Proud to be an All Pro Dad

Have you ever wished that you had more opportunities to really connect with your kids? I did, and that’s why I was so excited to become an All Pro Dad.

My name is Troy Wingler, and I am the North American field product specialist with the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) division at Cook Medical, but I’m also a dad. When my family and I lived in Martinsville, Indiana, I was introduced to the All Pro Dad program at South Elementary School, and I was hooked from the beginning. Since then, I have started a chapter at my daughter’s new school and been named regional team captain for the All Pro Dad program. I continue to strengthen and grow this fabulous program here in Southern Indiana.

What is All Pro Dad’s Day?

The All Pro Dad groups generally meet once a month before school for a 45-minute program called All Pro Dad’s Day, designed to strengthen relationships between dads or father figures and their kids in the school setting. The day usually starts with breakfast, then goes right into the Pride Exercise. This exercise asks the dads or father figures to introduce their kids and to share one thing that they are proud of about their child(ren) that month. The kids’ faces gleam with joy as they hear their dads publicly brag on them.

After the Pride Exercise, we introduce the topic of the month. This is typically a video or activity provided by the All Pro Dad program that relates to some virtue or character trait that can have a positive impact on the kids’ lives. Afterwards there is a wrap-up to reinforce the point, and then the dads and kids go through a discussion card that gives them specific questions or suggestions to help apply the topic to their own lives.

When discussion time is over, the group goes through any announcements that they may have, and then we raffle off some fun prizes!

Growing the program

When we moved from Martinsville down to the Borden/Greenville area of Southern Indiana, there were no All Pro Dad chapters in the region. I arranged a meeting with the PTO and the principal at Greenville Elementary, and got approval to start a new chapter. It was a hit from the start. At our very first Dad’s Day we had about 150 dads and kids show up. Now in our third year, we have averaged a very consistent attendance of around 130 at Greenville Elementary. The program was so well-received at our school, I started reaching out to the other elementary schools in the district.

During our second year, we started out with three chapters at the beginning of the school year and ended the year with six very active chapters in our district, averaging around 500-600 total participants per month. Now in our third year, we have eight chapters in our nine elementary schools and a ninth chapter in a neighboring county. We are averaging more than 1,000 participants every month. I am hopeful that we will gain approval for the final elementary school in our district by the end of this school year. After that, I plan on moving to the neighboring counties and trying to do the same.

Why it’s so important to me

I believe that with the All Pro Dad program, we are making a brighter future for our children. Not only do the kids receive positive messages and get additional bonding time with their dads, we also encourage dads to walk the kids to class. This gives the dads and father figures a chance to meet the teachers and at least touch base with them on a monthly basis.

Since the program started here, we now have many more dads and father figures who are volunteering, and the regular appearance of positive male role models in our school. The few hours that I spend per month doing this has been well worth it. Encouraging words from attendees and school staff are great, but the best part about the All Pro Dad program is that it’s given me the chance to have real conversations and make lasting memories with my kids.

To learn more about the program, visit www.AllProDad.com/dads-day.

A video from the New Albany Floyd County Consolidated School Corporation features our All Pro Dad program.

We were also recently featured as the cover story in Southern Indiana Living magazine.