When Team Toyota pro Matt Arey used to wrap up his professional bass-fishing seasons, you’d be hard-pressed to find him anywhere but in a deer stand on a cool hardwood ridge throughout the fall and winter months. Not only is he one of the best in the world at catching bass, but he’s also a very accomplished hunter. Heck, he’d often show up to high school an hour or two late after a quick wood duck hunt with his buddies. He and his principal would simply exchange wry grins and off to class Arey went; that principal knew he was bound to do big things in the outdoor industry and thankfully he allowed him to explore his passions as long as his grades didn’t suffer.
What became an outdoor obsession for the North Carolina native has now turned into an obsession over his growing family. Arey and his wife, Emily, have two daughters—Reese is 12 and Wren is 7. As his girls get older, he has found himself craving more time with them instead of rutting bucks and cold mornings.
“When I’m done with the season, I take the girls to school nearly every single day,” Arey said with a smile. “I don’t do it because I have to. I do it because I want to. Every now and again, Emily and I might have to divide and conquer due to all of their different activities. But I really try to spend as much time as possible with them. I also pick them up from school most days because being involved in their activities is just awesome for me. I know I’m gone a lot but for the few months I’m home, they get every single ounce of me.”
The Arey family definitely isn’t a still or quiet household. Between their girls’ after-school activities and work, their Toyotas are rarely parked in the driveway.
“If they don’t have anything after school, I love to take them for ice cream after I pick them up,” Arey said. “But lately, it seems like every afternoon they have something going on, which is great, but definitely busy. My oldest made the local cheer team and does ballet, jazz dance, and lots of youth activities at church. My youngest isn’t as busy quite yet but she does dance classes a few days a week. My wife and I get into a routine but I’m still guilty of forgetting where I need to be and when. We constantly text each other and coordinate who has to be where and at what time. It’s chaos some days but man, I honestly wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
As far as his deer-hunting passion goes, it has taken more of a backseat this year but Arey is totally fine with that. He wants to do everything he can to be involved and present when he’s off the long road that is the professional bass-fishing tour.
“I never thought I’d be watching a middle-school football team play in the middle of the week but here I am,” Arey joked. “But when your daughter cheers for ‘em, you go watch and enjoy every single minute of it.”
His love for the outdoors can’t be totally tamed, however. Arey makes a concerted effort to involve his family in his outdoor pursuits as he believes it will allow his girls to grow into more well-rounded individuals.
“My wife and oldest daughter haven’t caught the bug quite yet and that’s totally fine,” Arey said. “Reese is the girly girl and she’s more interested in being ‘cool’ now and I think any girl dad can relate to that. But my youngest, Wren, is the total opposite, man. She wants to deer hunt all the time and she even pulled her own tooth yesterday without even telling us. She’s our wild child!”
In an age filled with social media noise and distractions by way of technology, the Areys put in a lot of work to make sure their daughters are present and not too reliant on the latest gadgets and gizmos.
“Our 12-year-old doesn’t have a phone yet because we don’t think it’s the right time,” Arey said. “Both daughters have a tablet but we closely monitor what they can and can’t do on them. We aim to diversify their childhood and we want to show them what’s truly out there. Showing kids the true meaning of enjoying the outdoors is more important now than it has ever been. Keeping them involved in God’s creation is so important for both their mental and emotional states.”
So, what does it take to “properly” introduce your children to the outdoors? It’s not as complicated as you may think, according to Arey.
“Their first few experiences have to be engaging,” he said. “Get connected with the right people in your community with the right access to resources. There are outdoor ministries throughout the entire country and now there are plenty of middle and high-school fishing teams that will teach them a ton. Here in North Carolina, they even have stocked trout ponds where you can take the kids and they’re almost guaranteed a bite. I’m telling you, once they get that string stretched the first time, they’ll catch the bug.”
Aside from the importance of experiencing the outdoors, Arey seems to reflect most often on the lessons fatherhood has taught him over the past 12 years. Patience and priorities are most important to him, whether he’s driving them to school in the Tundra or burning up the interstates on the way to his next tournament.
“There is simply no love like the love you have for your own child,” Arey said. “And I realize now how much I appreciate my parents. The discipline they gave me and the prayers they prayed for me… they all make so much sense now. There is nothing in this world I care about more than my kids. I’ve learned what love really is and it’s a beautiful thing.”
Through the ups and downs of both fatherhood and tournament fishing, Matt Arey’s girls know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he will be there for them no matter what. And just like the love they taught him over the past 12 years, that too, is a beautiful thing.
