Some people help build a sport. Others help shape the culture around it. Tita Ugalde did both.
In Episode 4 of Out Of Production, we sit down with PDGA #83, Hall of Famer, educator, and one of the true pioneers of Frisbee and disc golf. Tita takes us back to the earliest days of the sport, when Oak Grove still had poles instead of baskets, the Rose Bowl World Championships brought together the best Frisbee athletes in the world, and WAM-O was helping turn a simple flying disc into a global phenomenon.
But this conversation is about much more than history. Tita shares what it was like growing up as an immigrant in a sport where few people looked like her, why education and communication have always been at the heart of everything she’s done, and how a lifelong career as an elementary school teacher influenced the way she approaches growing the game. She also reflects on the evolution of women’s disc golf, the importance of preserving Frisbee’s rich history, and why building connections has always mattered more than chasing trophies.
If you’ve been playing for decades or just picked up your first disc, this episode is a reminder that every throw, every course, and every community we enjoy today exists because of people like Tita who believed in the sport long before the rest of the world caught on.
This is a conversation full of history, wisdom, and heart and one every disc golfer should hear.