WINTHROP — Middle school students got a lesson Wednesday morning from some of the top disc golf professionals in the world.

Seven professional players, including recent Swedish Open champion James Proctor, led two groups of Winthrop Middle School students through the basics of putting and driving — terms swiped from “ball golf,” as disc golfers say.

Disc golf is played similarly to ball golf: Players tee off by throwing a “driver” disc, designed to fly long distances, and then use mid-range and putter discs as they get closer to the basket, or hole.

On their first practice round while shooting from about 15 feet away, the group of about 40 students got just three of their “putts” in.

But just a few rounds later, when groups of students were competing against one another, 18 discs ended up in the baskets. Zoe AnDyke, the director of disc golf education nonprofit Uplay and the main “coach” for Wednesday’s event, gave out high-fives left and right when students made their shots.

Zoe AnDyke, director of the disc golf education nonprofit Uplay, center, demonstrates disc golf driving technique Wednesday during a special physical education class at Winthrop Middle School. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

One student ran over to longtime Winthrop Middle arts teacher Lisa Davis and asked if she could hold her phone while she practiced — a big moment, Davis said.

“This is maybe the most focused I’ve ever seen these kids,” she said.

The students, nervous to throw the discs at first, were eventually putting discs close to 100 feet through the air — straight and true — after just a half-hour of coaching from the professionals, who will be playing in this weekend’s Maine State Championships in New Gloucester.

The event was sponsored by Thought Space Athletics, an organization owned by Winthrop schools graduate Aaron Wilmot that aims to combine artwork and disc golf. Many of the 80 discs the students were using were printed with exclusive Thought Space artwork, and the professionals wore Uplay jerseys designed by Thought Space.

As a student in Winthrop schools in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Wilmot said he often saw art programs get cut or sports programs struggling to keep up with equipment needs. But, he said, combining art and sport can help keep both alive.

“Both are taking a beating, but nobody ever combines them,” Wilmot said.

Davis learned of Thought Space from one of her students who was wearing a shirt with one of the company’s graphic designs on it. In fact, the student was Wilmot’s nephew, Riley, and she remembered she taught Wilmot several decades prior. She was impressed with his work.

“Let’s talk,” Davis told Riley. “I need to see more.”

Thought Space Athletics President Aaron Wilmot is seen Wednesday at Winthrop Middle School. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Last year, Davis and Wilmot collaborated to host a competition for Winthrop Middle School eighth graders to have a design printed on one of Thought Space’s discs. Thousands of dollars in proceeds from the exclusive sale of that designed disc went straight back to the eighth grader whose design won the competition.

Wilmot founded Thought Space as a personal project in 2012 after visiting a disc golf competition in North Carolina. The designs on the discs, the jerseys, the branding of the event — it all left something to be desired, Wilmot said.

“We need something to flip it on its head,” he said.

And as disc golf took off in recent years — there are now about 4 million players worldwide and more disc golf courses than Dunkin’ locations in the U.S. — so did Thought Space.

In 2019, after years of design-only work, the company also started manufacturing discs. Now, the company is sponsoring the Maine State Championships at the Pineland Farms course in New Gloucester on Sunday, with Wilmot serving as one of the tournament directors.

Using his built-up connections with Thought Space and in the disc golf community, Wilmot also helped raise $28,000 for families of victims of the Lewiston mass shooting in the days following the attack.

Davis, who on Wednesday wore a “Maine Strong” T-shirt that Thought Space designed, said it was important for a Winthrop native and community member like Wilmot to be showing the students what is possible with their art. If disc golf is how they make that connection, she’s more than happy to facilitate.

“Being able to make these community connections is such a key for these kids,” she said.

Zachary Bickford putts a disc toward the basket Wednesday as students practice disc golf techniques they learned at Winthrop Middle School. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

At the end of the lesson, after the students gathered up the discs they had strewn across Winthrop Middle’s soccer field, AnDyke announced the school would be keeping the 80 discs for its Physical Education program. Thought Space will also be donating two baskets, and Uplay will donate a curriculum book for P.E. teachers to add disc golf to lesson plans.

Zachary Bickford, an eighth grader, said he enjoyed the experience, which was his second-ever exposure to disc golf. Bickford said he especially enjoyed learning the side-arm throwing technique, since it mirrored skills he uses in other sports, like baseball and football.

“I am actually really excited to be playing disc golf in P.E.,” Bickford said.