LATEST FROM DAX

3rd October 2024

JDC America: A Flag Has Been Planted

By Dax Munna

Imagine for a moment, you (not living in North America) really enjoyed baseball or American football. Perhaps (and I am guessing) there is a place to congregate in your community to take in the professional game on TV or, if not, an internet stream of it.
 
Perhaps the great feats of the games make the highlights of your sports coverage. For the most part, though, there is little fanfare or acknowledgement in your day-to-day lives. Now, imagine trying to start a little league baseball or American football team and league for the youth in your community. There would be historical, logistical and cultural hurdles to overcome.
 
Such is the challenge to an American who teaches darts. It took me time to figure out the best way to impart the knowledge to the youth in my country. You see, as an American I didn’t grow up playing darts as a kid. Most don’t. There was no structure. Sure, we may have had a board in the basement or garage, but it likely went unused most of the year until family came over for the holidays.
We grew up with little league baseball, and (American) football. For generations most fathers passed down these American games to their sons. Having a catch with a baseball and glove with your dad or a (American) football game with the family on Thanksgiving is just what we do. We grew up with access to watching these games professionally on TV. Darts is not an American pastime, but it can be.
It is a primal instinct to mimic what we see. We see the fittest of our clans succeed (earn/thrive) and we want to emulate it. We buy the hats and jerseys in reverence to our favourite players and teams, and if we are lucky enough, we get to see our sporting idols live on their field of play. In America, those players, teams and sports are different, and we don’t qualify our football as “American”, we qualify yours as soccer. :)
 
I wanted to paint the picture so that you could see that bringing darts to America’s youth is not as easy as bringing bangers and mash to a local diner. Nevertheless, I have gone forward undaunted. Here is the story that I hope gets a footnote in the annals of American darting history.
 
Dating back to before lockdown, I had engaged Darren Barson, the CEO of the Junior Darts Corporation in discussions of wanting to get JDC-accredited to run my own academy in New York City. I wasn’t sure what was to come of the conversation. All I knew was that I wanted to further my learning to make my teaching in the United States more prominent. I had already worked with kids, but I wasn’t sure if I was on the right path. Not only that, there weren’t kids in the States with dreams of becoming Michael van Gerwen or Luke Humphries because, quite frankly, no one in America (outside of serious darts players) knows those names. They did however hear of Luke Littler not too long ago.
Littler’s run in the PDC World Championship at the end of 2023 was a UK sporting anomaly that made sports headlines in America; it also made local and national news. It made lifestyle news and special interest news. Now I was getting LOTS of enquiries from parents hoping to get their children darts lessons to make them the next Cinderella story. That Cinderella story started with the JDC.
 
As Darren and I reengaged a year ago, we spoke of our experiences in spreading the game, and how to disseminate the JDC’s programming into the US, I suggested that the JDC make the trip to New York City for US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden. What better way to cross-promote the youth game with the professional game, than to join the PDC players which included its biggest crossover youth star, Littler? The wheels were in motion!
We set up a clinic at a primary school for 4th and 5th grade boys and girls, attended by Michael Smith. There was only one young girl who knew who he was, and that he was a world champion (she might have been related to me), but that almost made it more special. They weren't starstruck clamouring for a picture. They were caught up in the activity itself.
  
Later, I joined Darren at Madison Square Garden to help out with Garden of Dreams, a charity, to introduce darts to teens. Rob Cross joined us. Again, no recognition of being alongside a world champ. Just joy, in something they had never done before.  As part of the week, a few of us signed up to go through the JDC’s accreditation process with Darren. He put us through their session that gets recorded on GoDartsPro so that scores can be compared globally with all accredited academies. We then got put through the wringer against the Canadian Youth Team to see just how the scores of the sessions break down to a handicapped system using the GreenZone dartboard, allowing players of all skill levels to more fairly compete against each other.
 
Going through this accreditation in the UK may not seem like a big thing because of accessibility, but for us it was. Darren and I had been planning all of this for months with the PDC. We wanted to make sure that each of these mini events was well attended and well received because of what it could mean for the future.
In New York City everything is quite expensive. There are not many benevolent landlords who want to hear, “…but it’s for the kids”. We needed to find usable space at the right price (READ: free). Manhattan is not the type of place that has your average FC clubhouse for fans. But what we did have in The Bronx (a county of New York City) was a beach club with an event space that was seldom used. Nick Beach, a friend and league team-mate, who also got JDC-accredited, is affiliated with the club and thus was founded: The Throggs Neck Youth Darts Academy.
 
Together, with caring parents who play in their local league, we hosted an Open House to field interest. With some great grassroots effort, we had 15 boys and girls, between 10-17 years of age show up with that youthful exuberance of trying something new. Seeing their smiles was awesome. It may serve as an after-school activity, it may serve as a fun way to engage a child with math, it may serve as a valuable community of kids who may never have met, except for their love of the game. No matter the reason, I know we have started something good. It is the first step on a journey of one thousand miles, but those journeys don’t happen, without taking that first step.
 
Culture is something that can be built, but it takes time; it takes a level of care. Those that build it must act selflessly with the notion that the fruits of their labor may not be seen for generations to come. It is too easy to stop without being able to see what the future might look like. When it comes to our children though, we must never stop.  Darren and I continue our conversations. There is more work to be done. The JDC mothership can’t fly across the pond every time a new American community wants to get accredited. ;)
 
My hope is to pioneer JDC America for them, not knowing where it will go, or what it will look like. I want to play my part in spreading the gospel of darts farther into American communities. There are already people reaching out, and I look forward to hearing from more. I look forward to helping others like Nick, shepherd their youth darts forward.
 
I can envision, past the bend in the road of time, that cannot be seen around; an American World Champion who started as a kid in a JDC America youth academy. While some may scoff at such a thought, the flag of youth darts has been planted in America for the first time, and we’re not going back.
 
For questions and coaching inquiries please reach out at
DaxMunna@gmail.com
 
Respectfully,
Dax
Dr Manhattan
 

30th August 2024

Back To The Future of The Women’s Game

By Dax Munna 

Recently, after Beau Greaves won her second consecutive Women’s World Matchplay title, she was interviewed and said some things that were both insightful and challenging.

Despite being fairly dominant for the ladies’ game, she is a terrific player, gender aside.

At 20 years old, she has not only won what there is to win with respect to ladies’ opportunities, she has also played the men when those opportunities have arisen.

“I want more for the ladies’ game. I think we deserve a separate part of it (darts),” she said.

I think everyone can agree with this. It is deserved. The opportunities will grow as will the money, when there is more of a show to be seen. The show is, and its viewership will always be, dictated by the level of play and some bluster. The ladies’ game currently does not have the storylines, the antagonists, or colourful mohawk hairstyles.

I have no doubt that once there are enough women playing at a high level, we will see it get a little chippy. It is the primal nature and ego of competitive players to peacock a bit as if to say, ‘Look at me’. In the longview, the ladies’ game is still getting its footing with having a strong product.

“I don’t think any lady will ever go to Ally Pally and win that. I think you are literally just being silly if you think that is possible.”, said Greaves.

This is where I think some of her youthful naiveté showed before having enough of life’s experiential wisdom. We all play our small parts on the universal continuum of our greater darting community. Hindsight is always 20/20, but crystal clear foresight is rare. Allow me to take you back to the future.

They might have thought a woman would never beat a man in a televised major tournament until Deta Hedman did it against Aaron Turner in the UK Open in 2005. (Greaves was one year old).

They might have thought that women would never play at the Ally Pally, let alone compete until Fallon Sherrock beat Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljović in 2019. (Greaves was 15 years old and on the darting radar in the UK).

They might have thought that a woman would never earn a PDC Tour Card until Lisa Ashton did so in 2020. (By 16, Greaves had won multiple regional tournaments).

We’ll never see a lady throw a long format average in the high 90s. Greaves averaged 98.75 in the 6-3 final against Sherrock in the 2024 Women’s World MatchPlay. (And she is no longer a parenthetical footnote).

Anyone could have been “being silly” for having such thoughts, that is until all of these silly things happened.

It is hard for her to conceive of her own stature in the modern day game, let alone her place in darting history (20-year-olds seldom have such perspective). In order for any great darts players to stay at the top of their game, they MUSTN’T live in the past or the future.

Being ever-present in the moment of every dart is crucial. Right now there are 10-year-old girls watching her every dart and hanging on her every word.

She very well may be one of the giants that future generations of women players stand on the shoulders of to better the game. Does Beau Greaves do what she does without the female titans that came before her?

It seemed unfortunate that the interview had a bit of a dour tone based on the questioning, but she was not unfairly cornered. Her win at the Matchplay gained her entry to the Grand Slam.

It was inevitable that she would be asked about how exciting that might be to play against the top men. While it is not something that she looks forward to, there may be other women who would enjoy that experience. I know there are men that would give their left arm to gain the experience of playing the best around.

In taking it a step further, one could dig, and surmise, that her comments were a bit a of subterfuge for her fellow female competitors; what better way for the highest ranked in the game to try to gain a mental edge?

Maybe she found the delicate way to add the edginess the ladies’ game needs. She is, after all competing on the Development Tour. It has never been beneath Taylor or Van Gerwen to use the media to tell opponents politely what they couldn’t do. But, I digress to her youthful innocence, her calm, her gentle demeanour that tells me she is being sincere, however shortsighted her comments might be.

Professional darts players, men and women alike, are purveyors of hope. They compete at the highest level in an everyman’s and woman’s game. They allow pub players and junior players to dream; to aspire for greatness.

I think we should all be glad that no one told Beau that she was being silly for playing darts. When I show my own 10-year-old daughter clips of a great darts player, I show her clips of Beau Greaves. I tell her how she has fought valiantly to overcome the yips. I show her matches of Beau beating men and women.

As a coach, I tell her, if there is a ladies’ player whose form she should emulate, it is hers. I am grateful for female icons in the game, so that when she watches, and sees someone of the same gender, her inner monologue says, “I can do that.”

While it is plainer to see the slow evolution and growth of the ladies’ game, I can see the future; as does the JDC. None of the boys and girls are “being silly”.

For questions and coaching inquiries please reach out at DaxMunna@gmail.com

 

Respectfully,

Dax

Dr. Manhattan

30th July 2024

WELCOME TO THE ASYLUM!

Here’s the thing. Whether you are brand new to the world of darts or have been around the block a few times, eventually someone walks into your pub and undoes your sense of the darts ecosystem. By the end of the evening you are left shaking your head with the known refrain of, “Who the F was that guy?!”

I am Dr Manhattan and I’m here to tell you, you need players like that to come into your life. I teach this game, and if you are not having such experiences, you are not testing yourself. These experiences force you to reassess your game, to test your notion of what being a “good” darts player is. You shouldn’t want too much comfort. Comfort breeds complacency. Complacency feeds the ego; and let’s face it, most darting locales have too many outsized egos.

I am not a known quantity like Darin Young or Larry Butler; nor am I one of the newer Americans like Danny Lauby or Jules van Dongen trying to make their mark on the PDC circuit. These guys are putting in serious work to prove themselves.

My serious work is focused on you. I am the guy across the pond who is going to give you something to think about each and every time we meet. I’m the American who teaches the game from before you even approach the oche. The guy who has taught people in your country. The guy who passionately loves our global darting community.
If you appreciate this great game, I appreciate you.
  
THE STATE OF PLAY IN NORTH AMERICA
Americans are no longer “just really happy to be here”. No. Americans have gone through their growing pains over the past thirty years. We are no longer new to long format, to the stage, to the spotlight. There is an older generation that has grown accustomed to it, and a younger generation that knows nothing else. The nerves “in-the-moment” have faded, and each year there are a few more players prepared to compete on an international level.
 
The Canadians are the same, except a little different. You see, I am not the North American who lumps North Americans together. Nobody represents a continent on that stage. Our continent does not have a flag.
  
Besides, there is a Canadian who has three times taken the big piece of the pie for himself. Canada has celebrated a world champion; BDO and PDC. America has not… yet.
 
The Championship Darts Circuit has done an excellent job providing the best North American players the opportunity to compete against each other in a meaningful way; with a path to the PDC World Championship and the Grand Slam.  But, even in the United Kingdom, players compete under their country’s flag, not the Union Jack. (Besides, North America technically encompasses Mexico, Greenland, and a bunch of smaller countries not represented… yet)

 

TEACHING/LEARNING

Many people are happy just having their league night out with friends to toss some arrows. That is the truest, easiest-going enjoyment the game has to offer. I love it, and those people play a vital role in our greater community. Not everyone is in it to be better or become a rockstar.

There are others that magically want to BE better, but don’t necessarily take steps to GET better. They may play a lot, and they think they practice properly, but the fact is, they practice without purpose. These players might have magical moments, followed by bewilderment. They lack the understanding of what they are doing right or wrong.

Then there are others who can’t help but sense that there is something they don’t yet know. They may recognise that they don’t know, what they don’t know. They are constantly observing, constantly soaking up the community around them, constantly looking for answers. Sometimes to find the right answers, you simply need to ask the right questions of the right people. Look no further.

Nobody needs help to play darts, because, nobody needs to play darts. The same is true for sports like tennis or golf. We don’t need to play these sports. The fact is, we WANT to play these sports. We are drawn to them, and we want to play them well.

At any level of education, teaching is not about being the best in your field of study. There are many current and former greats in all sports that do not and, quite frankly, cannot distill the lessons well. Teaching is about imparting knowledge. It is about communication.

Teaching is a relationship between teacher and student. It starts with a student’s desire to learn. From there, trust is the delicate bridge that students must meet a teacher on; somewhere in the middle, where the footing may be uneasy. From that point the it is the teacher’s job to impart knowledge in an easily digestible way, and help you cross that bridge to stable ground on the other side.

This is where many get it wrong when thinking about teaching and learning. Many expect that the teacher is there to hold your hand, and escort you from one side of the bridge, to the other. A teacher is not there to do FOR you. A teacher is there to give you the tools, the knowledge, and the confidence to do for yourself.

I absolutely love when I am not the best player in the bar. I am the first to humbly admit, on any given day in America, there are comfortably 25 guys more practiced, more hungry, more battle tested, ready to blast me off the board. However, there is no one more prepared, more able, more communicative, more eager, to put you on YOUR path to improvement. Am I a professional? Yes, but I am not a touring pro.

It is an important distinction I make readily. It would be a disservice to players putting in job-like hours getting tour cards to play semantical games and tell you, ‘I am professional darts player.’ I don’t sell. I service the community. I am a pro akin to the ones you would find at a tennis or golf club. I am a professional instructor.

I have a high level of acumen, but my money is not made trying to win tournaments, it is made at being adept at, breaking the game down, communicating it well, and making you better.

THE “Dr” IS IN

 

Being the resident “Doctor” at an Asylum sounds ominous, but I assure you, Dr Manhattan is a playful moniker I was given for my bald head, my philosophical approach, and my city of origin.  I am quite approachable, in-person and online. I don’t wear a lab coat, and I don’t distribute medicine. I have no Ph.D, but meet me on that oche and I will breathe new life into your darts.

I don’t watch the game the way a fan would. I study it. From complete novice to seasoned professional, I am constantly finding ways to help you improve on the margins. I have been doing it in-person since 2012 and remotely, across the globe since 2020. I take a sincere pride in helping you set and reach your goals. It is a feather in my cap, and a sign of great respect when people from the UK reach out across the Atlantic for my expertise. It is why when the braintrust and darts minds of DartAsylum asked me to contribute with a coaching column, I was honoured, and happy to oblige.

It is my hope to give you new ways to think about the game.

If you meet me in the middle of that bridge, I will give you what you need to get across safely.

I will also answer your questions. I want to hear from you. It is what I do. My writing on darts graces the world over already, now you will get it directly on the walls of the Asylum.

We are drawn to this game in almost inexplicable ways. When we don’t play for a bit we begin to get antsy. We miss it. We almost crave it. That’s why you are at the DartAsylum

Asylum:

  1. The protection granted to someone who has left their native land as a refugee.
  2. An institution offering shelter and support to people who are mentally ill.

Whether you seek refuge in the game of darts as a means of escape and recreation, OR you need help with your deep fixation, we are here to help, and the Dr is in.

Respectfully,
Dax
Dr Manhattan