April symbolizes many things-spring, Easter, Passover, and most importantly baseball! That’s right, this month major league baseball kicks off its 2012 regular season.  Baseball is a chance to enjoy the awesome weather that the spring and summer offer, but it’s also a time to enjoy some friendly competition; However, while baseball is one of many American’s favorite past time, it is also a unique opportunity to volunteer! While you may be wandering how volunteering and baseball are linked, surprise, surprise! We have already figured that out for you!

Here are 3 ways you can be an amazing baseball volunteer!

1. Put your strength to work! Baseball players are great athletes so why not use your strength to help someone? One day after practice or on an off day-volunteer! With the recent tornadoes and storms, you can gather your team and go help clean up communities that have succumbed to the recent disasters. Recently, a Harriburg, PA high school baseball team volunteered to clean up their communities. The team was in the area for a high school baseball showcase at Rent One Park in Marion and decided to stay and spend a portion of their spring break assisting victims of last month’s tornado. How cool is that? Of course, everyone hasn’t recently suffered a natural disaster, but I’m sure there are other ways for you and your team to volunteer in your communities!
2. Host a baseball camp!  Organize a baseball camp for the youth in the community to promote sportsmanship, fitness, and camaraderie and end the camp with a baseball game! You can also get your community leaders involved in the event by asking them to teach a session or mentor a youth during the camp! Events like the baseball camp really motivate students to work harder at sports and school and can play an especially important role for young people coming from difficult backgrounds or family situations. Sports can also help teach students responsibility, accountability, teamwork, a work ethic, and many other positive qualities including self-pride.
3. Become a little league volunteer! Whether you’re coaching a team, carpooling to ensure that another teammate gets to practice, or providing refreshments, you are vital to the team! As a parent volunteer, you have the opportunity to spend quality time with your child in a safe, fun-filled environment. Oftentimes, parent and child social lives parallel each other. Volunteering allows your life and your child’s life to intersect on common ground, with shared interests and goals. Similarly, if you are not a parent, volunteering to coach a baseball team allows you to mentor or provide leadership to a child. As a volunteer, you can teach intangible skills that will stick with the child for their entire lives.

There are so many fun and awesome ways to become a baseball volunteer, and if you’re already a baseball volunteer, GREAT! Keep up the good work and thank you!