TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — With winter youth sports just weeks away, city officials are looking for more community members to step up and coach the next generation of athletes.
- Over 150 soccer teams and nearly 80 basketball teams are expected to compete this season.
- Volunteer coaches are still needed to ensure a smooth season for the kids.
- Watch the video below to see why volunteer coaches say the job is so important.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Winter sports are almost here in Tallahassee, and while hundreds of kids are already signed up, the Parks and Rec Department says they still need more helping hands on the sidelines.
This season, the city is preparing for over 150 soccer teams and close to 80 basketball teams, a big turnout for recreational winter sports in Tallahassee.
But to help keep things running smoothly, Parks and Rec is looking for volunteer coaches.
Cindy Mead, the Operations Manager for the Tallahassee Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Affairs Department, said, "I think it's the most important thing a parent can do, or just a volunteer in the community can do, is to come and give back to the kids. You get so much out of coaching these kids and teaching them lifelong lessons of sportsmanship and how to work with a team."
Mead says it takes hundreds of volunteers to run the season. Even if you've never coached before, the department offers support throughout the season.
"Our staff will help them with practice schedules and practice plans; we just need somebody to take the reins and go with it," Cindy added.
One of those coaches who has taken the reins this fall for tackle football is Zyon Dawson. He says opportunities like this can impact young people's lives for the better.
"We are like father figures. We're like big brothers. However you wanna call it, we are all that to them. That's why I coach... It's like you look back on it and be like, 'He taught me this, he taught me that.' And it's just lessons being learned throughout life, you know. They're teaching us as well. It's just a circle of life moment," Dawson said.
Registration for winter sports like basketball and soccer ends on October 22 for both players and coaches who would like to volunteer.
To learn more, visit the Parks and Rec website: https://www.talgov.com/parks/sports
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