Meet CCBS HR & Compliance Manager, Ginelle Kohl
Life Lessons … and Disc Golf!
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Ginelle placed 4th in the Amateur Disc Golf World Championship, came in 3rd in the US Doubles Championship, and is the current 2024 National Amateur Disc Golf Champion.
She also has a professional rating with the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association).
To Ginelle, teaching and playing the sport is one thing, but sharing what she has learned about herself through playing is even more important.
We asked Ginelle to share some Disc Golf life lessons …knowing that they could be helpful for our entire CCBS community!
“The first time I played Disc Golf, I was expecting it to be like frisbee. It wasn’t! I was frustrated and I quit before we even finished the first hole. Ten years later, I met a guy (my future husband, Jason!), and he invited me to play. I tried again and I still didn’t enjoy it. I wasn’t very good and I was extremely frustrated because I hate to fail. It shouldn’t be that hard. Eventually I was open and humble enough to learn the technique — it worked and I got better!”
In 2020, Disc Golf became the fastest growing sport in the world. Ginelle was enjoying the game and signed up for her first competitive tournament, but it was a bit more stressful than she had anticipated. However, she discovered that the community and camaraderie was incomparable.
“In 2022, I went to Am Worlds (Amateur Disc Golf World Championship). I was so nervous. I wasn’t prepared for that level of pressure, and being on camera! I considered quitting altogether. During this event, I had my worst round to-date. My mind was the issue. I knew the skills, but could not get past my own fears and doubts. One night during the tournament week, Jason (my husband) helped me work on my mindset and push everything else aside. This is when things started turning around. I am so grateful for his support. It is wonderful when family, friends or teammates can help coach us through these challenging times!
In November 2024, Ginelle participated in the National Amateur Disc Golf Championship (NADGT) in Austin, TX.
“I went to apply what I’d learned. At no point in time during the four-day competition was I in the lead. But I stayed steady and consistent, even after some bad throws where I misjudged the wind or the distance, or had an unlucky break. I simply wanted to practice resilience and positivity. Then towards the middle of the final round, I took the lead. Although I did not know I took the lead at the time, I did not want to know the score.”
Ginelle ended up maintaining the lead and winning this national tournament. She attributes this solely to resilience.
Here is Ginelle’s Summary: IMPORTANT DISC GOLF LIFE LESSONS I LEARNED
- A big part of any game or anything in life is finding ways to get better. It’s about continuous improvement!
- In competition, there’s actually a spirit of community. It’s less about ‘me versus them’, and more about ‘me as an individual versus the course’.
- Don’t overanalyze everything … “how I should hold my head” … “where I should put my foot” … “is my pinkie always like this” … etc. Our body knows what to do!
- Focus on the target and tune the rest out … like all the cameras in the tournament!
- Stop worrying about the worst-case scenario … it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
- Success often comes from failures … I learn way more from my mistakes than I do from what goes seamlessly.
- Don’t aim for perfection every time! It will mess with your head when even something small goes wrong. Develop an ability to bounce back.
- And most importantly … it’s about RESILIENCE.
At the end of the day, all that really matters … in Disc Golf and in life … is your next best throw. Nothing that you did before matters. Just move forward.
Thanks, Ginelle, for sharing your story and for making a difference in boy’s lives at Cherokee Creek!
