Tournament Program Grants
Partnering with the NPAA and tournament organizations, the Future Angler Foundation enjoys a great community footprint connected to weigh-ins. With big fancy sponsor-wrapped boats at the gas stations and the boat ramps, local families become intrigued when tournaments roll into town. The FAF helps make tournament time special for community kids with custom education and outreach.
“Teaching the next generation about fishing is one of the most important things we can do,” shared Robert Blosser, professional walleye angler from Poynette, Wisconsin. Robert is on the board of the Future Angler Foundation. “My sponsors love to see me interacting with kids and their families. Working with the resources from FAF just makes our time more organized and structured. Plus, we get great photos to show our involvement within the communities.” Anglers need to focus on their tournament duties, and tournament organizers need help to make the interaction with the public happen without distracting the staff from running a great fishing tournament.
Depending on the need, the FAF in conjunction with the NPAA has provided t-shirts, rod and reel combos, tackle boxes with basic terminal tackle included, artificial bait or other items. “Even if we don’t have a rod and reel for every single kid in attendance, if we have some raffle tickets that everyone gets a chance and we draw 10 winners, it works,” continued Blosser.
Field days bring outdoor experiences to the students – or in some cases, the students to the outdoor experiences. “We are so grateful for the help from local anglers who share information about the fish, the habitat and how to catch fish,” continued Mueller.
The professional anglers are a big part of education and outreach. “Quite often we get a chance to talk to the whole family at tournament clinics, and that’s when we know there is an opportunity for fishing to become important to the entire family,” concluded Blosser. “That’s why what FAF is doing is so important to bridge the gap from passionate angler to new angler.”
If you would like to connect with the Future Angler Foundation for your tournament, contact us at info@futureangler.org.
