It’s coming up on my year anniversary of volunteering on the board of directors of my local youth sports organization and it has been a really rewarding and eye-opening endeavor in so many ways.
The Board as a whole has made many positive communication and organizational changes to the club, I have met new friends and professional contacts, I’ve learned more about the great work of other crucial volunteer groups in our community like the Rotary Club and most of all, I am proud that I’ve worked hard to serve youth in my area by helping an awesome volunteer organization keep running after more than 50 years. Around this time last year, there were rumors that the club may fold.
A few times in just the last week, members of the board or I individually have fielded complaints from parents. This is part of our volunteer “job” and we know and understand this, but I must say we sure would appreciate a “thank you” letter now and then instead of a complaint letter.
The recent complaints from parents have literally said “this isn’t what I signed up for,” or conveyed this message in various ways.
It seems like now is as good a time as any to answer this question. In my opinion, here’s what you signed up for:
- You signed your child up to play sports in a recreational, volunteer-run sports program.
- You signed your child up to:
- Learn how to play the sport in a fair and hopefully competitive environment
- Have fun doing it
- Get some great exercise
- Learn about discipline and motivation
- Learn how to compete fairly, i.e. show good sportsmanship at all times
- :Learn how to Interact positively with other children and adults
- Learn how to face adversity, even if things don’t go their way or seem unfair
- As for parents, when you signed up your child up, you signed up for an opportunity to:
- Coach or co-coach your child
- Root on your child and all the children out there who are doing their best
- Watch your child doing something new or something they enjoy
- Become part of a community that has children’s best interests as its paramount concern
- Meet new friends and neighbors
- Support teenagers and tweens learn how to ref, umpire or keep score while earning spending, saving or college money
Right now I’m in the thick of things and have a first-hand viewpoint I am compelled to share. Over the last year, in the two volunteer-run clubs where my kids play sports I've witnessed:
- Horrible, unsportsmanlike behavior by coaches and some parents
- Parents complain bitterly about the club when they have never spent even one hour of one day volunteering to help out
- Entire Leagues or Divisions almost cease to exist because of lack of volunteerism
- Parents scream at coaches in front of children
- Coaches belittling and/or arguing with refs or umpires (some of which are teens or tweens)
- Parents calling coaches idiots behind their backs because they feel these volunteers aren’t coaching up to their standards
Enough is enough.
- If you can volunteer your time, even a little bit, to help organizations in your community, please do so.
- You don’t have to know a lot about sports (trust me, I don’t!) you just need to spend some time and have enthusiasm for the job.
- If you have constructive criticism or concern, please send it on respectfully. But send ideas for solutions too.
- If you can’t control your temper, for any reason, just don’t come to the field or court.
- Please remember what the word volunteer means and respect the time and effort a few put in for many.
A few facts:
- No volunteer-run organization is perfect in any town.
- Nor are any professionally-run organizations.
- Volunteering your time is a lot harder than writing a check and signing up your child for a travel team, but that can’t be, nor should it be the route for every child and family.
- Volunteering is a great example for kids.
- Our country runs so much better because of the volunteers of great organizations all across this land and this spirit needs to be shared or it will die away.
Youth sports are supposed to be fun for kids. We can't forget this. Of course there is a lot more they can and do get out of their participation but parents really need to step back, remember this and be a model of good behavior. Will we fall down in this sometimes? Sure, but we have to keep trying.
Even when refs make bad calls, even when a child is part of an uneven league or even if the child’s team loses a lot (or every) game. Of course these things aren’t fun, but we all have seen kids find fun and enjoyment despite these types of challenges when the general environment around them is positive.
Let’s get back to having youth sports bring families and communities together. Not tear them apart.
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