Take a Kid Outdoors

Take a Kid Outdoors Bill Cooper for StJ Leader Journal 4/14/15 Ten-year-old Lance Ybarra, of Rolla, is an outdoors kid through and through. He would almost rather be outside doing something rather than eat, according his father, Patrick. That is obviously an obsession with the outdoors. Lance and Patrick have been family friends for almost a decade. They regularly show up at our family functions, especially the critter cook-out that my daughter, Jessica and husband Jason Parsons host each year. Lance and his dad spend a great deal of time preparing frog legs, a variety of fish and jalapeno poppers. They almost always have a new recipe to try out on all of their friends, which they enjoy immensely. “Lance has always loved the outdoors,” said Patrick. “He has tagged along with me since before he could walk. After he started walking, well, it was all over. I could never leave the house without him.” The Ybarras, like many outdoorsmen, were drawn to water. “Lance loves the water and became an adept fisherman at an early age,” Patrick explained. “It takes a good deal of effort to take a kid fishing, but it is worth it, especially if they love it as much as Lance.” Early in Lance’s fishing career, Patrick didn’t get a lot of fishing done himself. “You have to keep your eye on a little guy,” he said. “Inquisitive by nature, Lance has always had to investigate everything, even while fishing. It makes for an interesting day when he is flipping rocks to catch bugs and crayfish or throwing rocks when I”m trying to fish. It was always OK, though. He was such fun to watch.” Kids are inquisitive by nature, especially in the outdoors. “I don’t know how he comes up with so many questions,” Patrick continued. “I now one thing for sure, Lance has caused me to think about the many facets of the outdoors. If I can’t answer one of his questions, or we can’t figure it out together, we do a little research ton come up with the answer.” The father-son Ybarra team have found lots of answers to outdoor questions over the years. They can be seen traipsing about the outdoors almost every weekend. “The outdoors is a great source of entertainment for us,” Patrick said. “It doesn’t matter, if it swims, flys, crawls, hops or slithers, we like to check it out. We hike, swim, canoe, fish, frog gig and investigate what is over the next hill, together.” “Lance, really is a neat kid,” said Nick Cox, a youth minister at the Rolla Church of God. “He is so inquisitive. Too, he is a very happy kid.” Lances enthusiasm for the outdoors is contagious. I’ve worked in the outdoors most of my adult life, often working with outdoor youth groups. Lance exudes enthusiasm about the outdoors. He is a fresh breath of air, exactly the type I’ve always hoped kids in my outdoor classes would turn out to be. It is a proven fact that exposure to the outdoors helps kids mentally, physically and spiritually. Millions of dollars are spent by state and federal agencies and private outdoor companies each to encourage kids to get into the outdoors. However, nothing influences a child’s enjoyment of the outdoors like a parent, family member or personal friend who will take the time to take them outdoors on a regular basis. Lance Ybarra is a rare find, a kid who is immersed in the outdoors and one who has developed incredible talents at any early age. Lance has joined me on the Outside Again Adventures TV - Online program and will soon be hosting his own segment, “Outdoor Kids,” on Outside Again Adventures Radio. I had the pleasure to take Lance catfishing recently. His skills proved phenomenal. He caught numerous catfish in the 6-to-10 pound range, landing the largest all by himself. He wrestled the fish for almost 1o minutes before expertly sliding the wriggly fish into a landing net like a pro. Lance and my granddaughter, Jaydin, are accompanying me for the youth turkey season. We will be camped near the Current River. They are excited beyond belief and the competition for bragging rights has started.Lance may have met his match. I’ll report on that after the hunt.