Fathers matter.

• Studies show that daughters of single parents without a Father involved are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers, 711% more likely to have children as teenagers, 164% more likely to have a pre-marital birth and 92% more likely to get divorced themselves.

• A study of 13,986 women in prison showed that more than half grew up without their father. Forty-two percent grew up in a single-mother household and sixteen percent lived with neither parent.

• Boys of single-parent families report higher rates of drinking and smoking as well as higher scores on delinquency and aggression tests when compared to boys from two-parent households.

• As a whole, youths are more at risk of first substance use without a highly involved father.

You know what, though? We don't need statistical computations to prove that fathers matter.

And since the opposite sex parent usually has the greatest developmental impact, Dads matter a whole lot to girls. In truth, every girl needs a father figure to show her that, as Aibileen repeated to Baby Girl in The Help, "You is [sic] kind. You is smart. You is important."Find even a girl who baulks at her embarrassingly overprotective Dad and you'll realize that, in truth,that young lady KNOWS deep down that she is her father's muse. She takes his breath away.She's irresistible. He'll go ballistic (prayerfully, not quite like Martin Lawrence' character, Marcus, in Bad Boyz 2) if you cross the line with her. To the world, she's maybe a nobody but she's somebody to someone.

Dads are emotional coaches. Dads are comic reliefs. Dads are brave entomologists. Dads are bodyguards. Dads are popes. Dads are dating assistants. Dads are personal stylists. Dads are heroes.

Many feel a burden to rally dads toward parental involvement. The Fatherhood Initiative of South Florida, for instance, is hosting the 2nd Annual Fatherhood Conference on October 22 at the University of Miami. Dads can attend for free.

Please tell one, tell all!

How thrilling it is that this year's theme is "Building Family Success: Keeping Fathers Involved," and the keynote speaker will be one of my favorite columnists Leonard Pitts, Jr. Yes, I glean from him so that I can get better at what God has allowed me to do HERE through NEWD. Pitts' passion is responsible fatherhood, among other things. His first book was entitled, Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood.

Perhaps even more exciting is the debut of Courageous, a button-pushing unapologetically-Christian drama that will inspire dads to man up. The makers of Fireproof have again successfully joined the silver screen with the Good Book.

If you live in Miami, will you pray about attending or inviting someone to the 2nd Annual Fatherhood Conference? Similarly, will support the Courageous Movie movement by watching and treating an unsaved friend?

Ana Guthrie is a super cool chick with a heart for God and love for youth culture. She doubles as a not-so-naughty librarian and instructor at Florida Memorial University in Miami, Florida.