The grand prize for the champion of the singles division of this year's U.S. Amateur Match Play Championships – a competition put on by Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64 – was 18 brand new tee signs and Dynamic Discs Veteran baskets that could be used however the winner wanted. Coloradan Elliot Zettas took the title home, but he's decided to ship his winnings somewhere else.
Zettas is collaborating with Dynamic Discs on a contest called Pitch for Pins designed to help him find the community where his prizes can make the biggest positive impact. Anyone in the U.S. can answer a set of questions and film a 60-90 second video that explains why their community should get the baskets and signs. We spoke with Zettas to learn why he opted to dole out his winnings this way and get an idea of what he's looking for in a winning entry.
Getting More Bang for His Baskets
If you're like us, when you first hear that someone who just won 18 baskets and tee signs wants to give them away to a (possibly) far-away community, you're more than a little surprised. But after you get to know more about Zettas' interests, the gesture and format he chose for his contest make perfect sense.
Zettas is currently seeking a PhD at the University of Colorado Denver's School of Public Affairs focused on social entrepreneurship, a field centered around creating successful business models that also combat social issues. Naturally, he wanted to make sure his winnings would be used in a way that would maximize their potential benefit to society.
"I'm in school right now, so hypothetically I could've taken them and sold them," Zettas said. "But I didn't want to do that. I've been playing disc golf for a very long time, and I feel like there's a community out there that could benefit more from the baskets than the value I would attain from selling them for my own gains."
And the Shark Tank-like setup of hopeful recipients making their cases to him in succinct videos appeals to the businessman in Zettas.
"I got my undergrad in entrepreneurship, and though Shark Tank scenarios aren't really a part of that program, elevator pitches are – being able to effectively and efficiently portray your idea and why you deserve funding," Zettas said. "I thought that would be a fun idea. Let's see if there's someone nationally that has a great idea for a course that could benefit their community."
What Could a Winning Entry Look Like?
When you read over the questions Zettas is putting to contest entrants, it's clear that he's looking to learn not only why they want the baskets but also if they appear to have the drive and community support to follow through on utilizing them to their fullest potential. Queries include things like "What steps have you already taken in making this future course a reality?" and "Roughly how much money will you (or local club/community) put into the startup costs of building the course?".
Zettas also mentioned he's specifically looking for entries that show the work ethic he hopes his winning contestant will have.
"I'm curious to see how much thought and effort people are willing to put into this," Zettas said. "Honestly, the person that puts in the most effort will probably be pretty high in the selection process."
As for causes Zettas has a particular soft spot for, they include bringing disc golf to an area that currently has no course and helping rebuild or replace courses destroyed by recent natural disasters like the California wildfires, the Midwestern wind storm, or hurricanes.
How to Enter
If you're interested in making your own Pitch for Pins, you can find all the details you need here.
