zen llama

On a chilly winter day in 2017, after hours of watching content with little idea of where he started, Chapin stumbled across videos of people hurling neon frisbees into baskets with chains. A professional athlete named Paul McBeth told the tale of how he made this unusual outdoor activity his career. The sport, Chapin learned, is called disc golf, and he was instantly hooked.

Also known as frisbee golf or frolf, disc golf quickly turned into more than just an internet fascination or hobby for Chapin.

“I’ve never been so passionate about anything in my life,” Chapin said. “It’s a beautiful game. You go out there and watch a disc fly … it just feels right.”

His love for the sport has grown into a desire to get discs into the hands of Nebraska’s children.

A full-time substitute teacher with Nebraska City Public Schools, Chapin convinced the high school there to integrate disc golf into its PE curriculum. The issue, however, was that neither Chapin nor the school district had enough discs to teach the kids how to play. So, Chapin began sending emails and making phone calls.

First, Chapin began asking around the frolf community in Nebraska City to see if he could scrounge enough discs. Though he was able to acquire a few, it wasn’t nearly enough for the entire high school. He then began to seek assistance from the Lincoln frisbee golf community.

Luckily for Chapin, Terry Twaddell, co-owner of Zen Llama, Lincoln’s only frisbee golf store, answered his plea for help.

Twaddell said the shop has flourished since its genesis in March 2021 thanks to the city’s active disc golf community.

“It’s growing by the day, really, because it’s a sport that really anybody can do, and it’s meant to be played in groups,” Twaddell said. “It’s easy enough to throw a disc, but it’s challenging enough to keep people coming back.”

Chapin echoed the sentiment that the sport has grown exponentially since the pandemic.

“Because of COVID, it has exploded,” Chapin said. “It’s doubled in the last 10 years, and it’s doubled on top of that since COVID because it’s a socially distanced sport that allows a lot of people to get outside when they are feeling confined.”

On Dec. 8, Chapin set up a cardboard box in Zen Llama with a picture of himself and his daughter and a note asking for disc golfers to consider donating old discs. Twaddell posted a picture of the box on Zen Llama’s social media pages, which he said garnered attention from local and nonlocal frisbee golfers alike. Twaddell said even out-of-state disc golfers began sending discs.

By Dec. 17, Chapin had more than 100 discs — more than enough for Nebraska City High School to start frolfing.

Now able to implement frisbee golf into the PE curriculum, Chapin said he couldn’t be more grateful to the Lincoln disc golf community for their support. He also said he’s thankful for Twaddell and Kelsey Slauson, co-owner of Zen Llama, for their kindness.

“Zen Llama … really took us to the moon with the generosity of the Lincoln people,” Chapin said.

Though Chapin has plenty of discs for Nebraska City, he still dreams of getting discs into the hands of more kids. He’s now shifting his attention to Lincoln’s children, and he’s interested in getting Lincoln Public Schools on board with his frolf agenda.

Chapin continues to collect donations for his future education pursuits. In addition, Nebraska City Parks and Recreation is in the final stages of unveiling a new 9-hole frisbee golf course that he advocated for and helped build.

Chapin said he’s dedicated to reaching kids with the sport because he’s loved watching it transform from a sport exclusively for the elderly to a trendy activity.

“It’s getting taken away from the older hippies because younger people are getting into it,” Chapin said. “I think part of the beauty is getting to play with multiple generations. My son is 8 years old, and we can go out and play with my 60-year-old dad, and we all have a good time.”