There is nothing more exhilarating for junior Benji Zorn than the sound of a frisbee zooming through the air. As these saucers duck under tree branches and into chainmail goals, there is a certain excitement derived only by those cued into the technicalities, one of whom is Benji. 

Though he has only been chasing this thrill for five years, the sport of Disc golf has given Benji a harboring point for his passion. Disc golf—for those unaware—is an activity similar to medal play, but rather than the classic model, it is instead acted out with flying frisbees and alloy nets. 

Starting with humble beginnings in the heat of summer, Benji has developed an appreciation for Disc golf that steps past what most see as a silly game. For him, it has become a sort of lifestyle.

“My [buddy] had a few discs and a few baskets in his backyard,” Benji said, “so we would go to his backyard and make our own courses, and we’d play those. I had a blast just fooling around all summer designing courses, and then I started to get into it. I started watching videos, focusing on my form, looking at other professionals. I was like, ‘this could seriously be an opportunity for me to grow.'”

Not only has the sport become an intense interest for Benji, but it has also come to be a captivating escape. Whether it be from the turbulent airs of a year-long pandemic or the high-speed winds of a constantly shifting social climate, being out on the green soaking in the sunshine serves as a passionate reminder of what matters.

And for him, with passion always comes a passion project. Despite personal growth, his summer endeavor has blossomed into an in-school enterprise. With the administration’s approval, Benji hopes to soon turn his love for Disc golf into a member of the many assorted clubs offered at FHC.

“I chose to start the club because as I started to grow up and [enter] the middle school ages, [I started] to pick it up and play a few tournaments,” Benji said. “[I noticed] there’s not a lot of younger ages that play Disc golf; my goal in starting the club was to have people I could play with and compete against in my school and around my area.”

Though the sport has tackled a nearly 100-year history of triumphs and tribulation, Benji would be the first to recognize that, despite his eager attitude to get his club off the ground, there could be no worse a time to do so. As COVID-19 chimes past its first anniversary, all in-school organizations have taken a massive hit, and Disc golf is no exception.

Nevertheless, Benji maintains that his beloved activity not only deserves a fair fight, but it also fits in perfectly along with the backdrop of a social-distanced, precautionary lifestyle.

“The fresh air is just so relaxing,” Benji said, “and it’s fairly safe in terms of [COVID-19 and] being spread outdoors, so I have seen a big boom since the pandemic has begun.”

By playing a sport that is friendly towards the current regulation, Benji finds even more freedom and liberty. Yet, he cannot help but look over the hill of the pandemic to the horizons of post-COVID-19 possibilities. With nostalgic feelings towards the first Disc golf tournament he ever participated in, one of Benji’s main goals is to take his promising young club back to his modest origins. Though it would take a substantial shift to get him there, he cannot help but have the highest dreams for his Disc golf escapades.

“That [tournament] kind of fell apart with not as many clubs within the region going,” Benji said. “So my goal is to try to get back to that point through establishing this club here, but also trying to reach out to Northern, Eastern, EGR, [and] Lowell [and] see if they could start clubs.”

But at the end of the day, looking past all the discrepancies of not only Disc golf but the up-and-coming organization, there is one goal that reigns supreme: companionship under a common interest.

“I see people at our school going out and playing all the time,” Benji said, “but I would love to just centralize that and get a big group of us together—[going] into Cascade, banging some chains, throwing the disc around, and having some fun.”