I first started volunteering when my first grandson was 4 years old and the people that ran Brotherhood Crusade youth sports league impressed me with how much they cared about the young people. It was very inspirational how they became role models and sort of foster dads for many of the kids who were from 1 parent families. They focused on teaching character, team building, having fun, and good sportsmanship. It all started for me in 2000, so over the last 12 years I have coached well over 74 teams in AVSO soccer, t ball, kickball, flag football, indoor soccer, and basketball. I'm also actively involved with my church and have been very involved with my 3 grandchildren's schools as a volunteer. I read quite a few years ago a saying that has guided me, " To those whom much is given, much is expected ". My wife and I have been blessed with good health, a wonderful family, 3 terrific grandkids, a rewarding, fun and successful career. We have so much to be grateful for and it is always great to watch the young people who I have coached growing up and graduating high school and going off to college now. Coaching our 2 youngest grandkids allows me to start all over, but is much better as I have become a much wiser coach knowing what is important and what is not important when coaching young people. My goal is to have each player on my teams want to come back and play the next season. It is not 100% but it is a very high %. As far as my goals, I want each young person I coach to learn to give back to their community and realize they are student/athletes with the emphasis on student first. I have been blessed by many of my high school age players helping coach my younger teams especially when needing a demonstration, which I'm not able to do as much as I once was able to do. God willing, I will have the energy to keep giving back as a coach for another 8 to 10 years , and then will find another avenue for volunteering.
Thanks, Joe http://brotherhoodcrusade.org
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