For generations, fathers have bonded with their children through sports, praying that their kids become just as passionate about the teams they support. One local dad has turned his passion into a unique career, allowing dads who love sports, especially college football, to read to their children while also passing on their devout fandom.

Michael Shoule grew up in Oakland Gardens as a parishioner at American Martyrs, Bayside. He was a catcher for the American Martyrs Catholic Youth Organization baseball team. He attended P.S. 188, Bronx Science High School, and then Boston College. During his four years at Boston College from 1988 to 1992, Shoule wrote for the school newspaper covering all sports. He eventually worked his way up to covering football, and the highlight of his sportswriting career was interviewing eventual two-time Super Bowl-winning New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin when he was hired as
B.C.’s head coach in 1991.

When his son, Nate, was 6 months old in 2007, Shoule started getting tired of reading the same books over and over again. He even questioned if it was important for parents to read to their children at such a young age. At around the same time, his B.C. reunion was coming up.

“I went to my reunion with the intent of getting a book about Boston College — something I wanted to read to my son every night,” said Shoule, now a Eucharistic minister and lector at American Martyrs. “The book didn’t exist, so I came back and said I was going to write a book about Boston College football.”

After a year and a half and the birth of his daughter, Emma, the pieces for Shoule started coming together. He had his sights set on writing about the nation’s top college football programs, and he had to apply to each school for permission to write about their team.

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Initially, the only program that approved his request was his alma mater, B.C. Thus, “My Daddy Loves Boston College Football” was born through the new publishing company he founded, Read Together Books.

“Moms know they have to read to their kids,” said Shoule, now president of the company. “Dads tend to lean toward wrestling with our kids on the floor or taking them to the park, not really focused on the reading aspect. So I thought to write some books about what I like to do with my kids and then reinforce it by reading about it and then doing it.”

After seeing the concept of the initial book, other college football programs started granting their approval. The “My Daddy Loves Football” series currently has six books with a seventh on the way: B.C., Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, and Texas coming soon. All these titles except B.C. were illustrated by Christina Chiaramonte, a former student at Sacred Heart Grammar School, Bayside, and The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica Estates.

For each book, Shoule works with a co-author, typically a family member or friend who is an alum of the college or at least a huge fan of the football program. Chiaramonte includes a representation of the co-author and their family on one of the book’s pages, and a dedication is featured on the back cover.

Shoule’s books have been popular as gifts to men who are about to become fathers and know they want to pass along their love of their favorite team to their new little one. The books take future fans through every aspect of following a college football team, from tailgating to attending games and watching on television when the team is away.

“As a dad, you kind of want to brainwash your kid to root for the team you root for,” said Shoule, also program director and past grand knight of the American Martyrs Knights of Columbus. “The earlier you start, the better. It’s nice to see dads and their children at sporting events, spending time together.”

As part of his mission, Shoule works with charity organizations affiliated with each college and ensures a portion of each book sold benefits the charity. A good majority of the organizations are area children’s hospitals.

While the college football series featured board books, Shoule recently released his first paperback book, entitled “I Love Going to the Bronx Zoo” — another fun activity he enjoyed when his kids, both of whom attend St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, were growing up.

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“My idea for the series of books is really endless because dads have so many interests that they want to share with their kids,” said Shoule, who enjoys reading his books live to students at local schools, including the Catholic academies of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Since Shoule is a self-publisher, he’s attempting to work with any book distributors who could help with getting his books into college bookstores to sell to the next set of fans.

With Father’s Day approaching, the foundation of Read Together Books can be celebrated always: strengthening the bond between fathers and their children through books. It’s such a win-win situation: Dads read more to their kids, and they instill a similar love of their favorite sport.

It’s truly a touchdown. Happy Father’s Day!