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Font ResizeOutdoorsBy Scott WilloughbyThe Denver PostPosted: 08/14/2013 12:01:00 AM MDTUpdated: 08/14/2013 01:19:52 AM MDT
PUEBLO — Kids used to ditch school to go fishing. At Pueblo West High School, it's the other way around.
The first and only Colorado high school to offer a fishing team sanctioned by the Student Angler Federation (SAF) is giving kids a reason to come to class. And, for about 20 students participating in the school's Cyclone Anglers club, learning how to land a big bass ranks right up there with earning a varsity letter for football, basketball or baseball.
"Fishing and the outdoors is kind of my thing," said club president Matt Mason, a senior who won the inaugural Colorado state championship in 2011 along with teammate Cody Crump. "I used to play football and baseball, but they never caught my interest as much as fishing did. I like it because it's something different."
In an era when concern over the so-called "nature deficit disorder" runs rampant, Mason's shared experience with the Cyclone Anglers bucks the trend. While other kids his age are mindlessly surfing the Internet, cruising the mall or sweating through layers of Under Armour in preparation for the big game, Mason and his pals are out on nearby Pueblo Reservoir, searching for signs of bass, walleye and other game fish as they hone the techniques they hope will give them a leg up on their competition come tournament time.
"Some people claim it's all luck, but I think there's more skill than people give it credit," Mason said. "I think of it like a game of chess — you try to make the right move and hope it works out. Any cast could be the fish of a lifetime."
Luck was on Mason's side in 2009 when foreign language teacher Steve Spock began sponsoring the Cyclone Anglers club in response to student demand. By 2011, Pueblo West had become a member of the SAF, an offshoot of the long-established Bass Federation, which enabled the Cyclones to participate in tournaments and lay claim to the state championship title. Crump and Mason topped two-man teams from New Mexico, Arizona and unaffiliated schools from Colorado.
For Mason, finding the club not only eased the challenging transition from middle school to high school, it set the wheels in motion for a career as a wildlife biologist with the ambition of applying his skills at Colorado Parks and Wildlife after college.
"It was so exciting to me because I love to fish," Mason said. "Knowing that there's something I can do to better my skills and learn more, that makes going to school that much better. And it's not just about fishing. It's about camaraderie. You make friends."
Outside of Colorado, competitive fishing is growing as a high school sport. Kentucky, Illinois and New Hampshire all have sanctioned bass fishing as a varsity sport. Similar efforts are underway in South Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas and Alabama. But the lack of involvement from other schools in Colorado has left the Cyclone Anglers longing for competition.
"It's a little disappointing. We're not the biggest school in the state, yet we can do something like this. There are so many bigger schools and so many resources out there," Spock said. "Hopefully, one day, some of these other schools will get on board."
Spock and his wife, Amy, both dedicate personal time and money to keep the Cyclone Anglers afloat (in their own boats). The rewards, they say, are well worth it.
"It's an extension of teaching in the classroom. I enjoy the young people and helping them grow and develop and learn. It's just something else to get them excited that's not traditional academics or athletics," Spock said. "If they aren't into the athletics, yet they still like being outside, they have a place where they feel like they are still part of the high school experience."
Spock, a Pueblo native and lifelong outdoorsman, has seen his team grow by about five or six students a year, some who had never before fished or done anything in the outdoors.
Club members such as Pueblo West junior David Salay say the experience has been mutually beneficial.
"It's far exceeded my expectations. There's a whole lot more to it than just going out to a lake and going fishing," Salay said. "I plan on sticking with the club for the next two years and keep fishing after high school."
Fortunately for Salay, Mason and the rest of the Cyclone Anglers, Spock said the club won't be going away.
"If we could make fishing a sanctioned sport in Colorado, it would just give those students that are involved with us now as well as those who would like to get involved just that much more reason to participate," Spock said. "Even if it does not become a recognized sport by the state, we'll continue to go. As long as I've got students that want to go, I'll take them out."
Scott Willoughby: 303-954-1993, swilloughby@denverpost.com or twitter.com/willoughbydp
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