Voluntary Madness

by Wendy Morley

At the beginning of this year's Minor Hockey season, my son's coach asked all the parents to meet in Change Room #1. After we packed into the tiny, somewhat sweaty-smelling room, he thanked us for coming and proceeded to read out the list of volunteer positions available to help the team. On the list was everything from "Team Manager" to "Skate Dad" and "Jock Strap Checker." At the end of his speech, the coach asked one of us to read out the last sentence on the page. In a loud voice, the first volunteer of the evening read out this all-too-clear instruction: "No one is to leave this room until all of the positions are filled."

Volunteers can be described as individuals who undertake a task of their own free will. At the same time, we as volunteers generally aren't asked to take on a position because someone thinks we actually want to do it. More often than not, the job at hand simply must be done. As parents, I'm sure we've all come forward at one time or another to volunteer our time, whether it be for a school field trip, to help out in the classroom, or to canvass the neighbourhood raising funds for this or that.

What many of us have not experienced is stepping forward into a position of authority, where there are real pressures and demands -- for example, being a Brownie or Beaver leader, a neighborhood Block Watch coordinator, or even a hockey coach.

This year I took the big jump into voluntary madness and decided to coach my older son's basketball team. Once a week, I'm also a Beaver leader for my younger son and his pack (You know you've made it to the big league when the first thing they request is a police criminal check). One of the reasons I finally decided to commit myself was the eagerness my two sons displayed when I told them about my intentions. My nine-year-old had always wanted to try basketball, but lacked the confidence to go it alone. He told me, "If you coach, Mom, I'll play." My seven-year-old thought it would be "cool" if I was a Beaver leader. I figured ''When will they ever again think it's "cool" to have Mom coach or lead a pack of little Beavers?' So, I signed on the dotted line.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be so nervous about coaching a team. What was the big deal? After all, my husband and a few of his friends are soccer and hockey coaches. Little did I know...

The biggest problem was the fact that I hadn't played basketball for over twenty years. On second thought, perhaps my biggest hurdle was that I had never coached before in my life. After an excellent four-hour clinic put on by one of the basketball coaches from Simon Fraser University, I was ready to meet my team. Despite my nervousness, once I got going, it really wasn't all that bad. In fact, now that basketball and Beavers are well underway, I can honestly say it's been a truly enjoyable experience. From the very start, the basketball kids have shown nothing but enthusiasm and energy towards the game. The busy Beavers have been fairly noisy, but eager to listen and learn.

Being a volunteer definitely has its ups and downs. There are almost always parents who expect too much yet give too little. There are also the disruptive kids who make our job that much more difficult. However, the rewards of volunteering are enormous. Voluntary madness it may be, but just seeing one son score his first basket ever or watching the other recite the Beaver promise while carefully holding a candle are moments that make me tingle and think, "This is worth it!!!!!!!!"

Wendy Morley is a freelance writer who resides with her husband and two boys in North Vancouver. Hockey, soccer, basketball, Beavers and Cubs are a big part of their lives.