PDGA Physical Education COVID-19 project

Jerome High School- Jerome, ID

Received Gateway Wizards on behalf of Gateway.

This grant has made it possible to share the wonderful sport of disc golf with those who would normally never get to experience it. It gives kids an activity to participate in instead of doing other things that could get them in trouble. It is a healthy outlet and gives kids a way to be active throughout their lives. Those students who pick up on the sport better than others, now have a chance to be leaders and "coaches" that they may not normally have. They get to help their peers learn a new skill. Overall, this sport and this grant have made our school better.

Teacher: Tanner Patterson #152753

Francis Scott Key Elementary School- District Heights, MD

Received Gateway Magic Putters on behalf of Gateway.

To the partners of the PDGA COVID 19 Relief project, thank you for your generosity and donation of equipment. With your help, we were able to introduce Disc Golf to our at-risk student population, who would otherwise not know the sport exists. Our students and parents are excited about the opportunities that Disc Golf brings. Students have found that playing Disc Golf is not only fun, but fast-paced, educational and involves a higher degree of skills. It is a lifelong sport that can be enjoyed by families in our school community for years to come.

Teacher: Derrick Smith

Hamilton High School- Hamilton, OH

Received Gateway Magic Putters on behalf of Gateway.

The different plastics of the Magic putters were awesome to show the kids how the different types of plastic worked for same mold. Some were grippy/soft while others were more rigid, which was perfect. Weights for the putters were great. I had never worked with Magic putters before, but they were really accessible and easy to throw for us all.

This covid relief grant has been an amazing opportunity for our students to experience disc golf. We have courses close to the school, but a number of students have never tried out the sport before, either due to lack of equipment or a sense of intimidation. Once we put a disc in kids' hands and they hit the chains for that first time, they were hooked. The number of students that were beyond excited to make the basket was fantastic. One of the coolest things that happened is the cheering that took place when kids made shots in the courtyard. Everyone seemed to be rooting for everyone's success, which was so great to witness firsthand. Based on my conversations with students, they were more likely to play at our local courses after having tried it at school. A couple of kids have asked me for disc recommendations, so I gave them advice and put them in contact with local shop owners, who have offered discounts to our students. The disc golf community is one of the best around. The majority of players are super supportive and want to grow the sport. Having this equipment has done just that for our school. People that never thought they would like it are now all in on the game.

Teacher: Michael Neri #165186

Gates County High School- Gatesville, NC

Received Gateway Mystics on behalf of the PDGA.

The disc we received are perfect for the course we have on campus. We received all midrange disc and every one of our holes are short par 3's. The Gateway Mystics we received have good weight and serve as a good multi-purpose disc for beginners which is what we need for our program! I have nothing but positive things to say! Our students have not only enjoyed our new and improved disc golf unit but have learned so much. The EDGE curriculum helped us improve what we have already had in place, and I cannot wait to continue to grow the sport in our area.

Teacher: Jacob Harrell

PB Ritch Middle School- Dallas, GA

Received Gateway Magics on behalf of Gateway.

Thanks to the PDGA and partners of the Covid-19 Relief Grant, the physical education program at PB Ritch Middle School in Paulding County was awarded 50 new Gateway Putters to enhance the disc collection for the 500+ students enrolled in physical education. These putters are a welcome addition to a collection of well used discs attained through the Edge program many years ago. The students were excited to use the " shiny new plastic" and drawn to the softer feel of the SS and SSS plastic, as well as the bright and swirly colors with shiny foil stamps. Beyond the look and feel of the new plastic, these discs were ideal for the distances we set up for our temporary 9-hole course. Whether it was putting inside circle one, approaching from outside the circle or driving 150-200 ft off the tee, these discs were great for control and understanding the slow speed fade at the end of flight. Thanks to the PDGA and Gateway, we engaged over 300 6th, 7th & 8th graders in a disc golf unit in PE and expect to engage over 500 students next year, when hopefully we will all be back together in school again.

Teacher: Andy Smith #79932

Magrath High School- Alberta, Canada

Received Gateway Mystics on behalf of the PDGA.

Thank you so very much. This package of discs will help us get more youth involved at an earlier stage in their lives. We could not have done this without this grant. I love the colors of the discs. I think that they are a great weight for our elementary and junior high. I am excited to be able to get a girls team going and these discs will be perfect for them. We are looking forward to forming clubs and running clinics and we now have an amazing opportunity to provide students with discs. We can offer these opportunities at a lower to no cost at all. Thank you for allowing this wonderful sport to reach and impact so many more people in our community.

Teacher: Michael Woolf #104353

Ecole St. Catherine's- Halifax, Canada

Received Gateway Mystics on behalf of the PDGA.

I am so grateful to the PDGA and its partners for providing us with the discs needed to run a disc golf unit for full PE classes. Many students have been signing out discs to borrow to practice on their own. With tight budgets getting tighter due to Covid, I've only been able to bring in my own personal equipment and run disc golf as a station for 4-5 students at a time previously. Though we only have one course in our region, I hope that this will help spread interest for the sport, and that our city recreation department will recognize the lifelong mental and physical benefits, and community building that disc golf provides.

Teacher: Jessie Legate #142021

Park View Middle School- Yucaipa, CA

Received Gateway Mystics on behalf of the PDGA.

The low profile and understability of the discs worked perfect for my middle schoolers. Perfect disc to learn with. I have to imagine that this disc was designed with this demographic in mind. My more advanced forehand-dominant players struggled with the disc at first but were able to use it fine and throw it far.

Teacher: Matthew Thomson