Coach a local sports team

“One day my son's football team coach either retired or just gave up (I can't remember which) and the club approached the parents for a volunteer to run the team. For some reason, I put my hand up and - hey presto! - I was a youth soccer coach! I tried to make my first training sessions fun and effective but they were hard work and not a little stressful. To be honest, I felt like giving up. But after taking an FA course, reading loads of books and manuals and checking out dozens of websites, I began to realise where I was going wrong. I made a few simple changes to the way I prepared and managed my football coaching sessions and straightaway they became more productive and enjoyable for everyone - including me!”

“On Saturday I finally (!) got out to the Little League baseball complex with my team for the first time this spring. This is the third year that I’ve managed a Little League team and it has become one of my favorite activities. It’s baseball. I’m outdoors getting some excercise (always a perk for the sedentary writer). I’m spending time with my older son. It’s another opportunity to work with kids and try to instill positive values while having fun at the same time. The first practice is always a bit awkward. Some people know almost everyone. Others don’t know anyone. Anyone who hasn’t had me as a manager is wondering what I’ll be like. I’m eager to learn names and assess initial skill sets as quickly as possible. I try to set a tone for the season and then put the players through as diverse a set of activities as I can squeeze in.”