Hey Coach! Father’s Club Keeps You Connected to Your Kids

By Jeff Tischer, Interim Co-Chair at California Trail Middle School for Father’s Club

When I was a kid, I was blessed to have my father in my life. Even though he traveled often for work, he was my coach in Baseball, Basketball and Soccer. Looking back on my childhood, I am so thankful for my dad and all that he did for me, my friends, and the teams I played on. Even today, I have friends that share fond memories with me of my dad coaching them as kids. He set a great example of what a great father is… Loving, present, active, challenging and giving me morals and ethics that apply to both sports and life.

When my kids came of age to play organized sports, I was hesitant to coach. I had heard all the horror stories of complaining parents, politics and drama. I didn’t want to voluntarily deal with all of that. But after jumping in to help my son’s soccer team, I fell in love with coaching. I loved to connect with the kids and push them to be better. Over the years, I coached both my son’s and daughter’s teams in Soccer, Basketball, Flag Football, Golf and Baseball.

I was blessed to coach so many great kids and meet so many great parents.

I even connected with several players siblings and built great relationships with them. Skill levels varied over the years, but my goal as a coach was to have each player and team improve from the beginning of the season to the end, and to play the game the right way. As the kids got older, I often talked with them about life lessons and how sports can teach us all about hard work, commitment and putting the team first.

We won a few trophies over the years, and we had other teams finish at the bottom of the standings. But I made sure my teams were going to play the right way, respect the game, and respect our opponents, regardless of the possibility that their actions and goals could be different than ours. And we came across several of those teams, players, and parents.

Continuing to Connect with Kids

Now that my kids have gotten older, and narrowed their list of activities, I am no longer coaching. But I am so thankful for Father’s Club, as it has allowed me to continue to connect with my kids and kids at their schools.

It is rewarding to get that smile and fist bump in the morning while wishing them a good day at school. It is rewarding to connect with some quieter kids over their lunch break. It is rewarding to be out at the grocery store and run into kids that recognize me and come up and give me a fist bump. It is rewarding to have teachers and staff thank us and share how Father’s Club days are so impactful for the students. It is especially rewarding to have former players give me fist bump, and a “Hey Coach!”

I am thankful and proud to be part of Father’s Club as it allows me to continue to connect with my kids, and kids in our community after coaching. If you haven’t joined a Father’s Club event yet, I strongly encourage you to join one soon. Put it on your calendar and show up. I promise you will enjoy your time, and you will get something positive out of it personally. You will also make a strong impact on your kids, and other kids at their schools.

Jeff Tischer 👊
“It’s always a great day when it’s a Father’s Club day!”

Next Steps

• To get involved with a Father’s Club chapter at your school, visit the Chapters page on our website.
• If there isn’t a chapter currently at your school and you would like to know more about starting a Father’s Club chapter, visit the Contact page and fill out the form with your details and we will be in touch!