KALAMAZOO, MI — The city of Kalamazoo is introducing some new programs this year at its public parks, including a free disc golf clinic and a Super Smash Bros. gaming league for middle school students.

Kzoo Parks will host the disc golf clinic from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Crane Park. All ages are welcome and no equipment or experience is required to register, according to their website.

“We are testing it out now, just to see,” Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Special Events Coordinator Kya Mitchell said. “But, hopefully, this is something that we can do multiple times throughout the year.”

Members of the Professional Disc Golf Association will be in attendance to teach basic skills of the sport, like disc golf driving, approach throws and putting, according to Kzoo Parks.

Portable baskets and discs will be available at the clinic for everyone to use. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers said attendees should follow CDC and local health officials’ guidelines. If the weather moves the event indoors, the free clinic will be held at Centerpoint Church, 2595 10th Street N.

For those who would like to play a full round, a handful of disc golf courses are in the Kalamazoo area including at Knollwood Park, Spring Valley Park and Red Arrow Golf Course, all of which are free to use. Maps to area disc golf courses will be available at the event.

”We look forward to bringing a new program and seeing how it goes; for it to continue to grow,” Mitchell said. “Hopefully, we’’ll have multiple sessions of disc golf in the future just by introducing people to a new skill index and/or activity.“

To register for the event, head to kzooparks.org/discgolf.

In addition to disc golf, another new activity added to Kzoo Parks programs this fall will showcase Western Michigan University’s esports arena.

Middle school gamers are invited to the esports arena, located at 798 Oakland Drive on WMU’s East Campus, for a monthlong league centered around popular fighting game Super Smash Bros.

Related: Competitive video gaming arena unveiled at Western Michigan University

The program will run from Oct. 11 to Nov. 16. Space is limited to the first 12 students to sign up from each school.

Participating schools include Hillside Middle School, Linden Grove Middle School, Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts, Milwood Middle School, St. Augustine Cathedral School, The Gagie School, St. Monica School and Kalamazoo Christian Middle School.

The first five weeks of the season will start with matches held weekly, on either Mondays or Tuesday evenings, according to the Kzoo Parks website.

Participants will play a minimum of three matches against three different students from the corresponding schools. Schedules for the event will be available on Friday, Oct. 8

Per WMU’s COVID-19 policy, masks upon entrance of the arena are required, and should only come off when exiting outdoors.

To register for the event, offices of participating schools will have forms and more information available.

For any other questions about local parks and recreational programming, call Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation at 269-337-8521.

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