The Soto Sports Complex in Arroyo Grande looks the same now as it did 15 years ago when I used to play softball there. Yes, sports fans, the Benchwarmer was a Little League All-Star before taking up residence on the pine.
Every time I drive past the sports complex, a flood of childhood memories comes rushing back to me. Some of my fondest moments took place on the pitching mounds of those fields.
As kids on game day, we would show up in our colorful uniforms—jumping out of minivans and inhaling deep breaths of fresh cut grass. The snack bar was up and running, the smell of hot dogs in the air, while parents sold T-shirts at a nearby booth. Impatient siblings trailed behind their mothers carrying boxes of team snacks for after the games. As teams would line up their equipment, the field crew would finish up the last of their chalking. Dads and moms who doubled as enthusiastic coaches wrote their line-ups and waited for the umpires to arrive.
When you’re that young, it’s easy to get lost in the magic of game day—getting to play a fun game outdoors while hanging with friends and classmates. But with the natural progression of life, we eventually grow to see the big picture.
As I sit here on the brink of my 25th year of life, the big picture is this: Some of my best childhood memories were made possible by people I didn’t even know dedicating their time, efforts, and money to ensure that I had a valuable youth sports experience. Across the board, youth sports programs exist because of volunteers, people who are helping kids create memories and opportunities.
In softball, we had team moms who would help make practice schedules and prepare after-game snacks. We had volunteers who prepped all of the fields for games, and dads, moms, and softball fanatics signed up to coach or serve as board members. And I can’t forget the equipment managers and umpires who donated their time. Because of them, I was able to focus on having fun and playing the game.
Volunteering in sports comes down to love, people who have so much passion for their respective sports that they want to pass it on to the next generation. The dividends come from being a part of the athlete’s success. As a former athlete, I encountered volunteers at every level of play—from club ball to college ball—there were always parents and members of the community donating their time to support us in our endeavors. While each of these volunteers contributed something small, together they made a big difference to numerous kids. Volunteering for sports organizations shows the kids that people believe in them and want to help.
With that being said, the Benchwarmer would like to give a shout-out to my father, Gene Sewell. This man swears by the “Church of Baseball”; his love and immense knowledge for the sport is unrivaled. From the start of my career, my father volunteered with the Five Cities Little League. He started out as the field manager and was responsible for field care. Despite working in construction full-time, my dad was at the fields 6 a.m. every Saturday before coaching a full day of games. Even though he was tired, the joy he received from working in the league still makes him smile to this day. I saw the difference his efforts made on our fields, in our league, and for numerous softball players who needed someone to believe in them, and my father was that guy. One day I hope to give back to aspiring softball players as much as my father did. With this in mind, we have to think about the unmistakable difference volunteers make.
Volunteers and various nonprofit organizations have a tremendous impact on the overall health and well-being of communities. Think about it: We have volunteer firefighters, volunteer neighborhood cleanup crews, and volunteers who help keep parks and rivers clean. Then there are those who mentor, tutor, and coach. Not to mention the volunteers who help clean up after natural disasters, and help build houses, schools, and dig wells.
Think about the world if volunteers didn’t show up for a day—what would happen? Like so many unseen processes and interactions in the world, volunteering is a constant give-and-take process that helps make the world go round.
Often times people perceive volunteering as just doing something nice for someone else. In reality, our reasons for volunteering are very individual and there are benefits on both sides. In addition to experiencing something fun and fulfilling, volunteers increase their social skills and relationships, make new friends, and build confidence. Not to mention volunteering helps combat depression and keeps one physically healthy.
But to get those benefits, you first have to think about what you want to do. Do you want to give back to kids? Help clean up? Build new houses? Work in an animal shelter? What do you want to accomplish with your volunteering? With 2014 just getting started, now is a perfect time to include a resolution in which you do something nice for others.
Attempting to explain the elation one experiences when giving back does not do the act of volunteering justice—and it is so simple to achieve. Whether you work through an organization or simply volunteer to pick up the trash in your neighborhood, your small efforts are contributing to the big picture behind volunteering—that together we can achieve more and help others.
But what do I know? I’m just a Benchwarmer and a future Little League coach.
Staff Writer Kristina Sewell says give random acts of kindness a try. Contact her at ksewell@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 9-16, 2014.
