Youth Sports
Insider Info
Baseball, soccer, hockey, biking, wall climbing -- these are just a
few of the sports and fitness activities available for kids and teens. Many
of the people who make these activities possible are volunteers.
"Volunteers run the whole league," says Guy McCann with North Bergen Volunteer
Baseball in New Jersey.
"Coaches, umpires, scheduling, the refreshment stands, supplies -- it's
all volunteer. For 30 teams, we've got 120 volunteers coaching and 18 guys
on the board of directors, and with all the other positions, maybe 200 volunteers
in all," says McCann.
As a coach, McCann has to donate one evening a week for practice and must
work at least one game a weekend during baseball season. "I enjoy the game,
I enjoy the kids," he says.
McCann says coaching is more than teaching the kids how to play ball --
it's showing them how to live a good life.
"Sports is one thing, but it keeps kids off the streets and keeps them
away from drugs," he says. "I coach seven year olds and I tell them drugs
are bad, and to stay away from that garbage."
Thomas Joseph Legg, a coach with the North Bergen Volunteer Baseball League,
says his 12-year-old players learn valuable social skills. If players tease
another team member for missing the ball, he makes them run laps. "If the
coach makes you run laps for calling someone names, maybe you'll think about
it," he explains.
 |
| At North Bergen Volunteer Baseball, volunteers run the whole league,
from coaching and umpiring to selling refreshments. |
| Courtesy of: NBVB |
Some volunteers work with groups or teams, others work with kids one-on-one.
"It depends on the program," says Carla Plican, the volunteer coordinator
for the Paralympics Association.
"Our Fun for Kids program has about 25 kids registered and about 15 attend
each week. We have 10 volunteers working with them, but the more volunteers,
the better!"
Plican says kids with disabilities can have a tough time participating
in many sports and activities. Volunteers can help get them off the sidelines
for at least a couple hours a week.
"It's best not to focus on the disability, just see them as kids who want
to participate in sport," says Plican.
Plican says whatever the sport or physical activity, the best volunteers
are those who are dedicated. "Also, they are there to have a good time," she
says. "If they're having fun, the kids are having fun!"
Working with kids has volunteer Danielle Tailleur climbing the walls --
literally!
"We do wheelchair rugby, basketball and archery. Last weekend we did tae
kwon do and wall climbing!" she says.
Tailleur is a volunteer with Fun for Kids, a program run by the Paralympics
Sports Association. "I just love it. The kids are great. They're just so open
and fun to be with. They don't care that they're different," she says.
Tailleur says the biggest challenge is knowing how to encourage kids without
discouraging them. "You have to say, 'Come on, you can do it! I know you can!'
and prove to them they can," she says.
When her group tried wall climbing, Tailleur could see one of the kids
was really nervous about going up. "I said, 'I'll go up if you do!'" she remembers.
That was the encouragement the girl needed. They both went up the wall.
"Afterwards she was saying, 'That was so awesome!'" says Tailleur with
a smile.
Marilyn Price with Trips for Kids in San Rafael, California, says that
sometimes it takes more than encouragement to get her kids to the top. Trips
for Kids provides mountain bike outings for urban youth. Price says many of
these kids have never been on a long bike ride -- let alone a ride to the
top of a mountain!
"A lot of kids we take are not fit," she explains. "I remember one ride
where another volunteer literally pushed a kid from the bottom of the mountain
to the top!"
Whether they ride, walk, or get pushed, the payoff for the kids is a spectacular
view and the ride back down the mountain.
Price says she started Trips for Kids because of her love of biking and
the environment. She says her very first day on the trail convinced her it
was the right thing to do.
Price had arranged a day trip for the Boys and Girls Club, matching kids
with bikes and a volunteer buddy to help them through the ride. At the start
of the day, Price was nervous. The kids were all quiet and somber. Then, they
started biking.
"About 10 minutes later they were all smiles. They loved it!" she says.
"I attribute it to great wilderness and bikes."
Legg coached his baseball team to the championships last season. "I told
them if you work hard it will be rewarding, so it was great to be able to
hand them their jacket and trophy at the end of the year," he says.
Legg says there was one team member in particular that he really feels
he helped. The boy had attention deficit disorder (ADD). At first, Legg had
him in the outfield catching fly balls, but that wasn't working.
"You could just see his frustration and when he missed the ball he'd get
more upset," explains Legg.
Legg figured it would help if this player was in on every play and didn't
have time to daydream. "I put him in [as a] catcher and he became the best
catcher in the league," he says proudly.
Success gave the boy confidence, which in turn made him a better catcher.
"It was really rewarding for us, and for him," says Legg.
How to Get Involved
Since there are so many organizations looking for volunteer help with youth
fitness and sports, there are many ways to volunteer your time.
You may already know of an organization needing your help. Have you been
involved with baseball, soccer, gymnastics or ice skating? These are organizations
that are always looking for trainers, referees and coaches. Call and find
out what you can do!
Many clubs are listed in the yellow pages of your local phone book. Also
check out the category Youth Organizations and Centers -- it lists groups
like the YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girls Club, Girl Guides and Scouts.
Still not sure? Your school counselor may also have some leads for you.
In many cases, applying for a volunteer position with these organizations
is just like applying for a job. You may need a resume listing your interests,
goals and experiences. You will likely be interviewed.
"Once someone says they're interested, I'll usually meet with them," says
Plican. "We call it screening, and there is a safety element, but it's also
letting them know what's involved and letting them decide if this is the program
they are interested in so there's a good match."
Some organizations also require you to submit to a criminal record check.
Links
Trips for Kids
San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit volunteer organization that
provides mountain biking outings for urban youth
Paralympic Sports Association
Resources for young athletes, parents and coaches
YMCA
The many youth programs of the Y depend on the direct financial
support and volunteer commitment of people like you
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