For many dads-to-be, the weeks before a baby arrives can feel exciting, overwhelming, and full of unknowns. Boot Camp for New Dads was created to meet that moment with something simple and powerful: Real men, real babies, and real-world advice. In a single workshop, expectant fathers learn from veteran dads who return with their infants to share honest stories, practical tips, and reassurance that fatherhood is something they can grow into with confidence.
Rather than asking new fathers to have all the answers right away, the program gives them permission to learn, listen, and build confidence one conversation at a time.
“What makes the program memorable is its format,” said Chad Everhart, who has been a Boot Camp coach for more than 20 years. “Instead of a lecture, the workshop is a conversation led by fathers for fathers. Rookie dads introduce themselves, share their biggest concerns, and then hear directly from men who have just been through the newborn stage. Those veteran dads talk candidly about bonding, teamwork at home, crying babies, postpartum realities, returning to work, and the lifelong role of being a protector.”
The atmosphere is informal, unscripted, and deeply practical, giving participants a rare chance to ask questions they may not know how to ask anywhere else. That openness matters, because it helps remove the pressure to appear fully prepared and replaces it with something far more useful: honesty, encouragement, and relatable guidance.
Just as important, Boot Camp for New Dads creates community. The workshop helps soon-to-be fathers realize they are not alone in their worries, and it gives them a network of peers who understand the transition ahead. One of the strongest signs of the program’s impact is that many participants later choose to come back as veteran dads themselves, bringing their own babies and paying forward the encouragement they once received.
That cycle of mentorship is part of what has made Boot Camp for New Dads one of the largest fatherhood programs in the United States. It also reinforces a powerful idea: Fatherhood is not something men have to figure out in isolation, but something they can enter with support, examples, and a sense of shared purpose.
Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital helps make that support accessible by offering Boot Camp for New Dads as part of its childbirth and family education services. It is offered to all community members regardless of where they are delivering their babies, and for more than 30 years, Intermountain has supported all program and licensing costs for the program to run at Lutheran, Good Sam, and Saint Joseph hospitals.
At its heart, Boot Camp for New Dads is about confidence, connection, and showing up. It reminds fathers that parenting does not begin the day a baby is born; it begins in the decision to be present, to learn, and to lean into the responsibility and joy ahead. With support from organizations like Intermountain Health, more dads are able to take that first step surrounded by guidance, honesty, and the example of other fathers. For many families, that kind of preparation can shape the earliest months of parenting in meaningful ways, helping fathers enter the experience not just with information, but with purpose and a stronger sense of who they want to be.
One participant described the experience as a turning point. “I walked into Boot Camp for New Dads thinking I needed to have everything figured out,” he said. “Instead, I realized I didn’t, and that was OK. Hearing other dads talk honestly about the hard moments, the mistakes, and the wins made it feel real and doable. Seeing them there with their babies showed me that you grow into this role. I left feeling calmer, more confident, and excited to show up for my partner and my son in a way I didn’t know how to before.”
Another dad shared how the workshop shifted his perspective. “I didn’t realize how much I was carrying around until I heard other guys say the same things I was thinking,” he said. “Boot Camp for New Dads gave me space to talk honestly about fear, responsibility, and what it means to be there for your family. Hearing from dads who were only a few months ahead of me made it feel achievable, not overwhelming. I walked out feeling more prepared, but more importantly, more connected to my role as a dad and to the people who mattered most.”
“There is a significant body of research that says when children experience a meaningful and positive connection with their dads, they do better in school, work, relationships, and life,” said Chuck Ault, Intermountain Health Community Health program manager. The Boot Camps for New Dads help guys get a good start which begins a positive, upward spiral that lasts a lifetime. We’re proud that this life-changing work happens within the walls of Lutheran Hospital.”
