The alarm went off and I hit the snooze button, but I was still awake—kind of. I saw the light turn on in the hallway. Then my daughter walked past, headed for the bathroom. She came back and stuck her head in my room. “APD!” she exclaimed with a huge smile. Then she was gone. Slowly, I dragged myself out of bed. I don’t like getting up early, but on All Pro Dad Fridays, I know it’s worth it.
Several years ago, when my son was in fourth grade, I decided to start an All Pro Dad chapter at his school. All Pro Dad chapters meet in schools once a month (usually over breakfast) and discuss character traits like compassion, determination, and responsibility. I talked to a couple other dads who thought it was a good idea, I contacted the principal, and the next thing I knew, we were buying donuts and getting up early once a month. If your child’s school doesn’t have an All Pro Dad chapter, I encourage you to contact your school’s principal and begin a conversation about starting one. My only regret is that I didn’t start it sooner so I could have shared the experience with all three of my children. Here are 5 reasons I loved being an All Pro Dad team captain.
1. You get to work with your kids on a common goal.
During the time I have been team captain, my kids and I have worked together to prepare for the meetings, get the breakfast set up, print attendance sheets and leader’s guides, and communicate with school staff. Being part of the APD team has been a great opportunity to allow them to learn to be organized and responsible.
2. You get to know great guys.
Over the course of the past several years, I have gotten to know many dads. Some of them were guys I already knew, but many were ones I had never met and likely would not have met if I had not been involved with the chapter. Either way, it has helped me to develop deeper friendships, and it has helped create a stronger sense of community among our school’s dads.
3. You demonstrate community service.
Being a team captain has been a fun and engaging way to show my kids that it is important to be involved in the community and to do things for others. They know we spend time, money, and energy preparing for and running the All Pro Dad chapter, and they know we are willing to do it because we care about the other people in our community.
4. Your kids’ faces during the “pride moment” are priceless.
We start every All Pro Dad chapter meeting with each dad introducing himself and his child and giving a reason why he is proud of his child. It is fantastic! Some kids look embarrassed, some kids look proud. Regardless of their specific responses, they all have one thing in common—you can see on their faces that they are happy to be there and that they are excited to hear their dad publicly praising them.
Fatherhood isn’t something we should put off until tomorrow.5. You become a better dad.
Being an All Pro Dad team captain has forced me to be more intentional as a dad. This has led to a better awareness of myself as a father and a deeper desire to be the best dad I can be. It has made me a better father and created a stronger bond not only with my children but with their mother as well.
Fatherhood isn’t something we should put off until tomorrow. If you are considering being an All Pro Dad team captain, don’t wait. Do it today! All Pro Dad provides all the tools you need.
Sound off: What do you enjoy about All Pro Dad days if your school has a chapter? If your school doesn’t have a chapter yet, what keeps you from starting one?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “Would you like to get up early once a month to have breakfast at your school with other kids and their dads?”