Working In Disc Golf: Tips On Landing Disc Golf Jobs

We talked to people with a wide variety of disc golf jobs for this article, some of their images or those of their businesses are featured above. From top left to bottom right, you see Jonathan Gomez (credit: Alyssa Van Lanen), Pound Disc Golf Packs (courtesy of Pound), Des Reading (credit: Jay "Yeti" Reading), Connie Vantuyl (courtesy of Dynamic Discs), Dellwood Disc Golf (courtesy of Dellwood), and Nate Sexton (credit: Alyssa Van Lanen)

For many people who are passionate about disc golf, working in the sport would be a dream, but one that might seem unrealistic. However, the sport's rapid growth means disc golf companies are hiring to keep up with demand and that entrepreneurs with the right ideas and business savvy have an increasing chance of creating financially sustainable disc golf-based businesses.



With more and more viable disc golf careers popping up, we got interested in what the stories of people who currently have a job in disc golf could teach those who want one. To find out, we talked with eight people who make their livelihoods from a wide variety of careers revolving around the sport. As diverse as their stories and careers are, there were still themes that came up again and again. Below, we discuss those themes and how keeping them in mind could help you land a fulfilling career in disc golf.

Don't Get Caught Up by What You're "Supposed" to Do

To get into a disc golf career, you sometimes have to think beyond just what you've studied. Take as proof of that the contrasts between the educations and careers of some of the people we talked to for this article:

Levi Buckingham: Bachelor's degree focused on poetry. He now owns Pound Disc Golf Packs.

Lucas Hausrath: Bachelors and masters in music composition. He's now a UDisc engineer.

Connie Vantuyl: Bachelors in Health and Human Performance. She's now part of Dynamic Discs' accounting department.

Mahmoud Bahrani: Bachelors in economics and sociology. He's now the Disc Golf Pro Tour's media manager.

Sean Callahan: High school diploma with limited college. He now owns Dellwood Disc Golf and designed one of the world's best disc golf courses.

Of course, the people above weren't just handed the jobs they eventually earned or made viable. They had to put in a lot of effort to train themselves in areas that made them capable of doing the work they now have. And that line of thinking brings us to our next theme.

Hone a Variety of Skills to Become a Rare Package

Des Reading's (far left) combined athletic talents and experience in education led to her current position of PDGA Youth and Education manager. Credit: Jay "Yeti" Reading

Scott Adams, best known as the creator of the comic strip Dilbert, once outlined an interesting theory on how people can end up with jobs they love in a blog post. In it, he proposed that people are more likely to find jobs they love not by perfecting a single skill, but by getting "pretty good" in a few areas that, when put together, are a rare combination. He used himself as an example, pointing out that his pretty good drawing skills mixed with his better-than-average humor and extensive business background made him able to develop a successful comic strip that few people could have created.



When we talked to people working in many areas of of the disc golfing world for this article, Adams' theory kept coming to mind.



Professional disc golfer Nate Sexton specifically pointed to the mixture of his "personality, public speaking skills, and sense of humor" as having helped him become an in-demand disc golf commentator and clinic leader. Jonathan Gomez, who created JomezPro, the most popular disc golf media company in existence, said that his "passion for video production and disc golf continued independently of one another" for around two years before he realized that combining his well-above-average skill for production and understanding of disc golf could create a desirable product for disc golf fans.



Three-time Open Women World Champion Des Reading, current Youth and Education Manager for the Professional Disc Golf Association, worked as a substitute teacher for many years, and when she combined her excellent athletic abilities and understanding of physical training with youth education, she found a winning combination that wasn't very common in the disc golf world. This led not only to her current position, but the success of her and her husband Jay "Yeti" Reading's non-profit Educational Disc Golf Experience (EDGE).



These three stories weren't the only ones that shored up Adams' idea, but they're enough to make the point clear. Try to come up with a few areas where you think you're realistically quite a bit better than most people you meet, and consider how those skills could be valuable to a disc golf company or disc golfers. If you can't come up with anything off the top of your head, think about what skills you think you could get better at than the average person and work towards making yourself into a valuable, uncommon package.



Care About What You Do, Not Just Disc Golf

"If you're looking for a job in disc golf because you love playing disc golf, it's probably a bad idea," DGPT Media Manager Mahmoud Bahrani advised. "But if you love the specific element within disc golf that you're pursuing—like if you love creating media, and disc golf is just the medium through which you want to create media—then I would say go for it!"

Essentially, it's a bad idea to forget the "job" part in "disc golf job." If you pursue a career in disc golf, a hobby will suddenly become your work, so it's important that the work you take on interests and challenges you.



For example, Buckingham of Pound spent years developing his skills in design at high-end backpack manufacturer Mystery Ranch before deciding to take the leap to start Pound. Buckingham discovered over that time that having the freedom to design and craft handmade backpacks to his own specifications paired well with his aptitude for math and "mind that constantly sees how things can be made better." He didn't create a business just to do something in disc golf. He created a disc golf business that complimented his other skills and interests.



Communicate Professionally

If you want to know how important being able to communicate well both verbally and in writing is, look no further than these comments from our interviewees:



Hausrath: "Being a good communicator in a professional environment is key to any job."



Vantuyl: "Communication skills are a must."



Buckingham: "Be professional and learn how to write well. I cannot overstate this enough. Whether you want a job or to get sponsored, write a short, well written, grammatically sound email (preferably from a computer instead of your phone) and attach a cover letter...There's a difference between being a member of a community that's very laid back and being a working professional in that same community. Being overly professional will never steer you wrong, and clear communication is a skill that will serve every single aspect of your life."

Final Tips: Advice Highlights From Each Interviewee



All of the people we interviewed had unique positions in the disc golf job world, and each one had great advice for those seeking a profession in the sport. We'll leave you with the most interesting tips they had for those looking to join the disc golf workforce.



Mahmoud Bahrani: "Disc golf is such a fledgling sport that it's really easy to get pretty far on just motivation and being all in."



Levi Buckingham: "Tell [a] company why they specifically have value for you and end by asking if you can follow up with a resume. That's right, a resume and cover letter. Just because it's 2020 doesn't mean that this stuff doesn't matter anymore. If the company isn't taking anyone on, they're just going to say no anyway, but I guarantee that they'll remember your email. Even if they say no, follow up later on as you never know what can change."



Sean Callahan: "The advice I have for anyone trying to make it in the disc golf industry is be prepared to work hard and take a pay cut. I didn’t get into the disc golf industry to become a millionaire, I did it because I truly believe it’s something great that doesn’t really have a voice. I go to work to become that voice everyday. Making money is just a byproduct."



Jonathan Gomez: "Show up. Put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid of failure or rejection. There might be 20 other people out there doing what you’re doing or fighting for the job you want. You have to want it bad enough to stand out among the crowd."



Lucas Hausrath: "Treat your job search like you would any other. When applying for jobs, be professional and make your qualifications clear. Being really, really into disc golf is not a qualification."



Des Reading: "Disc golf has yet to diversify into outside markets, making the actual disc golf market small and overcrowded with people trying to do the same thing. I would suggest starting small and in your local area. Volunteer or start a disc golf club, run events to develop a base, check park and rec listings for opportunities to lead summer youth programs. Network with existing companies to see if internships are available. Think outside the box."



Nate Sexton: "Send some emails to try to ascertain what positions might be available and if those would be a good fit for you. Disc golf is growing so there are certainly some opportunities out there to find work within the game."



Connie Vantuyl: "Be POSITIVE. Stay POSITIVE. I capitalize this because it can make or break you. It can make or break your work environment. Find the silver lining in bad situations and try to make the best out of it. Think before you act (this still takes time to master). Additionally, that's what I think of when I see or hear about disc golf. Disc golf is a positive sport. It's a happy hobby. People start playing because it's fun! And they keep playing because it's enjoyable. It's sociable. Some could say it's a breather from life. Disc golf employees must have a positive persona. It is a must if we want to grow the sport."



