If you’ve spent any amount of time around youth sports, you’ve probably noticed something: there are a whole lot of people making things happen who never show up in the box score.
No one keeps statistics on them. There isn’t a championship ring waiting at the end of the season. Nobody announces their name over the loudspeaker.
But if they disappeared tomorrow? The whole thing would come to a screeching halt.
I’m talking about the volunteers.
The team mom’s crafting not only the required healthy snack but making sure it’s cute and on theme. The people working the concession stand when it’s 107 degrees in the shade and the fryer is trying its best to make it feel like 207. The person running the scoreboard or that GameChanger thingy. The one answering emails, collecting forms, coordinating schedules, or manning the Teams App or GroupMe and somehow making sense of the chaos.
You know the people. In fact, you probably know several. Or maybe you are these people.
Because in our small towns, youth sports aren’t just powered by athletes. They’re powered by communities. And communities run on volunteers.
I’ve spent enough time around ballparks, gyms, tournaments, and community events to know that some of the hardest-working people are often the ones nobody notices.
As a person who runs a nonprofit organization, I am acutely aware of the value of volunteers and their integral role in making sure programs thrive.
For example, The EMpact One Foundation Mobile Sports Locker has traveled almost 2,000 miles since January 1 and distributed nearly 2,000 pieces of equipment to kids in our community who otherwise might not have access to the items they need to play.
There is no way I could be in all of those places all of the time.
But I have a great team of volunteers who I know love on these kiddos just like I do and make sure they get exactly what they need.
That’s the heart of an incredible volunteer team. And you won’t ever find them seeking out the spotlight.
And honestly, that’s kind of the point.
The best volunteers aren’t looking for recognition. They’re looking for kids to have opportunities. They’re looking for teams to have what they need. They’re looking for the event to run smoothly, even if nobody ever knows how much work happened behind the scenes. They are the spokes of the wheel—not flashy or the focus—but if they fell out, the whole ride goes flat immediately.
It’s funny, because most of the time we only notice volunteers when something goes wrong.
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The scoreboard quits working. The concession stand runs out of hot dogs. The tournament schedule gets delayed. The uniforms don’t arrive. And suddenly everybody has opinions.
But when everything goes right? Nobody thinks about the dozens of people who quietly made it happen. That’s just human nature, I suppose.
But this time of year, with summer tournaments, camps, and activities happening all over the place, I’ve found myself noticing those people a little more. Maybe it’s because I’m a little older. Maybe it’s because of the work I do in the community. Or maybe it’s because I’ve learned that almost everything worthwhile requires somebody willing to serve without expecting applause.
Somebody willing to stay late. Show up early. Solve problems. Sweep floors. Haul equipment. And do the work that nobody else sees (or wants to do).
The truth is, youth sports teach kids a lot of lessons.
Teamwork.
Discipline.
Perseverance.
Resilience.
But sometimes the adults are teaching lessons too.
Not with a whistle. Not with a clipboard. But through service. Through showing up. Through quietly giving their time and energy to something bigger than themselves.
And I think that’s worth noticing.
Because long after the final score is forgotten, kids remember who showed up.
The coach who invested in them.
The volunteer who encouraged them.
The parent who gave up weekends so they could play.
The community members who made opportunities possible.
Those people matter—probably more than they know.
So if you’re one of those volunteers reading this, thank you. Thank you for the hours nobody sees. Thank you for the work nobody applauds. Thank you for caring enough to keep showing up.
Because while athletes may play the games…Volunteers help make them possible.
And that’s how the ball really bounces. Until next week!
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.
