I'm in my fifth year as a boat captain for THSBA, and for three of those years, I've been a team advisor. I just have to say that many of the posts in this thread aren't an accurate reflection of the organization or the boat captains and anglers who are participating. The VAST majority of competitors I see on the water are great people who compete fairly. They're the kind of people I think most fishermen are; good, down-to-earth people who enjoy being outdoors and chasing those green fish that can drive you nuts.

All of the people I've dealt with at THSBA (and the list is long) have been great. Each of those people is overwhelmed with work to get our young anglers on the water, but you'd never know it in the way they deal with you. They're polite, friendly, and I think they're that way because they are passionate about providing this experience for our young anglers. It's an important responsibility. Many of these anglers are headed to college teams, and the experience they have with the THSBA prepares them well for that.

Sure, there are people who don't care about the rules, but they are a tiny minority of people. The majority are great people, among the best you'll meet anywhere. I don't know Ben and Briggs, but I know many people who do know them (including my son), and every single one of those people attests to their high character. On the afternoon of regionals, my son told me, "Dad, I don't know what happened, but I know those boys and they are great kids. I guarantee you they didn't cheat. It was something else." In my experience, most of the people in the THSBA are like Ben and Briggs.

If you're a boat owner and are considering taking on a couple of kids as a captain, don't let this thread deter you! I captained a couple of boys before my son made it to high school. They fished all season and didn't catch a single keeper, but they still had a great time, and I had a great time with them. Every year, our team struggles to try and get everyone who wants to fish on the water. Boat captain shortages are the number 1 reason why kids who really want to fish don't make it onto the water. We absolutely need volunteer captains!

Jim

We have a winner!

If they are going to be "High School" tourny's they should fish them during the week.

I was affiliated with a different organization and a different "club style" HS sport for a while when my son was in school. They had a similar 501C3 organization but most of their prizes and scholarships came from industry people not from entry fees. Not sure if this is the same and I may be speaking out of turn but I would guess that most of the scholarships and prizes are donated. They also had a deal where money that was taken in or earned by the different teams was matched dollar for dollar by industry companies. The people that were running the show (the "employees") were and still are making bank off of these HS kids. Not saying they didn't work for it like I am sure these tourney people are but they were definitely not volunteers.

When the HS people were on Roberts a few weeks ago, I fished for about an hour and had enough. In my short time on the water I witnessed a kid on the front deck with no jacket on the leaning post, the captain on the big motor running across a shallow cove, got cut off multiple times, and watched kids sitting while captains fished. I left it to them and decided to fish another day when they weren't out there. Just not for me and I don't think it is as great of a deal as some are making it out to be.

If you want to ensure the future of outdoor sports, take your Sons and Daughters outside with you. Teach them to hunt and fish and where their food really comes from. Teach them to love and respect the outdoors and the creatures and plants that live there. Teach them to use what they need, leave the rest, and leave where ever they have been better than they found it.

I fish the occasional tournament but I get far more joy out of a peaceful day in the woods or on the water for fun or for food but not for money. Tournaments are not the only way to enjoy fishing and I think we should be teaching our kids that!

If they are going to be "High School" tourny's they should fish them during the week.