Battle Ground Public Schools

School resource officer uses disc golf to spark discussion

Jan. 19, 2023

Disc golf may be the draw, but it’s the discussion that really matters for students taking part in Chief Umtuch Middle School’s newest after-school activity: TEN8 Disc Golf. On Wednesday afternoons, students gather around a disc golf basket in the school’s cafeteria or a nearby soccer field and take turns tossing discs from various places and distances, getting feedback on their form and discussing important topics like internet safety, drug awareness and how to interact with the police.

“When I became a school resource officer, I really wanted to focus on the resource portion of the job and less on the officer part,” said Ash Kinlaw, a Battle Ground Police Department officer who works in several of the district’s middle schools. Prior to a career in law enforcement, Kinlaw worked in youth outreach and says TEN8 Disc Golf was a way to bring that into his new position. “I love playing disc golf. I love being able to teach and then also provide these kids with information that might help them in their future.”

Kinlaw got into disc golf a few years ago as a way to get outside and exercise safely during the pandemic. Today, he’s even considering playing competitively. “It’s something that’s both fun and accessible for people of pretty much any skill level,” he said.

Kinlaw went with the name “TEN8” because it’s the police code for “on duty.” Fellow School Resource Officer Phil Anderson, who works mostly at Battle Ground High School, also helps run the disc golf program.

“School resource officers have three tenets of the job,” Kinlaw said. “The first is law enforcement, the second is to teach and educate and the third is to counsel and mentor. I felt like disc golf was something that could facilitate all three of those tenets.”

“Having caring adults who can build these relationships with students is invaluable,” said Jennifer Kirby, coordinator of the Prevent Together: Battle Ground Prevention Alliance. “There are lots of studies that show how that relationship can help to prevent things like substance abuse.”

Prevent Together has worked closely with Chief Umtuch’s student-led DREAM Team on programs to help spread awareness of the problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse. The DREAM Team also helped to launch the TEN8 club at Chief. “Having an SRO in the middle schools is a huge benefit for these students,” Kirby said. “It’s highly important for them to feel like they have a trusted adult they can reach out to.”

“If you build a rapport with these kids, they trust you,” Kinlaw added. “Then, if there’s a real problem, something maybe they wouldn’t feel comfortable telling someone else, it opens up the opportunity for them to come and talk to you.”

Kinlaw is now working to expand access to the club to more middle schools, depending on the availability of space and transportation. He’s also working on plans for a tournament, likely in June, at the city’s new disc golf course at Kiwanis Park.

“We have big plans for prizes, awards, vendors, all sorts of things,” he said.

Kinlaw is hopeful they can eventually move beyond practice and get out to some courses for a friendly competition. For now, however, his goal is much more about building relationships than getting a disc into a basket.

“This program seemed a perfect way to kind of bridge that gap where now I’m not just a police officer walking around the schools, but I’m Officer Ash the disc golf coach,” Kinlaw said. “And maybe we become those trusted persons in a student’s life to be there and help them in any way, shape or form.”