I never really felt like community service was a beneficial way of utilizing my time. I honestly found it to be nothing nut a waste of time. Some might call my mindset egocentric, for I really had no interest in helping my community. I was more cautious of my family’s wellbeing above anything else. My first volunteer work was at St. Mary’s Food Bank. I was in eighth grade and I really was reluctant to go to work. After two hours working there I felt to have a sensation in my heart, the thumping feeling and the eerie feeling in my hart gradually increased. , but it was just the amazement of what I had accomplished that made me feel this way. I’m glad the ocelots from Palo Verde middle school took me to this trip for it changed my mentality of volunteering for a good cause. This excursion has encouraged me to further pursue volunteer work elsewhere. I recently went to a meeting at the YMCA, for they were in need of coaches. Since my last encounter with community service was so far back I did not know how my help to my municipal would take a toll on me.
My face pale with anticipation I prepared myself for the countless days to come. Did I make a wise decision, I said to myself, and what would fate decide of what the outcome of my choice would bring me.


Bravely and valiantly I stopped worrying, and took incentive of my task at hand; teach soccer to the younger generation of today. Regardless of my sweaty palms I disregarded it and stopped pondering of how the children would react to a new individual, I continued on. In contrast I did have a wonderful opportunity to do what I love to do and share my knowledge to the kids of today. At the first day of practice I met the head coach of the Sharks, Martha. I was spectacle but I got a warm welcome by the kids; as if my mother had given me a warm snuggie to wrap around on a cold winters day.


Since I have been working with them for about three weeks now I really have grown quite attached to my team and it feels enriching to work with these youngsters every day. I love the look in the eyes of the children before we start we start practice, for it makes me feel that I am building their soccer skills as well as a bond that I hold very dear. One kid in particular never ceases to amaze me. Bryan, our head striker, has asthma and has breathing problems, yet that doesn’t stop him from trying his heart out every day in practice as well as in the games. I am very awe struck by this child in particular for this reason to think of how some kids struggle to do something they love and the challenges they have to endure so they can achieve this. Working with these kids has built a sense of pride in my being as well as a sense of being a caregiver.


The parents that are at the practices always seem to be enthusiastic to see their children play and “keep moving forward.” I at times during practice have conversations with some parents and they all usually tell me the same announcement “thank you very much for giving our children this opportunity.” I at first took this job to earn my hours for my school work, but its easy to say that I will continue to teach these kids everything I know to make them successful. The best thing about coaching in my experience is that of watching how my training shows its true colors during a soccer game. The crowd yelling, people going wild with every chance at goal, the kids cheering their teammates as they play. That’s what I have come to admire in this experience.


Truly in all its glory, community service is a life changing experience. I cannot start to explain of how community service teaches me characteristics about myself. The sense of joy that it brings to me is amazing. Looking back on that day in eight grade I really did not know why I had that outlook, but the matter of fact is that community service is great and it really changes lives as well as my own. Doing community service is like eating at a native restaurant, after getting over the skepticism at the location an individual can support their, neighborhood, the business, and themselves..