Fayetteville Disc Association urges board to preserve open fields as leagues grow

Josh McGee, president of the Fayetteville Disc Association, told the Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs Advisory Board that the member-led nonprofit runs community leagues, pickup games and tournaments that serve about 300 regular participants and support an annual Harvest Moon tournament bringing roughly 1,500 participants and dozens of visiting teams. McGee said the organization operates on modest revenue — "right around $50,000 a year" — and relies on long-standing partnerships with city parks to keep fees low and fields available.

McGee described the association’s programming and needs, noting winter and evening play require lit fields and that indoor facility options are limited in Northwest Arkansas. "Please value open field space," he told the board, arguing that wide, multipurpose fields are more equitable and versatile than specialized facilities and that some Vanderbilt-area fields are currently "under threat." He said the group has used Lewis and Kessler fields for large events and rotates pickup games to whatever lighted fields are available, including fields on the White River side when necessary.

Members and staff asked about Harvest Moon logistics, field marking and lighting; McGee said he could host the tournament across Lewis and Kessler when both sites are available and that organizers keep line markings minimal to preserve fields for other sports. Board members and staff acknowledged a regional shortage of open-field complexes and highlighted Walker Park lighting and upcoming facilities work as potential relief.

The board did not take formal action on field allocation during the meeting, but multiple members encouraged continued coordination between the association and parks staff as master-plan projects and capital improvements advance.