As a lawyer, Mark Merrill has seen firsthand the negative effects of failed relationships. His experiences were so troubling that he knew there had to be something he could do.

In 1991, he helped to found Family First, a non-profit research and communications organization (family first.net). Merrill says he always knew that Family First would eventually develop a program to meet the specific needs of dads. At the time, he attended the same church as Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant coach Clyde Christenson.

When Christenson heard about Merrill's desire to change the culture of fatherhood, he suggested that Merrill meet with Tony Dungy, head coach of Tampa Bay at that time.

“After Tony and I began talking more, I found that he had a wonderful relationship with his father,” Merrill says. “Tony just latched on to the significance of connecting fathers with their children.”

All Pro Dad was formed and began holding events to encourage men to become the best dads possible. Dungy took on the role of spokesman for the organization and made appearances on its behalf. He has since left Tampa Bay to take over as the head coach for the Indianapolis Colts, and the program has expanded to include 35 NFL spokesmen.

The organization regularly sponsors the All Pro Dad Father and Kid Experience at various NFL stadiums. These events include interactive games for kids, talks from NFL players and coaches, and a unique opportunity for the dads to spend time in a stadium suite where they are shown a video presentation on how to improve their fathering skills.

One of the most effective tools has been the Play of the Day, a daily e-mail program that sends practical tips to any dad who signs up through the All Pro Dad's Web site (allpro dad.com).

Merrill concludes, “Uniting the hearts of fathers and children is central to achieving God's purposes for the family and absolutely essential for passing on our faith to successive generations.”