If you’re fishing at Miller Park in Bloomington, you might catch a largemouth bass or a blue gill.
You might also capture an indelible core memory with your kid or form an enduring connection with your father.
Sometimes, as it turns out, a fish is more than a fish.
That’s the basic idea behind the 4th Annual Father-Child Fishing Event on Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to noon, hosted by the McLean County Fatherhood Coalition and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The father-specific event is intended as “an intervention to help dads be with their kids” in busy times, said Jordan Arellanes, an associate professor of psychology at Illinois State University who researches fatherhood supports.
“One event isn’t going to change the entire trajectory of a father’s relationship with their kids,” Arellanes said, “but it can spark an interest that can bring dads and kids together more often, an activity that they call theirs.”
From a big-picture societal perspective, why does that matter?
“When dads are involved with their kids, whole communities benefit,” said Earl Kloppman, program manager for Brightpoint Fatherhood Services, a statewide effort to empower fathers and strengthen families.
Kloppman and Arellanes have worked closely together to develop the fishing event, which is free and open to all dads and father figures and their children. All fishing gear is provided, as is basic instruction on how to fish. The only expense for the otherwise free event is the $5.50 needed for a 24-hour fishing license, but most of that can be reimbursed at the event.
The whole point is to reduce barriers and make the event welcoming to all dads and father figures in McLean County (though some participants travel from further away). Some men are hesitant to join activities that they are unfamiliar with, like fishing, Arellanes said.
“This activity was developed as a way to educate dads on the very basics of fishing so that they can take this information and go fishing with their kids afterwards,” said Arellanes, who also has a research background in Latino families and educational equity.
In an academic research paper published earlier this year, Arellanes and his co-authors found that father-specific events such as this one are much needed to improve equity in parenting.
And it seems that dads just want to have fun. Fathers are not as inclined to participate “educational programming or group discussions” that may seem more like “a chore than a resource,” according to the research. That’s where the fishing comes in.
A widespread community effort is important when it comes to building a movement to encourage more involvement of fathers, the researchers noted. The McLean County Fatherhood Coalition, which serves as an example, also includes Illinois State University, the Bloomington Housing Authority, Unit 5 School District, Birth to Five, and the McLean County Health Department.
The hope for Brightpoint, and for the coalition, is to continue growing the services and programs to appeal to more fathers and encourage more involvement in their children’s lives, Kloppman said.
Don’t worry, moms, you’re still very much needed. In fact, the research paper noted that mothers were very important in getting dads to actually register for and participate in the event.
Such was the case for Charles Bell, whose wife informed him of last year’s event. Bell, an associate professor of criminal justice at ISU, had been meaning to take his daughters fishing for a while, he said.
“It was perfect,” said Bell, father of two girls, 7 and 9 years old. “Very memorable. They learned patience and how to not be afraid of the fish and the worms. It was also just a bonding experience.”
Their first stop after the event? Straight to Wal-Mart to buy their own fishing rods.
They’ve been fishing together ever since.
Click here to learn more and sign up for this year’s event. All dad and father figures are welcome.