How it all started...
Fertile soil made the tiny town where David Gunn grew up on the edge of the Arkansas Delta the ideal place for farming. England, Arkansas, did not seem like the kind of place where dreams planted on dusty playgrounds always come true for young boys. But Gunn dreamed anyway. He knew exactly what he wanted to do in the seventh grade. The wiry but athletic boy who played every sport growing up wanted to be a football coach.
Despite the challenges of growing up in a single parent home with six siblings in a town that didn’t offer many opportunities beyond farming, Gunn’s dream came true.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Gunn rose through the ranks as a high school coach and eventually landed at Arkansas State University, where he held positions ranging from position coach to interim head coach during a successful 11-year run in which he worked for coaches Steve Roberts, Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn.
Gunn eventually followed Malzahn to one of the biggest stages in college football, the Southeastern Conference, where he served as lead administrator for the Auburn University football program.
Gunn has since stepped away from football to pursue an even bigger dream—helping men on their journey to authentic manhood. He recently launched "Project: MP3." Its mission is "to equip men from God’s word to become producers, providers and protectors for all within their sphere of influence.”
Despite the challenges of growing up in a single parent home with six siblings in a town that didn’t offer many opportunities beyond farming, Gunn’s dream came true.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Gunn rose through the ranks as a high school coach and eventually landed at Arkansas State University, where he held positions ranging from position coach to interim head coach during a successful 11-year run in which he worked for coaches Steve Roberts, Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn.
Gunn eventually followed Malzahn to one of the biggest stages in college football, the Southeastern Conference, where he served as lead administrator for the Auburn University football program.
Gunn has since stepped away from football to pursue an even bigger dream—helping men on their journey to authentic manhood. He recently launched "Project: MP3." Its mission is "to equip men from God’s word to become producers, providers and protectors for all within their sphere of influence.”
The Root of The Problem
Since the Industrial Revolution, generations of men have been confused about their social roles and responsibilities. The crumbling of the traditional family in America on top of economic and cultural changes has led the country to a crisis. Gunn says it will only be fixed when men become what they were created to be:
social and spiritual leaders.
“The problem has deep roots,” Gunn said. “Before the Industrial Revolution, most boys worked in the fields alongside their dads, who modeled masculinity for them.”
The Industrial Revolution changed the world and the dynamics of what had been the traditional family. “Men who went to work in factories now had less time with their sons,” Gunn explained. World War II then forever changed the fabric of the country and its workforce. Women went into the workplace as men went to war. Soldiers who survived came home to a different world.
Over the next several decades, more and more children grew up in homes where both parents worked. By the 1980s, “latchkey kids” were left to tend to themselves. Children spent less time with their parents and more time in front of the television, which became a profound influence in their lives. “What they saw on TV became a model for what a girl should be and what a boy should be,” Gunn said. “Over time, all those changes blurred the lines of the traditional roles of men and women.”
social and spiritual leaders.
“The problem has deep roots,” Gunn said. “Before the Industrial Revolution, most boys worked in the fields alongside their dads, who modeled masculinity for them.”
The Industrial Revolution changed the world and the dynamics of what had been the traditional family. “Men who went to work in factories now had less time with their sons,” Gunn explained. World War II then forever changed the fabric of the country and its workforce. Women went into the workplace as men went to war. Soldiers who survived came home to a different world.
Over the next several decades, more and more children grew up in homes where both parents worked. By the 1980s, “latchkey kids” were left to tend to themselves. Children spent less time with their parents and more time in front of the television, which became a profound influence in their lives. “What they saw on TV became a model for what a girl should be and what a boy should be,” Gunn said. “Over time, all those changes blurred the lines of the traditional roles of men and women.”
Pain and Frustration
And the biggest result? Pain and frustration.
With half the country’s marriages ending in divorce and an increasing number of children born out of wedlock, fathers are far too often absent. They aren’t there to teach their boys the little things they need to know about life, whether it's how to tie a tie, change a flat or treat a young lady.
“Young men who don’t have fathers around to teach them basic life lessons become frustrated,” Gunn said. “But what’s even more damaging is the emotional pain many experience. The pain of feeling abandoned or rejected doesn’t just go away.” Men who are hurting begin looking for ways to escape the pain.
As Gunn teaches in his program, they often turn to either women, whiskey, weed or work.
With half the country’s marriages ending in divorce and an increasing number of children born out of wedlock, fathers are far too often absent. They aren’t there to teach their boys the little things they need to know about life, whether it's how to tie a tie, change a flat or treat a young lady.
“Young men who don’t have fathers around to teach them basic life lessons become frustrated,” Gunn said. “But what’s even more damaging is the emotional pain many experience. The pain of feeling abandoned or rejected doesn’t just go away.” Men who are hurting begin looking for ways to escape the pain.
As Gunn teaches in his program, they often turn to either women, whiskey, weed or work.
