I’ve never done any formal youth sports coaching, even when my boys were growing up. They weren’t into organized sports very much, and I don’t have any talent in any team sports other than hockey. And since I pretty much hate what hockey has become for kids, I’ve never gotten involved in my community in this way.
So it’s been a little odd lately to find myself doing some informal coaching of kids at the racquetball club. The club’s done a masterful job at developing a juniors program, so there are always a bunch of kids around looking for a game. A few weeks ago, I decided to say “sure” to a couple of them when they asked, and since then, it’s begun to snowball. More and more of them seem to know my name and greet me/bug me to play when I arrive for a game. This weekend, one of them was pleading with me to come watch his match.
I don’t want to make a commitment to do any formal coaching at this point… too much other stuff to do, plus my daughter has some growing athletic interests that take priority. But I’ll continue with the informal stuff, because I just like doing it. It’s a way to give back, and it’s a way to connect with kids in the community.