Volunteerism. The backbone of children's extracurricular activities!

Volunteer Coaching.

In today's America it takes so much more than twelve years of education for a child to succeed.  Often times a child needs to be involved in one or more extracurricular activities.  These things can range from athletics such as baseball, football, tennis, golf, and others.  It can be music or dance.  It can be academics such as debate or math clubs.  They can be social clubs or hands on clubs such as Scouts or 4-H.  While all these clubs offer many different skills, they all offer something extra that is not taught in the class rooms of America. The thing these clubs most often have in common are the fact they are led by volunteers.


People are far to often naive to think that a Tee-ball coach is paid. Or the Merit Badge Counselor gets reimbursed for his time.  And contrary to popular belief, the chain gang at Friday night football games are not subsidized.  The parents that arrange for rides to the 4-H show often pay for the gas out of their own pocket.  This is truly the spirit of America.  Volunteerism and generosity is our calling card.  These people that do these things do them because they know the benefits that it brings to the kids. These people are willing to spend long hours booking hotel rooms for debate conventions because they know the long term implications.  These people are willing to sleep on the cold, hard campground because they know the value of the experience to the kids.  The problem is there seems to be a growing gap in America.  There are more and more parents that fit into the "show up and pay up" mold.  They don't believe they should have to lift a finger for these organizations because they have a life or a job.  This mentality is causing the numbers of volunteers to dwindle and thus putting more and more pressure on fewer and fewer people.  Sooner or later the numbers will no longer be able to sustain themselves.

It's all part of the elite/entitled mentality of America.  And it's like a cancer eating away from the inside out. Forget the fight in D.C., if the entitlement attitude has so permeated our society that we can no longer give freely of ourselves to our kids then we will fail in just one quick generation.  So I would encourage you to volunteer for you kid's PTO, Tee-ball, booster club, scout pack, 4-H club, etc, etc to give of yourself freely to whatever needs to be done to help not only your child but all children of these organizations.  And then go out of your way to thank the others that volunteer to lead these all volunteer organizations.  Those that have the vision to see past their own selfish needs.  Those that are willing to help more than their own flesh and blood.  Then we might become the true definition of the United States of America.

I hope you get a chance to help someone today.  Then I know it will be a great day.