December 1, 2025
How Trail Life USA is helping boys choose real adventure over gaming
Trail Life CEO Mark Hancock: ‘I believe God created nature with all its inherent challenge and adventure as a place for boys to mature’
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Video games are topping holiday wish lists, according to data from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Seventy-six percent of children say they’re asking for video game–related gifts, with interest especially high among boys (85%). The trend reflects the meteoric rise of gaming: In ESA’s 2024 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry study, 82% of Gen Z boys reported playing video games every week.
Yet while gaming has become ubiquitous, so have the resultant negative effects. Studies show that excessive time spent playing video games can lead to declining academic performance, anxiety, obesity, difficulty with real-world interactions, and addictive behaviors.
For Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA (TrailLifeUSA.com), such studies simply confirm what is patently obvious.
“Boys don’t need more screens,” said Mark. “They need challenge, brotherhood and mentors who walk beside them.”
The solution, says Hancock, isn’t new, but instead grounded in the time-tested experience of real-world adventure.
“Away from video game pseudo-satisfaction is a real world of wonder — a world of adventure and exploration, where crickets chirp, campfires crackle, stars twinkle, freshly caught fish simmer and pocketknives whittle,” Hancock commented. “I believe God created nature with all its inherent challenge and adventure as a place for boys to mature, learn responsibility, forge leadership, understand masculinity and become biblically bold and courageous men as they live in community with godly men.”
Trail Life USA offers a church-based, Christ-centered, boy-focused mentoring and discipleship journey that speaks to the heart of a boy. Hancock believes that the proper, God-designed context for this journey is the great outdoors, where boys exchange the synthetic quests of video games for real-world adventures in nature, while trading hollow online connections for in-person relationships.
“Trail Life is where boys thrive!” enthused Hancock. “Boys from Kindergarten through 12th grade are engaged in a Troop setting by male mentors where they are challenged to grow in character, understand their purpose, serve their community and develop practical leadership skills to carry out the mission for which they were created.”
To that end, Hancock is encouraging families and churches to offer something truly life-changing to boys: join or start a local Trail Life Troop, where boys can year-round experience the priceless gifts of community, mentorship, adventure and spiritual growth through adventure.
Hancock remarked, “Boys are searching for men who are willing to lead them on the difficult journey into manhood. Our future requires that men step up for the sake of not only their sons, but also boys in their community.”
Hancock summarized, “In Trail Life, boys experience the majesty of mountains, learn wisdom in woods and discover treasures untold along the trails! It’s more than just pitching tents or building fires; it’s about mastering resilience, embracing courage and weaving bonds stronger than the mightiest oak. From conquering peaks to discovering secret waterfalls to camping under a sky painted with stars, these experiences shape character, fuel confidence and bring us closer to our Creator. So, lace up your boots, grab your backpack and join the adventure!”
Trail Life will soon share their message and mission on a national stage as they join with Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025 to highlight Trail Life’s outdoor adventure programming. The event is scheduled for Dec. 18-21 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Trail Life USA has received praise from some of today’s top Christian voices, including Focus on the Family, Franklin Graham, James Dobson, Mike Huckabee, Alex and Stephen Kendrick, Family Life, Promise Keepers, the American Family Association, and many others.
Trail Life USA is the premier national character development organization for young men, producing godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens. Trail Life’s mission is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. Troops exist in all 50 states and are growing as Trail Life USA expands around the country. Find a Troop today, or Start a Troop in your community. Find out more at TrailLifeUSA.com.
Trail Life USA’s K-12 program centers on outdoor experiences that build a young man’s skills. A robust awards program motivates young men to grow on a personal level to become role models and leaders among their peers. Living the Trail Life USA is a journey established on timeless values derived from the Bible.
Discover more about Trail Life USA at TrailLifeUSA.com, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, or Vimeo.
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To interview Mark Hancock from Trail Life USA, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096 ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100., or Jeff Tolson, ext. 108.
