom, uncle, aunt, sibling, cousin. I hope everyone gets the chance to be as lucky as I am. Thanks Padre and Happy Father’s Day to you and all the disc golf dad's out there.
May your discs miss all the trees,
Andrew Streeter #70397