Run! Don't Walk towards your next opportunity to serve your community.

When the opportunity came a little over five years ago to apply for the local high school's boys basketball coaching position, I knew that this was something I needed to do. Now don't get me wrong, I do love basketball. I was fortunate enough to play in college and I grew up at a successful high school where we won state 2 of the 4 years I was there. But I honestly never really saw myself as a coach and this was not one of my core goals in life.

This opportunity was different though. To me, this was about connecting with the community and finding a way to help make an impact. I believe that passions can open up pathways to amazing experiences where you can connect with others. Simply targeting your passions to impact people as much as you can is the key.

So when I applied for the high school coaching job in New Kent, I laid out a pretty detailed plan. I believe today much in the same way that I believed when I first started that this pathway was going to make a positive impact on this community.

I remember the times as a teenager when I was given the opportunity from my coach to teach and lead at our high school basketball camp. It was an experience I never forgot and was something I knew had to be core to this program in order for it to be successful.

So one of the goals we put into place early on was the decision to run a youth basketball camp for kids ages six to fourteen. It would be our fundraiser for the basketball program. It would be our way for the high school kids to get an opportunity to serve their community. It would be an avenue to build up the basketball program and share the core concepts that this unique sport can teach you about life.

Last week we finished our annual event with 147 kids in the camp. We had 20 high school kids volunteer along with 8 adults. We ran it Monday through Thursday from 9 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. We had a few local businesses donate ice cream and food and we were ultimately able to earn enough funds to purchase another shooting machine and continue to pay for multiple off season needs and in season items for the kids.

The camp has proven to be a place of happiness, growth and where friendships are formed. Each year it never fails that multiple kids in the camp will find a way to melt your heart and connect with you. That type of connection that no matter when you see them in the future, it is going to be greeted with a hug and smile.

I personally believe that the game of basketball can make the world a better place. The court has always been a sanctuary and the relationships formed on those courts bring you into a family and place of understanding unique to so many things in life. Trust, respect, empathy, understanding and cooperation are just a few of the key values you can learn.

This camp has been a great reminder that we are all human. We are all fighting loneliness. We all need a community to connect with. Within the lines of that court we are vulnerable and dependent on others. We are humanized and our inner character tends to be revealed and allowed to grow. It is the very thing that builds an individual, a group and ultimately a community.

I challenge each of you to find a way to volunteer in your community. Find a passion of yours and reach out to your local parks and rec or school and let them know you would love to help. Volunteering regularly is statistically proven to benefit you mentally, physically and emotionally. Those that volunteer find a sense of purpose. You will learn kindness, patience, and resilience. You will improve how you communicate and gain a wide variety of experiences that will help you navigate your future. Your life and just maybe someone else's will change.