Doing My Part for the Community

For my community event I decided to do volunteer work.  The title of the volunteer work is called “Recess Buddies”.  This was not my first time doing this type of volunteer work, as I have done this activity almost every Friday of the first semester.  I would have continued to do it on a weekly basis through this second semester but my English 101 class goes right through the middle of it.  But lucky for me I was able to go one Friday due to the fact that our English class became optional for that day.  The job description of this event is to go to an elementary school near campus and play with the kids during their recess.  (This is an athlete only volunteer work event).

            Three other athletes and I walk to the front of the building not knowing what kind of day it would be with the kids.  I have done this many days before but we never have two days that are exactly the same.  As we reach the yard the kids are already at play, spread out across the entire playground, blacktop, and grass field area.  Just looking at the kids reminds me of my days at recess when I was a kid.  It was easily the best part of my day, just watching the clock tick, waiting for recess to begin.

            As us athletes begin to walk around kids begin to come up to us with curiosity.  They begin by asking us question after question about our respective sports.  This is nice and is quite humbling as many of these little kids look up to us athletes.  After the introductions we try to get some sort of game going with the kids, whether its basketball, football, or “chase” the athletes around the playground.  On this gorgeous afternoon we decided to play basketball because we happened to be on the court at the time.  We athletes begin by splitting up the kids into even groups.  As we break our teams huddle with a “team work” the ball is dropped into play.  The game quickly becomes a chase for the ball as the kids run up and down the court.  The kids do not exactly understand the rules of the game.  The only rule they follow is try and get the ball into the basket. So the kids pretty much excluded the traveling rule and dribbling the ball.  But our job as the athletes is to try and evenly spread the ball amongst our team to let everyone get an opportunity.  Throughout the game we stay positive and encourage the kids to keep trying even with failure.  As our game came to an end so did the recess period.  The kids were sent to their line up lines and were brought inside.  Our day was over, and it was time for a nap.

By: Matt Cotiguala

            

This picture is from Recess Buddies but from another day.