By: Nick Richardson, Boy’s Home Houseparent
There are only three types of people in the world: Those who don’t know what disc golf is, those who have heard about disc golf and think it’s weird, and those who have played and have fallen in love with the sport. The boys of the Joy House have caught “disc golf fever.” Many of their afternoons are spent throwing these Frisbee-like discs all over campus into the few disc golf baskets we currently have. It is a great exercise and provides the boys with a challenging outlet to push themselves to improve. The sport is played just like regular golf, but Frisbee-like discs are used instead of a ball. Rather than aiming for a hole, players aim for a metal basket with chains that catch the discs as they fly through the air. What is impressive is how far these kids can throw these discs. Some of the boys are already throwing over 300 feet in distance! Healthy competition is good, and these boys compete against one another often for who can make the lowest score. Disc golf is also a passionate hobby for me, as I have played for over 20 years and have seen the sport grow in that time.
The Joy House has many friends and supporting churches that make what we do here possible. Occasionally there is a connection that excites the residents and provides them an opportunity to meet a true master in his craft. Revolution Church in Canton caught wind of the boys’ new found hobby and connected us with one of their members. Nathan Skinner is a tremendous disc golfer and an even better Christ-like example for these boys. Nathan is even sponsored by Discraft, a manufacturer of disc golf equipment…this means he’s pretty good! Nathan came on campus October 9th to share his testimony and to teach the boys how to throw 500 feet the way that he can! He even provided the boys with their very own Discraft midrange disc, “The Buzz.” He says it is the best disc made and the boys tend to agree with him. They love their new discs!
A full 18-hole disc golf course on our beautiful campus is a wonderful dream project for the boy’s house. Nathan has offered to help out where he can to make this dream a reality. The Joy House boys have found a new friend in Nathan Skinner. Nathan has decided to partner with us and begin to build Christ-centered relationships with the boys. When Christian men like Nathan invest in teenagers, great things happen. We want to thank Revolution Church, Nathan Skinner, and Discraft for investing in our residents.
