Ok, I’m going to make this one a two-part article just because it’s pretty awesome. WHAT IF…..you were 13 years old again and all you wanted to do was fish?? You eat, sleep and breath fishing and your mom and dad tell on you because you fall asleep at night watching fishing videos. You put in all the mental preparation and start fishing local high school trails and the Student Angler Federation but you struggle finding a partner with equal passion and dedication. Some parents either aren’t able to travel and participate or can’t afford the expenses that it entails to do the traveling. You’re at that awkward stage in your life where boys are gross and they think the same thing about girls so it’s virtually impossible to find a youth angler to complete your team for team events.
Fortunately, you have a dad that’s a dedicated and driven force, how awesome to have parents that recognize and support your passion…..and if all parents were smart, they would realize that this is a passion that can fulfill your soul. Very few, if any, youth anglers get into any kind of trouble, and most are way more resilient, content, and super focused on making good grades in school.
Your parents are super supportive of your passion, and they begin a search for you to be able to fish as a co-angler and run across a women’s traveling series that, just so happens to be having an event two (2) hours away from your home and they make it possible for you to be there.
You arrive at the event and you’re completely in awe and amazement. You are able to meet and talk to all of the lady anglers, get autographs that are important to you and pictures with some of them. You meet, talk and take pictures with only the 2nd lady to EVER compete in the Bassmaster Classic. She talks to you like you are just another angler and doesn’t talk down to you or above you and you have visions of being just like her one day.
The drive back home has you way up there above the car, you hardly even notice that you’re even riding in a car. Daydreams of actually fishing a trail where everyone has an equal passion, dedication and desire. Daydreams of hearing your name called out as you walk up on that stage with fish to weigh in and the sudden WOW….of how awesome your parents are for supporting you and seeing how important something like this was to you and making all the arrangements to get you there. THE FIRE HAS BEEN FUELED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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