Published: September 25, 2008 11:40 pm            

All-Pro Dads program in third year

It’s hard sometimes for a busy dad to find time to spend with his children.

Thursday, a few dads from Bon Air Middle School made the time, attending the school’s first All-Pro Dads meeting of the year before school, at Hardee’s.

Interim Principal Mike Sargent said this is the third year Bon Air has sponsored the monthly meeting, which takes place about an hour before school starts.

All-Pro Dads is part of a national program started in 1997 by Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy, when he was coaching in Tampa Bay, Fla. The program goal is to equip men with the moral and educational tools necessary to make them better fathers and role models, and to build character in their children and communities.

Sargent said the program started three years ago at Bon Air Middle School after Travis Taflinger, program director for Bridges Outreach mentioned it to him. It started as a lunchtime program, but it was hard to find a guest speaker for all the school’s lunch periods. It has since become a breakfast meeting and moved away from the school to locations around Kokomo.

Sargent said participation is usually light for the first few meetings, until more students spread the word and start attending with their dads or other male role models, including grandfathers, older brothers and even some single mothers.

“The idea is to focus on positive male relationships,” Sargent said, adding that all students are welcome. The group meets the last Thursday of each month at 7:05 a.m., except in December and May. The November meeting is one week early because of Thanksgiving. Locations vary, and those who want to attend may call the school office at (765) 454-7035 for locations.

Seventh-grader Kara Roe and her dad, Terry Clark, were the veterans of Thursday’s group, having attended for three years. Clark said he tried to start a dad’s group at his daughter’s elementary school and wasn’t able to get it going. He’s glad for the chance to take time for his daughter, which can be hard with her school and sports schedule and his work schedule.

He likes the family focus of the program.

“Any time you can spend time with your child, what more can you ask for?”

Kara said she likes to come because of the opportunity to spend time with her dad.

Her friend Tasha Pitcher, a sixth-grader, attended with her “soon-to-be-dad,” Chris Ramberger, who also enjoyed the chance to spend time with his daughter.

“It’s just another way for parents to interact with the school,” he said.

Scotty Barbary, a sixth-grader, brought his dad, Scott Barbary, to the breakfast. He was glad to be there because “I was hungry.”

Scott Barbary said he coaches all of his son’s sports and is happy to have another opportunity to spend father and son time together. He said his family attended a similar program when Scotty was at Darrough Chapel Elementary.

He hopes being involved with his son’s school will show how important school and good grades are for his son’s future.

“You won’t get anywhere without an education.”

Danielle Rush may be reached at (765) 454-8585 or via e-mail at danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com

        

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