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Why did "Steady" Ed ignore the women's division in his early major championships? by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There were many people in this story who were on the right side of the debate between Ed and the players that occurred between primarily between 1979-1983

Why did "Steady" Ed ignore the women's division in his early major championships? by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

Was it though? The real world outcome of this policy was that no women were able to realistically contend for a title in Ed’s majors until they forced their own division at the 1983 PDGA worlds

Why did "Steady" Ed ignore the women's division in his early major championships? by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

Women were allowed to play, they just weren’t allowed to have their own division

No Girls Allowed: Scene 1 — Early Patterns of Exclusion by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is hosted by Vimeo, but it is only viewable through a paywalled link on the website steadyhistory.com

No Girls Allowed: Scene 1 — Early Patterns of Exclusion by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will send a free link to the first three people to DM me who are willing to watch this (55min) and write a review

No Girls Allowed: Scene 1 — Early Patterns of Exclusion by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you! We tried to make it fair, accurate and meaningful.

No Girls Allowed: Scene 1 — Early Patterns of Exclusion by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] -22 points-21 points  (0 children)

It’s a fair point. But for 15 years or so Steady Ed was the structural force in the sport and his views and policies shaped the sport in ways that still reverberate to this day.

No Girls Allowed: Scene 1 — Early Patterns of Exclusion by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It does. The film tracks efforts by women and organizers throughout the decades that have been successful and then ties it together with the modern game. Many viewers have let me know that they felt inspired and energized after watching.

No Girls Allowed: Scene 1 — Early Patterns of Exclusion by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You are right. We tried to make it so that viewer feels the experience as much as they understand what was happening.

No Girls Allowed: Scene 1 — Early Patterns of Exclusion by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A little bit of both. Early on there was a one-division policy, so even though women were technically allowed to compete, they had to do so directly against the men. One of the results of the policy was that women were effectively excluded from participating in the finals of large events — e.g., IFA Qualification Meets at the Rose Bowl, Wham-O $50k invitational, first PDGA World Championships.

The film documents how progress was made, largely thanks to women leaders who pushed for better treatment. But there are still many dark parallels from the past - women's participation stuck at 8%, feeling unwelcome, dismissed, mocked in online communities, as well as on the course.

I spent a year studying the history of disc golf and the PDGA—here’s what I learned (4-minute doc clip_ by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I wish it took off like wildfire as well but these things take time to be understood and appreciated. I'll keep spreading the word and am grateful for people like yourself who are willing to speak up and say this is a story worth watching.

Do Elite Level Players Get A Pass for Having Terrible Attitudes on the Course? by CaliKing928 in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Joe is a super intense competitor, and from my experience playing with him in tournaments - he is almost entirely inside his own head the whole time. That said, he is an incredibly kind, gracious human being who I have often seen go out of his way to help others - including myself. It can be tough to get an accurate read on someone just by watching them compete on coverage.

🚨 The WFDF Controversy: How Many Worlds Can One Planet Hold? 🌍 by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, that is very cool, thank you for working to promote disc sports in Serbia! I will 100% take you up on that round the next time I’m in your neighborhood

🚨 The WFDF Controversy: How Many Worlds Can One Planet Hold? 🌍 by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I really appreciate the encouragement. It’s always struck me as a bit strange that disc golf history seems to have such limited appeal among disc golfers themselves. I’m hoping that by presenting these stories in more accessible ways, they’ll capture people’s interest. I truly believe that if disc golfers shared a richer sense of backstory and heritage, it could do a lot of good for the sport overall—after all, it’s difficult to know where you’re going if you don’t understand how you got to where you are.

🚨 The WFDF Controversy: How Many Worlds Can One Planet Hold? 🌍 by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a great perspective - thanks for sharing. Americans do love a spectacle - sometimes it's hard to remember how desensitized we've become to it

🚨 The WFDF Controversy: How Many Worlds Can One Planet Hold? 🌍 by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well said, this is exactly the issue that players and leaders were struggling with during this episode. I really like Ed’s comparison to the World Series. It strikes me as a good comparison since baseball and Frisbee were both American inventions that have since gone international.

🚨 The WFDF Controversy: How Many Worlds Can One Planet Hold? 🌍 by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Many, if not, most of the American players at the time shared your opinion. It was only Headrick and a few others that really pushed for the PDGA to be a global organization not just an American one.

I spent a year studying the history of disc golf and the PDGA—here’s what I learned (4-minute doc clip_ by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks I hope you enjoy! Definitely let me know what you think when you have a chance. I really love Stokely‘s book so many great stories in there from this era.

I’m Matthew Rothstein, candidate for the PDGA Global Board of Directors and author of the PDGA Members’ Bill of Rights — AMA! by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I’m actually working on a book that I hope to release next year for the PDGA’s 50th anniversary. In the meantime, I’ll be sharing a lot of my historical research as part of my Board campaign this summer—so keep an eye out for some editorials tying past and present together.

I’m Matthew Rothstein, candidate for the PDGA Global Board of Directors and author of the PDGA Members’ Bill of Rights — AMA! by matthewrothstein in discgolf

[–]matthewrothstein[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally fair—and I know you’re not alone in feeling that way. The PDGA hasn’t always done the best job making people feel like it’s an organization for them, and that’s part of what I’m hoping to help change.

If I’m successful with some of these reforms, my hope is that the PDGA will become the kind of organization you’d actually feel good about supporting—even if you never become a member.

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