RIDGELAND, Miss. — Ask Kendall Newson which of two bucket-list goals take priority in his life and he’ll call it a tie.
The Georgian is an aspiring pro angler competing in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens presented by Allstate. The goal since his playing days in the NFL is qualifying for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
In 2002, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Newson, a star player for Middle Tennessee State University. He collectively played for the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins before retiring from the NFL in 2005.
Another aspiration is continuing a legacy instilled at the age of 5 by his father, Lewis, who shared the sport with his son. Newson wants to spread fishing to youths through Teach a Child to Fish, the non-profit organization he founded in 2008.
“It’s not a new idea by any means,” said Newson, 35, also the executive director. “What makes it different is the passion that I bring from being competitive by nature.”
A competitive persona is good for this role. Today’s youth are bombarded with mind-altering activities during a very impressionable age. Newson knows that for a fact, having grown up in a household with six siblings.
“You don’t get many chances to make a good first impression with a child, so it’s really important for us to take our best shot with Teach a Child to Fish.”
He’s off to a good start. Teach a Child to Fish engages youths in a school environment. The idea is connecting with the learning mindset. Newson speaks to students and sparks their interest with the invitation to go fishing. The hands-on side of the sport is introduced at urban fisheries where success is easy.
What makes Newson’s program different is the connection with his second career. He’s already a role model to many youths as a former pro athlete. As a budding pro angler he’s eager to share the pizzazz side of the sport.
Students from his speaking engagements get invited to watch the final Opens weigh-in. Those are held at a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. The top pros weigh their catches before large galleries of fishing fans and loyal customers. The buzz exerts the coolness factor that resonates with the youths.
Teach a Child to Fish is attracting attention throughout the Atlanta Metro area. Elsewhere Newson books speaking engagements at schools within a close proximity to host cities of the Opens. This week he’s spreading the message at schools in the areas surrounding Ridgeland, where the tournament is underway on Ross Barnett Reservoir.
His first event at Boggy Creek Elementary School was a big hit with the faculty and children. The school is located in Kissimmee, Fla., site of the first Opens event held in January. Newson was surprised to receive 60 letters of appreciation from the students.
“The teachers said it was like a fun writing and English assignment for the students,” he said. “How could I have known that fishing is capable of making an academic connection?”
Another connection with great potential is through his sponsor and the tournament league.
“With B.A.S.S. and Bass Pro Shops you have a powerful combination that is respected by all anglers,” he said. “That’s why I am inviting the children to come see how fishing happens at another level.”
Newson is making other inroads in his home state of Georgia. As a former pro athlete he understands the importance of continued momentum for keeping youths focused.
He’s very keen on the idea of leveraging Teach a Child to Fish as a feeder path into the Carhartt Bassmaster High School and College leagues.
“For me, it was very important to keep playing sports from youth all the way through college,” said Newson. “I see the same idea for fishing. Once we teach children how there must be other opportunities to keep them involved.”
The potential for making that idea successful is in play at Riverside Military Academy, a premier college preparatory school located on the shoreline of Lake Sidney Lanier.
The school is embracing a multi-level program combining education with competition for students in grades 7 through 12. Teach a Child to Fish is showing potential to grow beyond it’s core objective.
The youth outreach effort instills a great sense of achievement and pride, qualities that play into the competitive side of Newson.
“As we grow it makes me want to be more successful as a pro angler,” he said. “I want to see more like-minded anglers, guys who are even better than me embrace this program.”