Decreasing Interest in the Outdoors

[senile1]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/outdoors/story/1086704.html

This article was in the Kansas City Star yesterday.  It sounds like we all need to be pitching in to introduce more of our youth to fishing.  Not only that, but we need to be making efforts to encourage their continued participation in the sport.  This is much easier said than done, as I know that between work and our immediate families many of us have very little time left.  Anything that we can do in the time available to us is better than doing nothing at all.  If you click on the link, "Kids and the Outdoors," to the right of the story you'll read some interesting sidenotes regarding the increases in obesity, ADD, and depression that some studies attribute to a decrease in time spent in the outdoors.  

[bigmountaineer]

I can't wait to take my children fishing when they are ready, they are way too young, see the left picture !!! Can't wait though !!!

[Fishing Rhino]

The bane of the electronic addictions.

When I was a kid, we were always outdoors.  Might have been fishing with a cane pole, playing ball on a vacant lot or catching fireflies.

Most of the time, the baseball was wrapped in friction tape to keep the cover from falling off.  The same with bats that were cracked, but not broken into pieces.

If there were just two or three of us, we'd play catch.  There was another game we played, but I don't remember all the rules.

One guy had a bat.  He'd hit a ball, and the person that got it first would toss it back, trying to hit the bat that was placed crosswise on the ground.

If you succeeded in hitting it, you got to bat.

We played all kinds of made up games, including the game that would be anathema today, "cowboys and indians".  Dodgeball, tag, free the box, there was always something going on after school before supper.

In the winter, ice skating, snow ball fights, building snow forts and snowmen.

We learned how to work co-operatively and to compete.  

But, back in the day, a first grader could walk to school.  I did.

Times have changed.  Some of them, not for the better.

There's even considerable loss of interest in school activities.

The gym was always packed to the rafters for high school basketball games.

When I took our kids, the cheerleaders and players outnumbered the spectators.

Those not involved were working somewhere part time to pay for their car, or the expensive modifications to it.

The student lot is bigger than that for the staff.

In high school the kids parked with the teachers.  Of course, only two kids in my class had cars.

[Paul Roberts]

Good read:

"Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv

[jimmieO]

I for one will not take my kids fishing. I don't want to give up my time chasing the big green girls to catch some stupid sunfish.

JUST KIDDING!... SHEESH.

Yep, I can remember making up all kinds of games in the yard. My favorite was lawnchair quarterback. One lawnchair at each end. Try to hit one, run down, repeat.  Helluva fun game!

Too many nintendos and playstations in the world now.

[Dean]

I'm 17, I have a job, but I make the time to fish. Fishing is more important than anything to me.  8-)

[Bassboy15]

Well, I dont like video games!!!  8-)

[-nick-]

Well, I dont like video games!!! 8-)

Pshh, what guy doesn't like a good video game?!  :

[burleytog]

It's a lost cause.  The urbanization of civilization and all that it entails...

[Bassnajr]

I weep for the future.

If it doesn't plug in, turn on, flash with bright lights, and make lots of LOUD noise, kids today aren't interested.

Blame the parents for using the T.V. and V.C.R. as babysitters.

ajr

[clipper]

As kids, we played Cops-N-Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, Army, climbed trees, dammed up the creek and floated boats, made rubber band guns and had battles, had sweet gum ball battles, rock battles, caught snakes and turtles, shot birds with B-B guns, cooked and ate them, got plenty of spankings, played football in the front yard, baseball across the street, made forts in the woods, made bows and arrows, rode bikes all over the place without fear and watched Howdy Doody and the Mickey Mouse Club on TV.  I forgot Hide-N-Seek, Hopscotch, Mother May I, Jump Rope, and Red Rover.

My grandsons dig holes in the backyard and build things out of rocks and sticks, love to go to deer camp, and love to go fishing.  It's all how you raise them and what you do with them.  They also like electronic games and the 4 year old is a computer whiz.

Kids who don't have parents who will take them outdoors need someone who will.  Scouting is a good way to get kids outdoors and instill good values in them as well.  So are the kids fishing activities sponsored by some members of this website.

[Bassnajr]

I hear ya clipper!!!!

Amen to ALL that!!!!

ajr

[SMfisher]

My grandson who is 5yrs old today loves to go fishing and hunting, my son-in-law takes him as often as he can, he shot at a doe last season but missed he told me he killed a tree. I haven't got to take him hunting yet but i have taken him fishing a few times, was with him when he caught his first fish without any help, baited the hook casted the bait out caught a 8" largemouth reeled it in and landed it.

Fishing Rino I think the name of the ballgame is rolly hit the bat. played it a lot.

[grimlin]

As kids, we played Cops-N-Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, Army, climbed trees, dammed up the creek and floated boats, made rubber band guns and had battles, had sweet gum ball battles, rock battles, caught snakes and turtles, shot birds with B-B guns, cooked and ate them, got plenty of spankings, played football in the front yard, baseball across the street, made forts in the woods, made bows and arrows, rode bikes all over the place without fear and watched Howdy Doody and the Mickey Mouse Club on TV. I forgot Hide-N-Seek, Hopscotch, Mother May I, Jump Rope, and Red Rover.

My grandsons dig holes in the backyard and build things out of rocks and sticks, love to go to deer camp, and love to go fishing. It's all how you raise them and what you do with them. They also like electronic games and the 4 year old is a computer whiz.

Kids who don't have parents who will take them outdoors need someone who will. Scouting is a good way to get kids outdoors and instill good values in them as well. So are the kids fishing activities sponsored by some members of this website.

Those were the good old days.  8-)

[Paul Roberts]

Great post clipper! Right on.

It's all how you raise them and what you do with them. They also like electronic games and the 4 year old is a computer whiz.

There's a lot to be said for opportunity, and balance. It can all be good stuff. It's just that too much time is spent in front of the tube (plasma), or plugged in. And in many cases too little parent investment. They grow up so fast. What a shame if we're too busy, or just unavailable, to enrich their lives.

It's OK if my son doesn't fish much, although he loves it, at least he'll be exposed to it in a quality way. And I bet he'll come back to it, if he drifts. Nature is a powerful call, if it's made meaningful early on.

There, I'm off my soap box as my son is right now hanging on my shoulder and saying, "Papa! Paaappa! Let's go!" -Off to do some swashbuckling (foam sword battling) in the aspen grove!

[bilgerat]

It's a lost cause. The urbanization of civilization and all that it entails...

Pretty astute for a Shimano guy

That, sadly, pretty much sums it up. It's the pussificaction of America. At least you guys in the South have a hunting and fishing culture. Fight like hell to keep it. I'll bet my two daughters (10 & 12) have more fish to their credit than every boy in the neighborhood combined.

[Fishing Rhino]

As kids, we played Cops-N-Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, Army, climbed trees, dammed up the creek and floated boats, made rubber band guns and had battles, had sweet gum ball battles, rock battles, caught snakes and turtles, shot birds with B-B guns, cooked and ate them, got plenty of spankings, played football in the front yard, baseball across the street, made forts in the woods, made bows and arrows, rode bikes all over the place without fear and watched Howdy Doody and the Mickey Mouse Club on TV. I forgot Hide-N-Seek, Hopscotch, Mother May I, Jump Rope, and Red Rover.

My grandsons dig holes in the backyard and build things out of rocks and sticks, love to go to deer camp, and love to go fishing. It's all how you raise them and what you do with them. They also like electronic games and the 4 year old is a computer whiz.

Kids who don't have parents who will take them outdoors need someone who will. Scouting is a good way to get kids outdoors and instill good values in them as well. So are the kids fishing activities sponsored by some members of this website.

Dang, I left out a lot of those games.

Thanks.  That brought back many happy memories.

[Captain Obvious]

DON"T BLAME IT ON THE VIDEO GAMES

I might only be 18 but over the last the two years I've taken at lest 10 kids ages 13-8 fishing with me

and they always say same thing " MAN this is better than a video game"

Kids don't fish because they don't know how and because their parents can't take them because they don't have the time and they don't know how to fish

When you think about it, would you let a 10 year old kid who lives in the city to walk half a mile in the city to that  little pond in the park, in to days world the answer is NO!

If we want to keep this great sport alive that means we have to pass it on

That means when you see two kids who have no idea what their doing with their fishing poles you go up and help them

It means letting the kid catch a fish and showing him all the cool things about that fish

It means showing the kid how to tie knots, and untangling his pole for the @#!%^& time and being able to smile at him and say " That's OK try again"

Fishing is the best sport in all the world, PASS IT ON!!!!!!!    

[nickb]

It is a sad thing. I'm only 20, and I can't believe the way that kids aren't into the outdoors. I love being in the outdoors and in nature. There is nothing else that I would rather do than hike with a tent, sleeping bag, and a fishing pole for two or three weeks at a time.

[SudoomFisher]

I blame it on air conditioning...its tough to go outside when the inside feels so good ;D

[Blue Streak]

There has been a decrease in interest of the outdoors among adults. Sales of hunting and fishing license show a steady decrease every year. I take my grandson and his friends out on the water and in the woods and they all love it. And they are a lot of fun.

[burleytog]

I blame it on air conditioning...its tough to go outside when the inside feels so good ;D

You laugh, but it most certainly is a contributing factor.

BAC (Before A/C), staying indoors during the summer just wasn't an option.  It was hotter inside than out.  At least in my experience.

[drmnbig]

It really is tough trying to figure out how much technology for kids is too much nowadays.  My 4 year old daughter can type like crazy on the computer and she plays learning games on the internet and enjoys it.  On the other hand, I'm dead set against video games and will push hard to not have one in my house for her or my 1 year old son.  I've got her hooked on fishing and I'm planning on doing him the same way.  We spend tons of time out in the yard too.  I love putting old clothes on them and letting them get down and dirty outside instead of being like some kids and saying "ooh, that icky dirt!".  

[done]

I think a good deal of it is adults. We get ourselves so busy. I LOVE going out with 1 of my girls (be more than one next spring when I get a bigger boat).

I constantly ask folks to come along, but it is always the same thing, too busy, other stuff. Some of them i cannot blame, I have some friends who have to work extra to house/clothe/feed their fam and that comes first. I do know more than a few who just do not want the bother. They have to grab their stuff, launch the boat, cleanup afterwards, etc.

We need do unbusify ourselves more. Slow down when we can and savor the time. Fishing with my girls is one of the best one on one times I get with them. I absolutely treasure it. So there are multiple levels of good there.

[Paul Roberts]

Kids don't fish because they don't know how and because their parents can't take them because they don't have the time and they don't know how to fish

Bingo!

I'd love to expand on that, but I'm actually going fishing today!! :) :) :) :) :)