Player Bio

When Joel Rogers started competing at disc sport evens in 1979 in his native Tennessee and neighboring Kentucky, he took to it like a fish takes to water. It began a life-long obsession that burns to this day. In 1987 he moved to the San Diego, CA area and challenged himself to become a great Freestyle Champion. He quickly reached his goal, winning the FPA World Co-op title (with Rick Castiglia and Dave Schiller) in 1989. In time he would win 6 Major Titles and 5 World Masters Titles. Along the way he would also take on Tournament Director, Administrative and Mentoring duties. He was always forward thinking in his approach and application. His style explored the untapped turnover game, taking it to levels unseen before. He is equally strong with both spins and is most at home on the beach with a kind wind.

Variety is the backbone of Joels play. His motto is “Its not what you do in a five minute routine, its what you can do all day.” Joel comes from the old school of flow and go but he has also incorporated modern overall mastery and total control of the frisbee into his game. “I call that driving the race car at high speed, but smooth in the corners.”

“I like to spend the day jamming trying to make everyone better around me. Some players want to show you what they can do. I want to see what WE can do. My advice is to seek out a group jam with a good vibe and of course: Gitis early, gitis often!

Career Highlights

5 major titles (see below), plus 4 Master’s Freestyle Championships, facilitated by a 1987 move to San Diego

Major Titles
2002 1st Place Pairs w/ Larry Imperiale
1992 1st Place Pairs w/ Dave Schiller
1992 1st Place Co-op w/ Dave Schiller & Dave Murphy
1990 1st Place Co-op w/ Dave Schiller & Rick Castiglia
1989 1st Place Co-op w/ Dave Schiller & Rick Castiglia “Art Of Disc”

How I Started

first competition in 1980

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