Taking Fist Bumps to Another Level

By Brad Reynolds, Chapter Co-Chair at Chisholm Trail Middle School for Father’s Club

Webster’s defines a fist bump as “a gesture in which two people bump their fists together as a greeting or celebration.” We do it all the time at Father’s Club events, Fist Bump Fridays, and some of us even have fist bump T-shirts. For me, though, the fist bump became a much deeper part of my relationship with my daughter—and I didn’t really realize it at the time.

Eight years ago, I was finishing up my last season of coaching my daughter in softball (she was nine). It was a great experience, and I loved the girls I coached, but it was starting to take a toll on my relationship with my daughter. I wasn’t a yeller or screamer by any means. The problem was that we’d “butt heads” at home and then carry that tension onto the practice field. That wasn’t fair to her, and it wasn’t fair to me. Plus, she really liked softball, and I knew that if she wanted to get better, she’d eventually need more than me as her coach.

One night, after a particularly rough argument, I came across a picture that really resonated with me. I printed it out and slid it under her door. She never mentioned seeing this picture, and it never came up again.

Fast forward two years.

My daughter was on a new team with great teammates and coaches, and she was loving softball again. One day, I went into her room to grab something from her closet and noticed the fist bump picture pinned to the wall inside. (I got a little choked up.)

Over the past four summers, my daughter and I have made quick trips to Oklahoma City to check out the Women’s College World Series. It’s always a blast—great bonding and incredible softball. This past summer, we were walking around Bricktown looking for a place to eat when we passed a tattoo parlor. She said, in her dramatic voice, “Dad! We should get a tattoo!”

My first thought: Mom will kill us. Definitely not today. But I must have surprised her when I didn’t shut it down completely.

“Really? You would get one?” she asked.

I told her that if we found something meaningful, then yes—I’d get a tattoo with her. Then she said it…

Fist Bump Tattoos

“Dad, we should get the fist bump, like the one in the picture you gave me.”

So here we are. On a Saturday in November, we got matching fist bump tattoos. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The dads in Father’s Club say it all the time, and I know it’s true: never underestimate the power of the fist bump!

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!