By Mike Rothwell, Board Member/Director of Community Partners for Father’s Club

The Father’s Club Mission is to create simple ways for dads to be intentional with their KIDS, with other DADS and within their COMMUNITY.
With resolve, humility, and love, our mission is to be a catalyst for positive influence around the world.

In today’s fast-paced and digitally connected world, it may seem paradoxical to discuss loneliness. However, despite the apparent constant connectivity, many men find themselves struggling with isolation and a lack of meaningful connections. Enter F3, a unique platform that has emerged as a powerful solution for male loneliness. In this blog post, we will explore how F3Nation.com addresses this pervasive issue and offers men a supportive community where they can forge lasting bonds, improve their physical fitness, and enhance their overall well-being.

Understanding Male Loneliness:

Loneliness affects people of all genders, but studies have shown that men, in particular, tend to struggle with loneliness. Societal expectations and traditional gender roles often discourage men from expressing vulnerability and seeking emotional support. As a result, many men suffer in silence, leading to various physical and mental health issues. Male loneliness is a complex issue, but it is one that F3 aims to tackle head-on.

What is F3?

F3, which stands for Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith, is a non-profit organization that focuses on creating free, peer-led workouts for men across the United States and beyond. It operates through a robust online platform that allows men to find nearby F3 workouts and connect with fellow participants. But F3 is more than just a fitness program; it is a community built on the principles of support, accountability, and personal growth.

And four years ago, F3 Nation launched F3 Kansas City and the Father’s Club immediately aligned on Mission with this group and became community partners.

Fitness:

Physical fitness is a cornerstone of F3. By promoting regular exercise and encouraging men to push their limits, F3 provides an outlet for releasing stress, improving overall health, and boosting confidence. The shared experience of challenging workouts fosters camaraderie and creates a sense of belonging among participants. The group workouts enable men to form connections and build relationships with others who are striving for similar fitness goals.

Fellowship:

F3 emphasizes fellowship as a means of combating male loneliness. Through its workouts, events, and community gatherings, F3 creates a space where men can come together, connect, and forge meaningful friendships. The organization encourages participants to reach out to one another, provide support, and offer accountability in various aspects of their lives beyond fitness. The bonds formed within F3 extend beyond workout sessions, often leading to lifelong friendships.

Faith:

While F3 is not affiliated with any specific religious denomination, it recognizes the importance of faith in combating loneliness. F3 encourages men to explore and develop their own sense of purpose and spirituality, whatever that may mean to them. By providing a platform for open discussions and shared experiences, F3 facilitates personal growth and fosters a sense of belonging among participants.

What is the impact of F3?

The impact of F3 on male loneliness cannot be overstated. By combining fitness, fellowship, and faith, this unique platform provides men with the tools they need to overcome isolation and create meaningful connections. Participants often report improvements in mental health, increased self-confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose. F3’s supportive environment helps men develop skills for effective communication, emotional well-being, and personal growth, leading to a more fulfilling and connected life.

In a society where male loneliness continues to be a pressing issue, F3 offers a compelling solution. By prioritizing fitness, fellowship, and faith, this platform helps men combat isolation, build meaningful connections, and improve their overall well-being. F3 provides a supportive community where men can come together, grow personally and physically, and ultimately find lasting friendships. So, if you’re a man seeking to overcome loneliness and forge meaningful connections, F3 is waiting to welcome you into its supportive band of brothers.

This summer the Father’s Club encourages you to give F3 a try.

They have 37 different options available every week for ALL Men. Take a look at the schedule below and find a location and time that is convenient for you.

For more information we strongly suggest reading this article and podcast that dives deeper into the pandemic of male loneliness and how F3 aims to deliver a solution for ALL MEN!

Our very own Ryan Kapple, the OG Chapter Chair at Olathe East, wants to share a bit of his Father’s Club and F3 Journey with you.  Check it out!

By Mike Davisson, Regional Director & Board Member for Father’s Club

Principal Mike Wiley and staff from California Trail Middle School (CTMS) have designated a day each school year to have students go out into the community to do service work at elementary schools; parks; local nonprofits and more. They are sent out with the mission of having a positive impact in the community and teaching students the value of serving others. It was with that serving others first mentality that Principal Wiley reached out and asked Father’s Club if we would be interested in being there to greet students with a High Five; an encouraging word or a thank you when they returned to school.

CTMS Father’s Club, with the help of Andy’s Frozen Custard, took it a step further and welcomed the students back with Andy’s Frozen Custard ice cream cups in addition to those high fives; encouraging words and thank yous. Students and teachers alike were surprised when they departed the buses to see a group of Dads along with tables of ice cream. Smiles could be seen throughout the large groups of students disembarking from their buses and making their way to the ice cream tables. One student was heard saying these are the best dads ever.

It was great to see the excitement from students and staff, but also from the dads who got to be part of such a small, but impactful conclusion to Serve Day. These dads took a small amount of time out of their day to spend time with these kids. We never know how an activity like this can impact a student, but I can tell you there was not one dad that regretted taking the time to be intentionally involved in the lives of these students on a gorgeous spring day.

Special thanks to Sara Laughlin from Andy’s Frozen Custard and to the CTMS Father’s Club dads for being a part of Serve Day and serving others.

By Brad Holdhusen, CEO/Board Member/Chapter Chair for Father’s Club

I’m sitting here with a hero of many of yours, and one of mine, Mr. Scott Bacon.

The 2022 Shovel Award

We wanted to honor Scott with what we call the Shovel Award. Tom Herzog was the recipient last year. 2021 was the first year that we’ve presented this award.

The shovel award is something we give to someone that’s extremely special and has done a phenomenal job for our organization every single year. And the reason Scott was chosen for this award and this honor is that he was an extremely instrumental part in the Father’s Club and getting things going at Blue Valley High School. His leadership in education is something extremely special.

Mental Health First Aid Training

Scott joined us on our very first mental health first aid training event, which was, give or take, about 35 men.

He mentioned that it was unlike any other meeting with a group of men he has had. It was amazing. He had recently gone through a situation with his son who had cancer. Scott mentioned he wasn’t prepared for some of the things emotionally that his son was going to experience and ultimately what he experienced as his dad. He said, “To have an opportunity to express some of those things and be a part of the feedback, it was life changing for me.”

A Question About Raypec

We asked if he was planning on bringing some traditions over to Raypec that he had at Blue Valley High School. His response was, “Well, right now I’m really listening and learning and trying to become the part of the traditions that are already here. I think the communities are very similar and the cultures in the schools are very similar, so that excites me, and hopefully that means I’m a good fit for what I’m walking into here at Raypec. There’s a lot of pride in this community. There’s a lot of enthusiasm about this community, and I look forward to being a part of that down the line.”

A Question About Blue Vally High School

We also asked what he misses most about Blue Valley High School. He said, “The kids, the staff and the community. The same thing that I look forward to becoming a part of here at Raypec, because I see so many similarities. The BVHS parent community was so supportive. I was tremendously blessed to be a part of that.”

Again, we would like to say that Scott Bacon has meant a great deal to our community at Blue Valley High School. His legacy, his ability to lead with resolve and focus and direction and do it in such a way that impacts absolutely everybody, is a huge inspiration to us all. Scott will  always be a special part of the Father’s Club.

Congratulations on receiving the 2022 Shovel Award Scott!

By Troy Diehl

The Lee’s Summit North chapter started strong with our first Fist Bumps for Food event.

1,000 Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls!

We passed out 1,000 Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls to hungry students as they started their day. We were so excited to interact with the amazing students at Lee’s Summit North High School! It was great seeing all the smiling faces and to know this is what Father’s club is all about.

This event laid the foundation for our newly formed chapter and allows us to build momentum to do great things for the students at North in the future!

The staff at Lee’s Summit North has been extremely supportive and we know this will be a great partnership going forward.

By Brad Holdhusen, CEO/Board Member/Chapter Chair for Father’s Club

Greetings Father’s Club! I wanted to bring you a close out video for the 2021/2022 school year. It has been a great year with many things to highlight.

Officially coming out of the pandemic has been an opportunity for us to get back onto school campuses. We’ve been able to interact with kids and faculty in meaningful ways. There are just too many stories to tell (but we will continue to try in future blog posts.)

Special thanks to Randy Bratton, Todd Milner, Kevin Easterday and John Hinman on our growth and development team. They’ve been successful meeting with multiple principals and leaders at schools. We’ve brought on more schools this year including a key milestone involving crossing the state line into Missouri. We have Lee’s Summit schools coming on board. Kudos to Brett Potts who went from Blue Valley West over to Lee’s Summit and made introductions in that school system for us. We have about 20 high schools involved in The Father’s Club at this point with more to come.

Mark your calendars… we have a big announcement coming on June 27th that will be an opportunity for Chapter Chairs and Leadership to roll up their sleeves and get more involved. This will be a big rollout of what Father’s Club 2.0 is going to look like for the 2022/2023 school year. We are so excited!

And there is a lot more information in my YouTube video, so I hope you will take the time to watch. Especially for the surprise at the end that involves my sons and fishing. :)