September 1st was opening day of dove season here in Central Texas, and over the last few years, it has become a tradition for our family. This year, my youngest son, Jon-Michael, and I got out for an afternoon hunt. It was hot, the birds were flying, and we had a fantastic hunt.
While I was sitting out there, I started thinking about something that had very little to do with dove hunting. I started thinking about traditions. Traditions give us something to look forward to. They create memories, but they also create expectations. We know what’s coming, we know who will be there, we know that, for at least a little while, some things are going to stay the same.
And that got me thinking about our KOZ boys.
Why Boys Need Structure and Consistency
One of the things I’ve learned through the years at Kids Outdoor Zone is just how much boys need structure. For some of the boys we serve, life outside of KOZ can be unpredictable. They may not always know what the next week is going to look like or who is going to show up for them, then they come to KOZ.
They know there will be men waiting for them. They know there will be an outdoor adventure. They know they’ll learn something, eat together, hear God’s Word, and have their Sit Spot. They begin to learn the rhythm of a KOZ Saturday and that structure matters.
A boy’s life may feel like it’s spinning out of control, but when he comes to your KOZ group, he can know what to expect, and he can know you’re going to be there. Never underestimate what that kind of consistency can mean to a boy.
Traditions Help Boys Know They Belong
Traditions don’t have to be elaborate. Maybe every brand-new boy who comes to a KOZ group gets called to the front and receives his first KOZ dog tag. “Welcome to KOZ. We’re glad you’re here. We hope you come back.”
Think about what that communicates to a boy. He’s not just another kid who showed up on Saturday morning, he’s being welcomed into something.
Birthdays are another great opportunity. Know your boys’ birthdays and make a big deal out of them.
Some KOZ groups have built wooden gear boxes branded with the KOZ logo and filled them with outdoor gear. When a boy has a birthday or earns a special privilege, he gets to reach into that box and choose something. A knife, a hat, or a piece of outdoor gear. The item itself isn’t really the point, but the boy being seen is the point.
Over time, those little things become traditions. And traditions can help create belonging, connection, and memories that a boy may carry with him for the rest of his life.
Don’t Be Too Quick to Abandon the KOZ Structure
There’s a reason we give our KOZ leaders a curriculum and a structure to follow. Can you go off-script sometimes? Of course. Every group is different, and every Saturday won’t go exactly according to plan. But through the years, we’ve seen that some of our strongest KOZ groups are the ones that consistently follow the structure.
Boys need structure because structure gives them something they can rely on.
That’s also one reason we don’t encourage telling boys the activity ahead of time. If they know this month is fishing and next month is hiking, some boys will start cherry-picking which Saturdays they want to attend. That’s not the point.
They show up because it’s KOZ, then they find out what that day’s adventure is going to be. Fishing, hunting, hiking, archery, woodworking, whatever it is, we’re going to do it together. The activity gets boys through the door, but the relationships and consistency are what matter.
Before You Make a Decision, Listen
There’s another kind of consistency I want to encourage our KOZ leaders to build, and that’s consistency in prayer. You’re going to have decisions to make in your ministry. How should we handle this situation with a boy? How do we approach our church about something? Should we buy a trailer? Should we take the boys camping? Should we separate the older boys for a special hunt? When those decisions come, don’t just sit around a table and figure out what seems best.
Ask God and then take time to listen.
Listening prayer has probably been one of the biggest changes in my own spiritual life. Spend time walking and praying. Ask Jesus what He wants you to do, and then give Him room to answer. This isn’t our ministry. These aren’t our boys. We have been entrusted with them, and we need God’s direction as we lead.
Put a Real Bible in Your Hands
Here’s another simple challenge for our KOZ leaders: When you’re teaching Scripture to your boys, have a physical Bible in your hands.
Yes, you can pull Scripture up on your phone. I do plenty of things on my phone too. But there’s something important about a boy seeing a man he respects open a Bible, read from it, and then explain what God’s Word says. It creates a connection and he begins to understand, That’s where that came from. That’s what he’s teaching me.
For a boy who may think the Bible is intimidating, outdated, too complicated, or just some giant book sitting untouched on a shelf at home, seeing you actually use it can begin breaking down those barriers. You don’t have to make it complicated. Open the Bible, read God’s Word, talk about it with your boys and let them see that Scripture is something a man can actually build his life on.
The Little Things Aren’t Little to a Boy
We can make mentoring boys more complicated than it needs to be. Sometimes we’re looking for the big moment, the incredible outdoor adventure, the deep conversation, or the day a boy finally opens up about what’s happening in his life. Those moments matter, but don’t miss all the little moments that come before them.
Remembering his birthday, giving him his first dog tag, opening your Bible in front of him, praying before making a decision that affects him, following the same KOZ structure month after month and being there when you said you’d be there. That’s how trust is built.
For many boys, especially boys growing up without a consistent father or godly male role model in their lives, having a man who continues to show up can make a difference that is difficult to measure. That’s why I want our KOZ leaders to understand this: You matter, brothers.
You may not see everything God is doing through your consistency right now. You may not know which Saturday, conversation, prayer, tradition, or simple act of showing up a boy will remember years from now. Keep doing it anyway.
Create traditions, give your boys structure, pray over your decisions, carry your Bible, and most importantly, keep showing up.
Give them something, and someone, they can count on.
Regulators, mount up.
— TJ Greaney
Founder, Kids Outdoor Zone
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