Involved and loving it
Neil Ashbaugh of Center Township fondly remembers his youth, when he was active in Boy Scouts with his father, his troop's transportation director.
Years later, Ashbaugh is the father of two, sons, 10-year-old David and 11-year-old Ian.
Though fatherhood is not marked with badges and ceremony, Ashbaugh is still achieving goals in parenting, one of which is spending time with his sons in scouting.
"It's been fun to watch the boys choose a path that I did," he said.
Serving as the pack master for Cub Scout Pack 5, which meets at Trinity Lutheran Church in Center Township, Ashbaugh is among fathers who use their children's activities as an opportunity to bond.
For Rob Swartwout of Butler Township, coaching his children's sports teams has kept his family close together.
"I've been coaching my own kids for 12 years." said the father of three, who continues to coach his 15-year-old son Bobby in Federation Pony League baseball and the Butler Catholic School basketball team.
"This gives us something in common that we get the chance to talk about all the time," he said.
Unlike Swartwout, Don Fee of Grove City did not wait for his sons to become involved in sports to take a role coaching.The head coach of Grove City High School's basketball team for 17 years, Fee's sons played basketball with other coaches on youth teams until their time came to don Eagles jerseys, but they were always influenced by their father's leadership."They've grown up with the team,"Fee said, explaining that at a young age, sons John and Jordan would accompany him to practices and summer basketball camps.By taking his sons along to practice, Fee ensured his busy schedule would not interfere with family time. The exposure also inspired the Fee family's common interest."We've been surrounded by basketball — in a good way,"said Jordan who shares his father's passion for the game.<b>Kid's perception</b>Having a father close by from the start makes it easier to try new things said Ian Ashbaugh, who was relieved to know his father was near when he began Cub Scouts."If Ihad trouble, I knew he would be there," he said.Neil Ashbaugh served as a parent volunteer when Ian first entered scouts, but later became the cub master, heading up several dens.Ian noted that he and other pack members enjoy poking fun at Ashbaugh, often referencing his receding hairline.Joking aside, the family sees the benefit in parent involvement."The kids have so much more fun when the parents are involved" said Ashbaugh, noting he has noticed kids whose parents aren't involved in scouts drop out.Jaimie Fulmer of Jefferson Township has also been motivated by her parents involvement in Girl Scouts.
A student at Knoch Middle School, her parents were involved in scouting before she was old enough to join.Her mother Joan, a long-time Brownie troop leader, inspired Jamie's father, John, to get involved as a neighborhood volunteer.John currently serves as a Cadet troop leader, a position he filled more than eight years ago, when the troop leader at the time had to give up her position."My wife has green blood and it has filtered into me over the years,"John said of his dedication to scouting.In addition to leading a troop of young women, John teaches multiple troops outdoor activities, such as archery and canoeing, and has taken an active role in Girl Scout Council committees and camp management.The frequent activities keep the Fulmer family together during much of their free time."Girl Scouts and camping keeps us closer together," said Jaimie of her relationship with her father."I've been camping since I was 3 weeks old. That's how we bond."Older daughter Jennifer, a Slippery Rock University student, has also been impacted by her family's involvement with scouting. She now serves as a campus scout, a Girl Scout member who helps area troops when they need extra adult leadership for group activities."I like to say campus scouts are our leaders in training,"said John.Though Jaimie has several years of school left, John predicts he will stay involved with Scouting long after his daughters are out of troops."There are always opportunities out there," he said.
Though they may already hold favor with their own children, fathers leading teams or group activities must have skills to command large groups.In his experience, concentrating on effort and discipline keeps Swartwout's team in line."If you keep it real simple like that, the kids really respond to it better," he said.Simplicity is also the key to keeping students involved in scouting, said Fulmer."My troop meetings are very loose. It's all about what they want to do."Fee said that the authority of his coaching position has made it easier to convey lessons he wants his sons to learn."Ithink I've been able to communicate a lot of what I feel through coaching. When you're coaching, you're coaching the whole group," said Fee. "When (John and Jordan) see the other kids buying into that, I think they buy into it too."<b>Benefits and drawbacks</b>In addition to knowledge and leadership skills, being generally likeable is an advantage to being a leader."Alot of kids see how cool my dad is and they think I'm like him," Ian Ashbaugh said.For Bobby Swartwout, having a father as a coach guarantees he will always have support on the field or court."You know he's always going to be at your games and practices,"he said.Living with the coach is also an advantage, said Bobby, who benefits from the extra practice time and constructive criticism.Swartwout is happy to help when Bobby wants to work on his swing."I can't tell you how many thousands of balls I've thrown to him throughout the years," he said.
Though he enjoys coaching, Swartwout is always aware that his son's enjoyment is the most important priority."It's got to be something he loves to do,"he said. "If he doesn't want me coaching, Idon't want to do it."This fall, Bobby will enter Butler High School, where he will pursue a position on the high school basketball team.Though he will be working with a different coach, he will still play for his father as he moves up to the Colt baseball league."It wouldn't be the same if he wasn't the coach," said Bobby. "We wouldn't be as close."While a common interest in basketball has kept the Fee family close, Fee believes being sons of the coach may have been difficult."I think both of them got less praise," he said.Neither Jordan nor John complained of a lack of compliments however."You don't want the praise," said Jordan, who didn't want to be accused of receiving preferential treatment.<b>Fathering into the future</b>Recently graduating from high school, Jordan will work with a new basketball coach when he enters the Air Force Academy Prep School in July.He hopes the values he learned through his father's coaching will help him on his next team."You obviously want to go to a place where they're like what you're used to."Through coaching, Swartwout also hopes his son and other players will learn lessons that will help them later on."I try to be a really positive coach. Hopefully, the lessons are there to influence the rest of their lives."With years of scouting ahead of him, Ashbaugh plans to make time to have a positive effect on the children he works with."Every man that influenced me in my life was always involved in three or four different activities," he said."It's a pleasure being the father of these two,"he added. "The kids and parents make (scouting) good."
