The sport of fishing is a sport for all ages and races; it may be one of the only sports that which is the case. One of the not-so-evident benefits of fishing is that it is a great way to get some exercise. Of course, you aren’t going to burn many calories sitting on the shore and drinking beer, but an active day spent wading in a stream or hiking to a remote lake is a fantastic way to get a workout without going to a gym or a yoga class. It can fulfill many different of our human needs such as enjoyment, relaxation, and stress relief; but not much is known on its effects when it comes to recovery. There are many not for profit organizations that use fishing as a way to recover from an array of ailments such as physical, mental, or emotional disorders. As a non-profit management major myself, it is very interesting to me finding how fishing can accomplish goals like these.
Some healing sources for those that have struggled or are struggling with any sort of disability work well, but activities such as that of fishing are use both the mind and body, which is very key for recovery. There are two main non-profit organizations or agencies that embody this: Rainbow’s END and Friends of the White River.
Rainbow’s END is a non-profit agency in which helps children with disabilities regain mental and physical strength through daily activities. Just ask the founder of Rainbow’s END, Stephany Jenkins about it who said, “We take in children who are struggling with their disabilities and help restore both motion as well as confidence to them through many different activities” She says that they use fishing to help recover gross motion ability while also help ease mental stress of those children!
The other not for profit agency that uses the sport of fishing as a recovery tactic would Friends of the White River. In this organization, Karl W. Glander and other Indianapolis fishermen use fishing for a way to help veterans suffering from PTSD, and it truly helps them out as well. When talking to Karl over the phone about it, he told me that fishing gives these struggling veterans a way to decompress and just enjoy life again, the way it was supposed to be. He told me that the stories that they share help them take mental pain away, and instead just let loose and enjoy the fishing
Majoring in non-profit management gives me the chance to really look into ways to help people as a whole, and it turns out that fishing can do just that; whether it be rehabilitation of physical disabilities of children through fishing, or even giving veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder a chance to decompress through fishing, the sport itself does wonders. I found it extremely interesting how this great sport of fishing, which is primarily a competitive sport, can be used by not for profit groups as a healing mechanism, and that is a very special thing to know. It gives me more of a reason to help out and enjoy fishing just a little bit more!
