The Record recently featured a piece on how North Jersey
dads would be spending Father’s Day. While he isn’t a dad, Mike
Sprague, a mentor in our Mentoring Youth program, is an outstanding role
model for three young brothers. Read his inspiring story below and click here to read about some great dads.
Mike
Sprague
Family: For almost two
years, Sprague, 43, has been a father figure to the Conlon brothers: Michael, 9;
Joseph, 8; and Luke, 7, of Teaneck, through the Mentoring Youth program of the
Volunteer Center of Bergen County. Their
mother, Renee Conlon, says the boys' father has not been a part of their lives
for about three years and she had been seeking a male role model for them, and
"he's fabulous with the kids." Sprague is divorced and has no children of his
own.
Profession: Senior insurance
claims representative
Hometown: Northvale
Ideal
day:
Sprague is trying to expose the boys to activities he enjoys, such as hiking,
nature festivals, baseball, playing with his dog and teaching them to ride
bikes. But he says "it really doesn't matter what activity" the four do, he
simply wants "just to hang out with them and make them happy. That's it. It
makes me happy."
Ideal
gift: "Something that they
made." He treasures past gifts, a baseball cap with his name on it from Michael
and a drawing of his car (complete with a dent in the correct place). And when
they gave him a toy astronaut at the end of their first meeting, he glued it to
the dashboard and they collectively decided that "this is going to be our
navigator, to help us when we go out. … They call him Navigator Bob. A couple
months later, they gave me another, Captain Cody. They're my GPS."
What he sees as his
role in the boys' life: "To be a small part
of trying to mold them into good kids: teaching them about sports and games,
also providing some foundation for them to listen. I try and reinforce positive
behavior and correct them when they do something wrong, teach them why it's not
good."
Interview by Elisa
Ung, The Record
For more information
about Mentoring Youth, or to sign up for Fall Mentor classes, beginning
Wednesday, September 26, call Eva at 201-489-9454, ext.
121.