Apr. 5—MARIETTA — West Side Elementary School has found its disc golf champions.

After a two-week competition pitting students in each grade level with others in their own class, West Side’s disc golf tournament concluded when the best of each class competed against one another to crown grade-level champions.

The tournament was organized by Luke Godleski, the school’s physical education teacher. Christina Wagoner, principal at West Side Elementary, said Godleski is adept at creating new athletic experiences for the kids.

“I love that Coach Godleski is innovative and creative and thinks of ways to engage students in non-traditional athletic experiences,” she said. “I think Coach G. does an excellent job of bringing in new sports and then, also, partnering with the family to allow them to be part of their child’s physical education experience.”

The MDJ stopped by the school at noon Friday to watch the kindergarteners compete. The gym was filled with the screams of supportive classmates as the best kindergarten player, Crawford Jennette, racked up 48 points. In second place was Walker Custance, and in third place was Asher Scurfield.

In a postgame interview, Jennette explained that he “kind of” doubted himself throughout the tournament, but was thrilled with his performance.

“It feels really, really good (to win),” he said. “At first, I was scared that Walker (Custance) was going to win, but, anyway, I got first place.”

With an ear-to-ear smile, he gripped his prize, a glow-in-the-dark frisbee, and ran off to celebrate with his classmates.

Godleski is an avid disc golfer and was excited to see his students enjoy the sport.

“I thought it went really, the kids are very into it,” he said, “We had fourth graders that went to a tiebreaker, and it was intense. The winner got dogpiled.”

To put the tournament on, Godleski partnered with EDGE, or Educational Disc Golf Experience, an organization whose goal is to provide kids with a program to help them learn and enjoy disc golf.

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The organization supplied West Side Elementary with disc golf curriculum and equipment, including discs and baskets.

Daniel Wood, the PE teacher at King’s Chapel Elementary School in Perry, Georgia, was at the event, representing Educational Disc Golf Experience, teaching kids about disc golf and helping Godleski run the tournament.

Wood was named Disc Golf Teacher of the Year by the Professional Disc Golf Association and Educational Disc Golf Experience in 2020. Because of this recognition, he was able to partner with professional disc golfers Jay and Des Reading, who founded Educational Disc Golf Experience, and travel around the state helping other PE teachers with disc golf education.

Wood met Godleski for the first time at the event, he said, and greatly appreciates his love for the sport and his efforts in educating kids about it.

“It’s great to see, you know, 500 kids impacted by disc golf,” Wood said. “To see a teacher in Atlanta that’s passionate about it, that’s growing the sport…I can tell (Godleski) loves what he does. The kids know proper form and what to do, so he’s done a great job with this school and the (disc golf) program.”