Although disc golf is not an action sport it is important to remember that you are often faced with challenging terrain and fast flying objects. It is part of the game’s etiquette to take safety into consideration and depending on your local course you may often hear a warning shout called “FOOOOR”, familiar from traditional golf. Accidents can happen to anyone on the course and therefore it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry.
Disc golf courses are known for variable, beautiful and often challenging terrain. The beautiful terrain that makes disc golf a unique sport can also have some hidden risks for players. You can easily twist your ankle or knee when walking on difficult terrain or perhaps hit a tree when you are looking to make the perfect shot. That’s why it is key to have insurance out on the course.
Over 80 sports governing bodies recommend Pohjola Sports Cover insurance for their members. Sports Cover insurance covers sports related injuries and rehabilitation exceptionally well.
“Disc Golf is a sport like any other and accidents can happen. That’s why it is important to take safety into consideration and get insured with Sports Cover from Suomisport”
Latitude 64 have been making the disc golf world a better place since 2005 by making disc golf products with first-class quality and design. The people at Latitude 64 have a true passion for the sport of disc golf and this passion is at the forefront of everything they do. Similarly, the people at NBDG want to make the world a better place with disc golf and offer the best imaginable experiences both on and off the course. This led to a natural born match many years ago and Latitude 64 continued their support this year and joined Tyyni 2022 as the main title partner.
Tyyni (calm in Finnish) was hosted for the first time in 2013 and has been one of the biggest disc golf events in Europe ever since. In 2019 Tyyni was bigger than ever before with 1100 different players from 16 different countries joining the event but as we all know the next few years did not quite go according to plan due to Covid 19. However, this year Tyyni was BACK in full form after with over a 1000 players from multiple different countries challenging 6 different courses near Sipoo, Finland. All in all Tyyni is not just a disc golf event, Tyyni is a disc golf experience unlike any other. Hours of disc golf fun, excitement, development and friendship packed into 6 days of Finnish summer.
Emil Burstrand, Sales Manager at Latitude 64 comments:
“Latitude 64 has been a part of Tyyni since the start and it has been a pleasure to watch Tyyni grow over the years and what it has become today.
To see so many players from amateurs to professionals take on the courses and enjoy the atmosphere and new friendships are next level.
The Tyyni experience is one of a kind and I recommend all disc golfers to add it to your tournament schedule for next year.
The event would not be possible without the hard work by the crew and volunteers. We are proud to be a part of it. Thank you!”
Lasse Sariola, Head of partnerships at NBDG comments:
“We have worked in collaboration with Latitude 64 for several years already. We are thankful for the work Latitude 64 have been doing at Tyyni Open and other disc golf competitions. Overall we are very grateful for our fruitful partnership with Latitude 64 as both sides have greatly benefited and we hope that this partnership will only strengthen in the future. I also want to thank Latitude 64 on behalf of the whole disc golf community for their hard work.”
Uncertainty is unavoidable for the professional athlete – how to manage risks?
Disc golf is a new and young acquaintance in the range of sports. It is easy to start to play, as the cost to the first-timer is low due to free courses. With a few discs, you can get started quite comfortably. But, what about when the sport takes you, and you end up where only professionalism and playing across the sea are in your mind. Is it just smooth and easy without a fade of worry? Should professionalism be considered as a whole and the risks involved in the life of a professional athlete and their management considered?
Becoming a disc golf professional requires hard work.
What is it to be a professional athlete?
Professionalism as a concept means that what you do brings you the living, and you work towards your goals professionally. The profession’s purpose is to provide a livelihood for the creator, that is to say, money. Just as the goal of a company is to make a profit, the income must be higher than the cost. This income is used to pay for mortgages, food, etc., and other expenses that the professional does not have to pursue the profession — simple math. Professional sport must generate more euros than it takes to practice the work itself. There is still a shortage of disc golf professionals in Finland, but the trend is changing in the US. As the sport grows, we are guaranteed to see more of them.
Fans getting signatures of their favorite players
If you want to become a professional athlete, it may be good to bring realism to your dreams. Things don’t always go like in the famous “Strömsö” as we say in Finland. Professionalism in the company’s business also means preparing for risks and identifying them in advance. The company generally hedges its operational risks through carefully considered policies, insurances, and buffers.
Is more attention be paid to athletes’ risk management in sport? Risk management is creating and implementing policies and plans to ensure continuity for professional sports.
Risk management means taking care of the essential tools, but also much more
When you are an athlete at the level of Kimi Räikkönen, you have a manager. That is what we tend to think. The manager handles matters related to risk management for the professional athlete. In addition, the manager also helps the athlete with sponsors and visibility. Therefore, if professionalism is really on the horizon, it is worth considering starting a managerial collaboration well in advance.
The essential tool for an athlete’s risk management is their own body, which is at the heart of risk management. The holy trinity consists of proper and varied training, nutrition, and rest. If these are not on the balance sheet, the risks will increase considerably. By throwing a disc and eating pizza, Destroyers and Sheriffs don’t fly so far that it’s worth even dreaming of playing big tournaments. In addition to physical fitness, the mental side must also endure. Disc golf as a sport requires serenity and mental strength to be able to focus on the game. It is undoubtedly a familiar feeling for many to have a good round when everything is going well. How to access this flow mode?
Taking care of your own body prevents injuries.
Partnerships and social media go hand in hand – how do they relate to risk management?
Professional sports must also produce those euros so that there is more to the bread than the upper lip. Not many representatives of the minor sport live on competition alone, as the prizes in disc golf are reasonably small, at least in Europe. In general, competition prizes cover travel-related expenses; and you should be good to get your share from the payout. The most important source of income for a professional athlete is partnerships. In a changing world, a logo on a shirt collar no longer brings the athlete the euro to fund sport but also everyday life. When the income side also covers day-to-day expenses, sports can be full-time.
Social media is an almost mandatory tool for professional athletes in partnerships today. The professional athlete reaches the followers in the partner’s target group through social media, which is the partner’s goal. Unfortunately, social media can be rabid, and how an athlete works on social media can contain mines that should be identified in advance. If you don’t have social media labels, you can, in the worst case, expel potential partners who make the sport possible.
The partners enable the professional athlete to play sports full time.
Let’s go back to the money and it if something happens. Everything can go like a dream, but there may come a time when the partnership is not extended, the game is not going so well that the payouts are clinging to your bank account, or there are otherwise unexpected costs. Even for an ordinary walker, the importance of the cash register and the financial buffer in managing everyday financial matters is emphasized. For an athlete, financial planning in everyday life is even more critical. By saving money, an athlete can also, at best, ensure the professional continuation of the sport, even when there is black grout in front of him instead of the green fairway.
For a professional athlete, winning a competition is one of the season’s highlights, but it requires a lot of work.
If you want more tips on how a professional athlete or aspiring professional can avoid risks and enable professional sports, you should follow this series of blogs. In future writings, I will delve deeper into the issues I raised and provide perspectives on how to prepare for things.
Who?
Terhi Kytö is a risk management professional working operational risk management in a listed company. Terhi also owns a disc golf company and is the manager of disc golf athletes.
Terhi has a master’s degree in Law from University of Lapland and Sport Science and Management from University of Jyväskylä. Her heart beats for the professional development of the sport.
