4:56

Al Ruechel for Dads Club Overview - Live Event Loop

July 24, 2022

Dads Club a program of Father and Family Council. Why Principals and Dads love the Dads Club!


Video Transcript


Speaker: Al Ruechel, retired news anchor, father of 4, 13 grandkids, On camera host of The Dad's Club

What is a Dads Club and why is it important?

Al Ruechel: So question, what is the dad's club and why is it important? I'm the guy that is one of the hosts of the dad's club and I'm really excited about this. I kind of call it the three Ds. It's the dads talking to and connecting with other dads. Trying to be the best dads possible. That's the three. It's a way of using the internet through a web based seminar. If you want to call it like that, about a half hour long or so at place in a resource where dads can get information and connect with other dads. That's the most important thing. Why is important? Because homes where dads are home and with the kids and involved with kids, the kids always do better. I coach sports for a number of years, I coached a soccer team and I knew the kids that did the best in school where the kids dads were in their lives. So that's why it's so important. But sometimes dads don't feel adequate and they didn't have a resource, a place to go where it's safe to ask questions. Like I don't know how to deal with my teenager or what should I do when my junior high kid doesn't want me to read books to him at night anymore, a place for dads to connect and that's so important in this day because hey, we need dads in school. So that, that's my answer to that question

What is the single most important thing we can do for our children as Dads?

Al Ruechel: the single most important thing that dads can do for their Children. I think it's really pretty simple. It's just being there. Time T I. M E actually to our Children spells love, they just want you to be present to be there. I think one of the most meaningful times that I had with my kids is at 5 30 in the morning. We have four kids when I had to drive them to their schools for several years. And the schools where one was 16 miles to the north, the other one was 18 miles to the south and they both were playing on varsity soccer teams. One was a senior, the other was a sophomore and we just had the best conversations in those cars and now that my kids are all grown up and have their own kids, that's what they talked to me about. They say, dad, you you were always there for us, you you were present in our lives. Yeah. There were some times when we didn't have a lot to say and there were other times when we had a lot to say. So I really think the most important thing we can do for our Children is just being there and give them the gift of time

How does a Dads Club benefit my child’s school?

Al Ruechel: wow, how does the Dad's club benefit my child's school? And here's another one that's pretty simple by participation. Dad's club is not only gonna be available on the web and, and like a short webinar if you want to call it that, but every one of our schools is going to have a dad in that school to kind of kind of lead the conversations, so when a dad comes to a school and he's got a question, he doesn't know what the answer to, we can go to one of these dads representatives and talk to them. And so this is going to open up a line of communication between the schools, their kids and dads, so that's one way your school is going to benefit. The second way is because dads will have a resource, be able to talk to other dads. Uh, and you know, we don't always do everything correctly, I mean we make mistakes and sometimes we learn more from our mistakes, but if there are people in your own school that you can relate to think about it this way, your kids know a lot of other kids in their circles, but do you know the dads that represent those kids, I mean it'd be kind of cool if if Billy's best friend is johnny and you knew who johnny's dad was, so that you two could communicate if you needed to or wanted to and then you're going to be more involved in your school and I think that's the whole reason this was put together is to make sure that the schools have a place for dads to go where it's safe, where they can get great advice. We don't get preachy. We let you uh we take this advice and let you work it out in your own way with your own family and your own kids and your schools are gonna be so much improved. And I can say that because I'm a lifetime member of the P.T.A. And every school that we went to where there was an active P.T.A And parents were actively involved in the school, which is what dad's club will do. The schools have always been higher performing and with higher performing schools means the kids will be higher performing and that will mean that you'll also be able to be the ... #Best.Dad.Ever! See how I got that line in there too.



Produced with Vocal Video