The DD Women's Series - Part 4: The Future Is Bright For Cynthia Ricciotti

When you’re only a teen and yet you’re already sponsored by a major disc golf company and you have more wins under your belt than most adults, the sky’s the limit. At least that’s the case for Cynthia Ricciotti - we’ve focused this Women’s Series on the Missouri native who is so passionate about disc golf that it nearly puts the rest of us to shame.

Cynthia is about to enter her sophomore year of high school, and we’ve learned about her practice routines, how she balances school and disc golf, and what got her into the sport to begin with. Now it’s time for the all-important question - what’s next?

Moving On Up

Before Cynthia can even think about college (after all she does have three more years in high school), the next logical step for her in her disc golf career is when to move up and compete in the women’s open division. While she’s had a huge amount of success so far, the leap to pro is a big one.

“I think I’ll know when to move up to pro. As my ratings improve and when I start winning more I’ll move up to pro to see what it’s like. I’m close to being able to play in [the pro division]. Since I’m so young I want to keep grinding on the game and making sure I have all the bases covered before I make such a big leap.”

That calculated level of thinking is exactly how she’s attained so much success already, as she takes the time to make sure her priorities are straight and she’s making good decisions along the way.

College Or Tour?

Young disc golfers always have a crossroads in front of them once they are finished with high school. Do you start college and continue to play local events, traveling only when you can? Or do you forgo the traditional route and embark on tour like we’ve seen several other young players do?

Cynthia has always excelled in school, and explains her viewpoint: “I was a good student and had all the honors before I even knew about disc golf. I had dreams of going to college and doing well, but I want to go to college somewhere warm all year long so I can continue to play. As of right now, I plan to do college and hopefully tour when the time comes.”

Ricciotti is incredibly talented, and she plans on honing in her skills while furthering her education, giving her the best chances to do whatever she pleases as an adult. Thankfully, disc golf has already taught her some important skills: “The sport has really taught me time management - getting my homework done at school or in downtime during the day so I can go play disc golf at night. It’s taught me responsibility about my time and school.”

We are so pleased to have Cynthia as a part of the Dynamic Discs team. She is a true inspiration for younger players who aspire to grow their skills and her drive to accomplish everything she sets her mind to is something that even adults can look up to. Thank you Cynthia for sharing your story with us!

The DD Women's Series - Part 3: Cynthia Gets A Sponsorship!

Getting sponsored to play disc golf is perhaps one of the top priorities of many players out there, and even if you aren’t actively searching for this type of support, at the very least you could say it would be a dream come true!

Now imagine getting sponsored before you even got your driver’s license - for Cynthia Ricciotti, that’s exactly what happened. We’ve learned about her passion for the game and how she stays sharp on the course and excels in school during our first two parts of this DD Women’s Series, and now it’s time to learn how she became aligned with the DD Team.

Putting In The Work

Cynthia played a lot of disc golf before even thinking about becoming a sponsored player, as the bug bit her and she fell for the sport hard and fast. As a lifelong athlete, she finally felt as if she had found the sport that she could grasp onto and actually have a shot at, unlike her previous love of gymnastics.

“Middle school is when you start school sports and having disc golf in my life I knew that I probably couldn’t play school sports because that took a lot of time. At the time I was a gymnast - I was full on into it. I did about two to three years of gymnastics while being a disc golfer, but the turning point for me was a really bad strain in the tendons in my elbow. I basically had to pick one sport or the other. I gave up gymnastics for disc golf, knowing there would be a better future and better chances for success.”

If At First You Don’t Succeed…

With this renewed focus on disc golf, Ricciotti wanted to put it all on the line to become the best player she could be. She shared with us that she had actually been looking for a sponsorship for years prior to joining the DD family and that it was a long road to get where she is now. After the 2017 GBO, she was fortunate enough to play in the Champs Vs. Chumps and gained a lot of attention because of how far she could throw.

Realizing that Dynamic Discs would be a great fit for her, she decided to go for it. “I sent in an application and actually got rejected. I wasn’t expecting much to come from it but I sent one anyway,” she said. However, with patience on her side, Cynthia once again got her chance.

After attending a Luck of the Draw Doubles event and once again showing the DD team her incredible skills, she was approached by Robert McCall to talk about her future. 2018 marks Cynthia’s first year on the team, and she’s already seeing a major difference: “Knowing that I have that kind of support going into a tournament helps with my mental game.”

So what’s in store for Cynthia? She does have three years left in high school, but beyond that, the sky's the limit. Make sure to join us for Part 4 to learn more about her plans for the future.

The DD Women's Series - Part 2: How Cynthia Balances School And Disc Golf

Think back to your high school days - for some, it may not have been that long ago, but for others, it probably feels like an eternity. One thing is consistent for most people, however, and it’s the feeling that being a high school student is a full-time job.

Now imagine that you want to play disc golf 24/7 and hone in your skills with the goal of being one of the top players in your area and perhaps even in the nation. Does that feel like a full-time job? We’d guess it does.

For Cynthia Ricciotti, you could say that she’s balancing two full-time jobs and doing exceptionally well at both of them. In this second part of our DD Women’s Series, we’ll learn a little more about how Cynthia masters everything she puts her mind to.

Keeping A Schedule

If you want to do well at something you can’t just sporadically spend time on it. When it comes to bettering her skills, Cynthia spends a set time each week practicing while also making sure her schoolwork is up to date. “I try to practice as much as I can, at least 4 or 5 times a week if it’s not super hot or super cold. I get in a good balance of playing courses, doing field work, and putting practice - I try to get all the stuff into the week. I’m a really good student so school always mainly comes first, and if I have a ton of homework I’ll skip practice,” she shared.

With her dad as her coach, Ricciotti knows that the time she puts into practice directly translates into her success on the course. Yet there’s another element to her life that blends school and disc golf in a pretty unique way.

Bringing Disc Golf To The Town

“At my high school, I’m part of an advanced education program. I take advanced seminars and it’s all centered around project-based learning. You pick something that you’re passionate about, and my thing was disc golf,” Cynthia explained. This program required her to develop a community project, and her idea was to install a disc golf course at her school:

“My freshman year project was working with the principal and the school to get a 9-hole beginner course on the school property. Unfortunately, the city owns the land and they are planning to put a park there. I’ll need to wait for them to develop the park before they start talking about logistics. I have 3 more years to get that done. That’s my biggest way of trying to give back.”

It’s this attitude of community and giving back that has made Cynthia such an incredible role model not only for the juniors in her area but for all players across the nation. Her determination and commitment to getting good grades while also shredding the disc golf course is something to really admire. It just might even inspire some of us adults to get a little more involved!

Make sure to check back in with us and read the upcoming Part 3 in Cynthia’s blog series, where she’ll explain how she got a sponsorship as a junior player.

The DD Women's Series - Part 1: Cynthia Ricciotti And Growing Up With Disc Golf

Many disc golfers in the casual scene, as well as a good handful on the pro circuit, started disc golfing in their adulthood. For some, they were introduced to the sport in college while for others it took well into their 20’s or even 30’s before they fell in love with it. Yet for DD team member Cynthia Ricciotti, disc golf came into her life at a young age.

This DD Women’s Series is a special one, as we highlight one of our exceptional junior players and learn how she balances competing, practice, and school work! Cynthia gave us some insight into how she started playing and what’s it’s been like to have the support of her friends and family along the way.

Encouragement At School

You could say that Cynthia’s love for disc golf started at school, yet you can’t discount the fact that her own father used to live near La Mirada many years ago. His familiarity with the sport helped when Cynthia was given disc golf as an option at her middle school’s intramural sports program.

“I had never heard of disc golf, so I thought ‘let’s try something new.’ I signed up for disc golf, we went out to the local Play It Again Sports, bought discs, and went out throwing to get a head start,” she says. It was either disc golf or kickball, and Ricciotti wanted to expand her horizons. Both she and her dad instantly gravitated toward the sport, yet before school started she got a bit of bad news.

Only three people had signed up for the disc golf class, so it was canceled. Yet in the short time she spent with her dad at their local course, disc golf had already made its mark. “I wanted to be an athlete but I hadn’t found a sport that I could successfully do that. I knew that I had to keep pushing and keep going. I got the bug super quick,” Ricciotti shared.

Support All Around

With her dad as her coach, Cynthia finds that her love of disc golf has been welcomed by others with open arms. Although her mom doesn’t attend every tournament, you can see Ricciotti and her father traveling to local events as their schedule permits.

“There’s only a few people in my town that are juniors. My best friends don’t play, but they are super supportive and they know how much disc golf means to me,” she shared. With this kind of support, Cynthia has been able to excel at a rapid pace - she’s already collected 10 career wins and will be entering her sophomore year of high school this fall.

So far it seems like it’s been worth it, as she explains, “Getting to the level I’m at took a lot of hard work; especially at my age it included a lot of sacrifice and determination to get where I’m at.” Be sure to stay tuned for Part 2 of Cynthia’s series as we uncover how she balances school and disc golf like a champ!

DD Team Members Excel At The 2018 Junior Worlds

Playing disc golf at a high enough level to actually have a shot at winning a world title is a dream for many of us, but imagine being able to reach such an accomplishment before even graduating high school?

The 2018 PDGA Junior World Championships took place in our own backyard of Emporia, allowing us to offer players and their families an incredible disc golf experience. We were on the edge of our seats watching as competitors battled across multiple courses to see who would take home a title.

Three of our own Dynamic Discs team juniors had exceptional finishes this year - let’s see what they had to say about this year’s event!

Isaiah Esquivel

A name that we’ve all been hearing about for years, Isaiah took home first place in the MJ15 division. He’s been sponsored by DD for the last three years, and 2018 was his second time attending Junior Worlds.

He attributes his success this year to a variety of things, but mentions that the support of his family has been instrumental: “[I found success through] my dad caddying for me throughout the week to help me minimize my errors, using the right disc at the right time, playing smart, and being able to practice the courses a lot.”

When you have someone right there beside you cheering you on and helping you to stay focused, you often end up winning just as Isaiah did.

Zach Arlinghaus

Despite competing in the MJ15 division this year, Zach found this to be his fourth time at Junior Worlds! He’s been a part of the Dynamic Discs family for the last two years and took home third place in his division.

What did he love about this year’s event? “My most memorable moments were just the time I got to spend around my older DD teammates,” he said. We were so grateful to have a ton of DD players in attendance this year, helping out and giving tips to those who were on the course. It looks like Zach was really inspired by their presence, as he performed exceptionally well across six rounds and the finals.

Cynthia Ricciotti

A powerhouse of a player, Cynthia noted that 2018 marked her third year of attending Junior Worlds, yet it was her first time competing as a part of the Dynamic Discs team. Known for her maturity that’s apparent both on and off the course, she took down the first place position in FJ18.

What was her key to success? “Everything coming together cohesively. From beginning to end my mental game was strong, as well as the physical aspects of the game. This allowed me to put great rounds up all week.” Her rounds were more than just great, as some of her ratings during the event are the highest she’s shot this season.

The 2018 PDGA Junior World Championships were a whirlwind of excitement and we are so proud of all of the juniors who came out to play. Once again, congratulations to Isaiah, Zach, and Cynthia for an outstanding job!