Meet the "Team Team" for Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, and Westside Discs

If you've paid attention to Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, or Westside Discs' social media channels, post-produced disc golf channels like JomezPro, Central Coast Disc Golf, or any other media outlets, you're probably familiar with some of the sponsored players from our companies. However, with some recent changes in our organization, we'd like to shine the spotlight on the new people behind our sponsored teams. Let's take a moment to meet our "Team Team."

Our new Dynamic Discs Team Manager is no stranger to disc golf's largest stage, so he can relate to players at all levels. Eric McCabe, 2010 World Champion, is taking over the management of Team Dynamic Discs. Eric has primarily focused on course design over the last several years, and while he'll continue to design courses all over the world, he looks forward to a new responsibility with familiar teammates. When asked what he likes most about his new role, Eric said, "Feeling more connected to them throughout the year. This is the perfect position for me - I’ve been there and know exactly what they expect, want and deserve from my 10+ years on the tour." If you're familiar with Eric from his work on Disc Golf Answer Man, tournament coverage, or you simply know his name because of the EMAC Truth, you know that he has a decorated career in disc golf, but not everyone knows that he's actually a two-time Major Championship winner. "Looking over my career, there are a lot of things I’ve accomplished that I’m proud of. I was honored to be Team Captain for USA during the Presidents Cup, I've designed and installed multiple courses across the country, and I won my first Major Championship victory at the 2008 Players Cup, but winning the World Championships is by far at the top of the list," McCabe said. We are excited about the passion and knowledge that Eric will bring to the table!

The new Latitude 64 and Westside Discs Team Manager has been working with sponsored players from all three companies for the past year-and-a-half, but Brian Shintaku will now focus most of his time on those two teams as McCabe manages Team DD. Brian and his family moved to Emporia in January of 2018, and he began working on the warehouse floor at the Dynamic Discs Distribution Center. Shintaku, or as he is known by his friends and team members, "Tako," was quickly moved into a position with the sponsored teams as he continually showed his undying work ethic and willingness to do any job that needed to be done. It's no surprise that he enjoys working hard for our team members, as he shared that his favorite things about managing the team are "... building and establishing relationships, seeing the positive influence and impact our team members make, and doing my best to help." Tako will continue to compete in some disc golf tournaments throughout the year, but you may have seen him at some bigger events driving the Dynamic Discs RV, caddying for players, and taking Instagram story videos. If you know Brian, you know he has some legendary stories, and his disc golf career highlight is no exception. "My disc golf career highlight might be throwing a sidearm so hard it snapped a PVC pole. It was filmed, and it's on my Instagram (@brianshintalkindiscgolf). Make sure you turn the sound on!" Shintaku says. We look forward to seeing Team Latitude 64 and Westside's continued growth with Brian taking the lead.

After a hiatus from team-related work tasks, we'd like to welcome back Denise Cameron into the role of Team Support Specialist! Denise has served as Latitude 64's Team Manager in previous years while juggling the role of Apparel Buyer for Dynamic Discs. Denise began working at Dynamic Discs in 2014 and was picked up by Latitude 64 as a sponsored player shortly thereafter. As she settles back into a similar role, Denise says she enjoys "...keeping up with team members and hearing about highs and lows as they grow as players." Even having amassed 42 wins since she began playing disc golf tournaments in 2009, Cameron says that a local impact has been her personal disc golf highlight: "After 10 years of competition, I have wins that I am proud of, but overall, the highlight of my disc golf career has been growing the sport through my women's league. Our league grows each year, and seeing the players engage in the community and embrace the sport as they improve and learn is so rewarding." Denise will provide support to Eric and Brian for all things team-related and will be able to take care of team members' questions or needs if Eric or Brian are unavailable. Welcome back, Denise!

You may be thinking to yourself, "That all sounds great for those team members, but how do I become a team member?" If so, you're in luck - each member of our "Team Team" has shared some advice for you. McCabe says, "There is so much that goes into becoming a team member. At DD, it’s not just about how you perform, but how you carry yourself, your social media presence, and if you run clinics, tournaments, or other events. One big part of the decision for me is seeing what you’re doing now - if you're currently pushing our products and throwing our discs." Cameron added, "I look for a combination of a good attitude, adeptness in playing and/or growing the sport, and ability to evolve as a player and/or ambassador. I especially look for people that want to use their sponsorship to give back to the community." Shintaku summed it up nicely, saying, "When looking for potential team members, I look for people who are great ambassadors, approachable, sport influencers, brand influencers, and who stand out amongst their peers. Individuals who run events to support their local scene, improve community awareness, and grow disc golf are good candidates."

We look forward to the future with our Team Team at the helm of all things player sponsorship-related, and we thank you for the support you've already shown them! The future is bright at Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, and Westside Discs!