Mar 3, 2023 5 min read

I’ve been a coach for longer than I care to admit. The other day, my brother, Chris, and I were sitting at the kitchen table discussing all things high school athletics when the topic of mentoring was broached.

I like to think that we are accomplishing more on a baseball field than just baseball. Chris had the best definition for mentoring, that he stole from someone else, so I thought I’d steal it from him for this week’s column. “I do, you watch; I do, you help; you do, I help; you do, I watch.”

I never realized how much this tenet holds true for life. At least the sporting life.

Much of what I’ve involved myself in over the last 40-50 years has been grounded in this belief. As a teacher, I practice it daily. As a coach, maybe even more so in the teaching of a physical skill set. As a firearms instructor, I incorporate this mentality, almost entirely.

Each season, there seems to be yet another young person (some years, maybe not so young) who makes their way to our doorstep. A friend or family member or acquaintance who does not enjoy the great outdoors as our family does inquires as to how they might introduce their young person to hunting or fishing or trapping. The person in question has become interested in the great outdoors but lacks a responsible adult with the background, woodcraft or closet full of equipment to supervise such undertakings. The family has obviously mistaken my brother, Glenn, and me for two responsible adults and gleefully hands over our protege for some sort of informal “college of the woods.”

The mean age of our pupil often runs in the 10-12 year-old range. Attention span is short, at best, and our little person has almost no experience in the game. What they lack in focus they more than make up for in enthusiasm.

Training usually begins with a hunter safety course, followed by short forays out behind the barn with an old Trius Trap clay bird machine. Weapons handling skills are taught. Safety is at the forefront with an emphasis on keeping self, tutors, dogs and other hunters out of harm’s way.

Gradually, we introduce the skills necessary for breaking clay targets, which, hopefully, will lead to success on pheasants, come youth pheasant season, a few months down the road. With any luck, interest grows, the flames are fanned and in a few more seasons, we have another convert to the ranks. Ideally we are grooming our new hunting partner for years to come and they will be responsible for dragging us out of the woods when we succumb to hypothermia, heart disease or lumbago in our old age.

Introduce dogs, turkeys, big game, better weapons and a modicum of success during these outings and the foundation is almost bedrock for our newbies.

Some students last only a few outings before moving on to other pursuits (texting, gaming, sports, romance, etc.) Others begin to develop a passion for the outdoors, almost immediately. The rare few are hooked for life. Forgive me for the poor fishing pun. The point is that we are out there. At last count, our legion numbers are in the dozens and we have driven off only the occasional few. As I look back over past decades, Cub Scout archery camps, air rifle clinics, church camps, and PA Game Commission hunter trapper education classes all proved fertile ground for this exercise.

So what am I getting at? Take a kid fishing. Maybe trout, maybe bass, maybe even bluegill. You might be surprised to see just how much fun a kid can have pulling sunfish after sunfish out of a pond during an afternoon excursion. Take some pictures and the real surprise may be noted in the smile of the adult that looks as big, if not bigger, than the one on the kid.

Take them to the range and let them plink with a .22 and you will witness pure joy. Take them out in a canoe and be amazed at the opportunities that arise to witness Mother Nature at her best. Go for a hike with that youngster and be ready to learn all about what is going on in their life, both good and bad, as you profess the curriculum of the great outdoors. Take along a pair of binoculars, some snacks and some drinks and you may not return until dark. Get involved with a sportsman’s club or environmental group and you may begin cultivating a lifelong love for the both of you. Whatever it is that interests your newcomer will probably interest you.

When it all comes down to it, it’s really not about the hunting or the fishing or the trapping. It’s about spending time with someone you care about. If that person happens to be a son or daughter, niece or nephew, grandson or granddaughter then even better. Just know that someone out there needs you, your knowledge and your caring right now. The shelf life of a future sportsman is not all that long, so don’t wait, They’re counting on you whether you know it or not.

If you are interested in further mentoring opportunities or in becoming an HTE Hunter Trapper Educator with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, check out https://www.pgc.pa.gov