Susan Cooper, an educator from Boca Raton, Florida, contributes greatly to the South Florida community in volunteering and philanthropy. In addition to being involved in tutoring students with her office Volunteer Tutors, Susan Cooper coaches girls’ basketball and soccer teams.

The benefits of coaching youth sports are plentiful for the adult volunteer. One of the main benefits of coaching is having the opportunity to facilitate the child’s development. According to the Aspen Institute, children participating in sports achieve higher test scores and are more likely to attend college. Moreover, the coach gets to watch the child’s progression as they leave team sports and develop into adulthood.

Coaching can even help the adult mature because working with children requires a lot of patience. Effective coaches must avoid losing their tempers or becoming angry to avoid alienating the children on the team. Instead, coaching teaches a person how to remain calm and in control, even in the middle of a million irritations.

Finally, coaching allows the person to develop long-lasting relationships with the community. Little league sports are a tradition in some communities, often galvanizing residents around games. In the course of coaching the team, the coach interacts with parents and other community members.