Tennessee Tech is first university in the southeast to certify P.E. teachers in fly fishing instruction

David Mann, assistant professor of exercise science, teaches students how to cast a fly rod during a class in Tech’s Memorial Gym.
Photo courtesy of Tennessee Tech

For some, gym class may conjure up old memories of dodgeball games gone awry. Faculty in the Exercise Science Department at Tennessee Tech University, however, are pioneering a new program to expand the physical education curriculum and train future P.E. teachers on a valuable skill for Tennessee’s open waters.

Tech is now the first university in the southeast to teach its P.E. teacher-licensure students how to instruct fly fishing in K-12 schools using a curriculum from the National Fishing in Schools program.

Already, 15 students in the program have become certified fly fishing instructors. It follows Tech’s earlier success as the first university in the state to certify P.E. teachers in archery.

Both undertakings have been of personal importance to David Mann, assistant professor of exercise science at Tech, who says the curriculum enhancements are ultimately about instilling in younger generations a love of the great outdoors.

“My fear is that, if students don’t learn to appreciate what we have here in Tennessee, this will be a generation that may not work to protect it,” said Mann. “We know our lands and natural resources must be protected. My hope is that we can teach these candidates how to teach fishing so that, when they go into their professions, they can teach their students how to get outdoors, enjoy being outdoors and therefore appreciate and preserve it.”

Mann is a fly fisherman himself. He explains that his father taught him as a young child. By empowering future P.E. teachers to teach their students the sport, Mann hopes to see more Tennesseans adopt a lifelong skill they can share with others.

“It’s something entire families can do,” Mann added.

To bring the curriculum to Tech, Mann worked with Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) staff including David Lowrie, R3 fishing program coordinator, and Matt Clarey, assistant chief of the outreach program.

Clarey, himself a 1998 Tech graduate, praised the university’s leadership in teaching students outdoor sporting skills that promote conservation.

“The connection they’re making with these students is phenomenal,” said Clarey. “That’s what this is all about – connecting people to nature. I think we’re getting away from that more and more every day, so there’s a huge push to get these kids outside, help them understand what conservation is really about and tell them why we’re here. It means more than something on a phone or a computer.”

A P.E. teacher licensure isn’t the only way Tech students can gain experience with a fly rod, though. Mann has also channeled his passion for the sport into his service as faculty advisor for the university’s fly fishing student organization, “Tech on the Fly.” The club recently hosted ESPN Outdoors fly fishing gold medalist Chuck Farneth for a free casting demonstration open to the public.

“We’ve got something pretty amazing here in Tennessee when it comes to our rivers, lakes and streams,” said Mann. “We want to teach students to appreciate and preserve it.”

Learn more about the Exercise Science Department at Tech by visiting www.tntech.edu/education/exercise-science/.