Want to Build Character Right Now? Teach this.

As the youth football season kicks off, right away we aim to highlight the key objectives for the year. Whether you’re a coach or a parent, character building is the important goal of this youth football season. Community service is one of the top activities that children will benefit from, besides of course the game of football itself. Character builder? Oh yes! To selflessly assist the elderly, the poor or the less fortunate will continue to build those bricks of character in young athletes.

If you pause to think– volunteerism is mightily common in youth football. Coaches volunteer their time on a daily basis and put forth great effort on and off the field.  Team moms, snack bar operators, field maintenance dads and others offer their time in various ways, with no pay. Remind your kids that you are volunteering for their benefit, this sort of community service is a great example for kids.

Today we present top reasons of why your kids should volunteer-

• Teaches values. There’s an importance to help others, which translates to feelings of usefulness.
• Understanding. Get to see first hand, some of the struggles that others less fortunate may have.
• Gain valuable experience. Develop a career path early.
• Self-enhancement, growth as a human being.
• Keep busy. Rather than play video games, this is a more productive hobby.
• Social experience, meet others with similar interests.
• Find inspiration within.
• Meet new friends.
• Team building initiatives. In fact, volunteering is similar to playing youth football in that there is a team (other volunteers) with a common goal to achieve. This presents another opportunity to be a part of a team. Get better at working with others.

Some points presented based on information from Clary and Snyder (1999). 

It is essential to remember that you, as a parent or coach, set the example. Tell us what you think about teaching your kids volunteerism in the comments below, or at our Facebook page.