Ever since he was a kid, junior Richard Beal had a passion for fishing. He first began his hobby with his grandpa around the age of 3. Ever since then, he has built a love for the sport. Beal is now on his way to the state competition to represent Kingwood Park High School.

The event, which is May 18-19, will take place on Lake Palestine. Competitions involve up to eight hours of fishing and require a lot of patience. However, Beal said he feels confident he and his partner can place high in the competition. 

“I feel pretty good,” Beal said. “We’re going to try and practice and get all the information we can and just kind of get familiar with the lake.”

This isn’t Beal’s first time in a state competition. He reached the same event last year, which Beal said helps take away some of the pressure of competing in the state championships. Although Beal is excited about the upcoming tournament, nothing will top the feeling he felt last time. 

“I think last year was probably more special just because it was the first time,” Beal said. “It was a really, really fun time. I think it’s really cool that we’ve qualified two years in a row.”

Teamwork and chemistry is important when it comes to winning the events. Beal and his partner, Summer Creek’s Perry Campbell, have worked together since freshman year and have built a strong bond through fishing. 

Campbell and Beal have been friends since elementary, but ended up splitting ways once Campbell went to Summer Creek. Once the fishing program was brought to their attention in ninth grade, they decided to unite and create the team.

“He was looking for a partner,” Beal said. “I thought it’d be a good way for us to kind of stay connected and do something that we both love.”

Kingwood Park doesn’t have its own stand-alone program for fishing, which makes the process of joining a team very difficult. Beal wishes that the program was more accessible to students who are interested.

“I wish the program would grow a lot more because I’ve always been hearing a lot about kids who want to do it and everything, but it’s not very publicly advertised on how to get involved and how to get started with all of it,” Beal said.