Eddie Diaz stands with a group of kids from the Flagstaff Unified School District’s FACTS program who participated in his Discing4Kids program this summer.
Jake Bacon, Arizona Daily Sun
BRADY WHEELER Sun Staff Reporter
Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie Diaz saw a sixth grader whiz an orange disk about 50 yards away. It was an impressive shot – even if it narrowly missed the chain link network that was in Thorpe Park.
Diaz broke off in the middle of the conversation and turned to the boy. “Nice way to tear it up!” he cried.
“Thank you, Mr. Eddie!” Replied the child excitedly.
Eight years ago “Mr. Eddie, ”as he is called, was a local in Flagstaff with a dream: to increase the popularity of disc golf. He first learned the sport while rehabilitating an ankle injury that kept him from skiing, but it quickly became more than just a hobby.
“Next, I started a program and now this is my life,” said Diaz.
Diaz started his Discing4Kids program seven years ago with only 20 students. He has made it his business not only to share his love for disc golf with the local youth, but also to serve them as a mentor and teach them basic life skills.
The core values of the program, according to Diaz, are integrity, respect, leadership, conflict resolution, accountability, safety and a healthy lifestyle.
As Diaz refined the curriculum, he watched as more than 3,500 students eventually progress through the program. Today he works with local elementary schools and like-minded nonprofit youth organizations, and even teaches a disc golf course at Northern Arizona University.
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