And Then There Were Two
And Then There Were Two
Franchot Park now offers youth disc golf course and youth sports programming
OLEAN - Dignitaries, sponsors and invited guests gathered June 12th for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the city of Olean’s newest disc golf course – and its second in the past year.
The Franchot Park Youth Disc Golf Course, an initiative of The Twin Tiers Disc Golf Association [TTDGA], is a 9-hole course designed with youth and novice players in mind. The project was made possible by local businesses, the City of Olean, and a generous grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Olean Mayor William Aiello was on-hand Sunday to officially open the free course to the public.
The TTDGA is also the organization responsible for installing the full 18-hole disc golf course in Gargoyle Park in the spring of 2021. The youth course fits perfectly into the nonprofit group’s mission of growing disc golf in the Twin Tiers Region with a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
Last year TTDGA hosted five summer youth day clinics and after seeing a positive response from over a hundred kids, sought to install a permanent youth disc golf course while ramping up 2022 youth programming. Partnering with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation & Educational Disc Golf Experience (EDGE), TTDGA was awarded two Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds Grants for Franchot Park and Youth Programming.
The State of Play Report emphasizes eight important plays: 1) Ask Kids What They Want. 2) Reintroduce Free Play. 3) Encourage Sports Sampling. 4) Revitalize In-town Leagues. 5) Think Small. 6) Design for Development. 7) Train All Coaches. 8) Emphasize Prevention.
Thanks to these organizations, a free two-week disc golf program will take place in July for ages 7-13 at Franchot Park. Interested parents may contact twintiersdiscgolf@gmail.com for more information and to sign up.
Coaches and PE Teachers from Olean, Hinsdale, Portville and other area schools will receive training from EDGE Founders Jay and Des Reading as well as free equipment for their classrooms.
The youth course is located in the eastern half of Franchot Park, near the Children’s Memorial Flower Garden. In fact, the mission of the Memorial Flower Garden has been incorporated into the layout of the course as TTDGA offered donors the opportunity to dedicate trees and memorial stones to the memory of their loved ones.
Providing a way to help families preserve these memories while also providing the opportunity for family recreation was key to the concept of the course, said TTDGA member Dave Haynes, whose idea and efforts inspired the course.
The Franchot youth course is the first of its kind in Cattaraugus County and is perfect for kids and inexperienced adults. Mr. Haynes said that, during his frequent visits to work on or play the course, he takes a great deal of satisfaction from seeing families who have already been out enjoying the course before installation was even complete. “That’s what it’s all about,” he said.
Each hole will feature two tee locations. One tee location will make each hole more challenging, and is designed for youth between the ages of 9 and 13; while a second tee location will make the holes more manageable for kids between the ages of 4 and 8.
“We’re excited about how many families will be able to benefit from this course,” said TTDGA president Rich Longer. “It’s easily accessible and free - and it’s playable with a disc that can cost as little as ten dollars.”
Free discs were given away to kids who attended the ribbon cutting event, and a donation was made so any resident with an Olean Public Library card will be able to borrow discs for free from the library.
“The Olean Public Library will be stocking a variety of discs and offering up to two disc rentals for card holders of all ages to give disc golf a try at Franchot Park,” he said. “We’re so excited to be partnering with the Olean Public Library on this. It’s emblematic of the amazing support we’ve enjoyed from the community.”
Very sincere thanks go to the City of Olean, Children’s Memorial at Franchot Park, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds and all of the individual sponsors we plan to recognize on the Course Welcome Map Sign.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds were established at the Community Foundation to provide support to four areas that were important to Mr. Wilson: caregivers, community assets, design and access, and youth sports. Endowment funds, like these created to honor Mr. Wilson, are designed to grow over time and provide funding for charitable causes according to a client’s wishes.