Finding participants for Great Bend Recreation Commission sports programs is not usually difficult.

Sometimes, though, finding volunteers to coach in those programs can be a little more challenging.

But, says Great Bend Recreation Commission Sports Director Chris Umprhres, those volunteer coaches are a crucial part of the rec sports programs.

“They mean a lot to us,” Umphres said, “Not only are they parents or siblings (of the participants), they are other people in the community that get involved and show support for these youth growing along the way.

“(The programs) wouldn’t run without them.”

At Monday’s GBRC board meeting, Umphres reported the Rec is still looking for coaches for its indoor soccer programs scheduled to begin in February, and coaches are needed year-round for the other sports programs, as well. 

In encouraging people to get involved, he noted the experience offers rewards for both the coaches and the youth.

One of the most important, he said, is the opportunity for coaches and players to forge relationships.

“Those relationships are big,” Umphres said. “There’s definitely a mentorship there. (The kids) enjoy going to the practices and the games, they look forward to that stuff, and these volunteer coaches are a part of their lives.”

But, he said, the reasons that keep most people from volunteering usually are not true.

One, Umphres said, is the idea that a person has to know a lot about a sport to coach the rec programs.

When individuals volunteer as coaches, he said, GBRC provides the training sessions, materials and practice plans to equip them to coach the sport at the rec level.

And, he said, volunteering can be as valuable a learning experience for a novice coach as it is for the players.

“(When) they jump in there and get involved, they (can) come out learning more about the sport from some of the kids that are playing. Some of the kids know a lot, and can teach the coaches different things,” Umphres said.

The life lessons, too, that come from rec sports are invaluable for coaches and players alike.

“Kids and coaches need to learn how to follow directions; you need to learn how to work well with others,” he said.

Adults who get involved, even if they don’t have kids of their own in the program, are crucial for setting a positive example for the youth regarding the importance of physical activity.

“It builds eye-hand eye coordination and it builds social skills,” Umprhres said. “They get to be with peers and get to meet other kids from other schools. Those are all big things that these kids need as they grow into adults.”

One other major hurdle to getting volunteer coaches involved is the concern over too much time commitment. But it’s a lot less than people think, he said.

The average time commitment, he said is two to four hours a week over the course of seasons that usually last about two months, a commitment he feels is manageable for most people.

Plus, he said, GBRC allows coaches to set flexible practice times in order to fit in with the coaches’ schedules.

“If Mondays and Thursdays work for you, then you get to pick Mondays and Thursdays. If you can’t do a certain day, then they won’t pick that day. So there’s a lot of flexibility when you are the coach of the team,” he said.

Once the season starts, the practices usually last about an hour, usually one or two times a week, or two to three times a week in the preseason.

Even age, he said, should not deter volunteers from stepping up.

While head coaches need to be at least 18 years or older, youth 16 years and up can function as assistant coaches for youth teams.

“We have kids from the college that come out; we have high school kids that are doing that for community service, for community involvement.” Umphres said. “We have a wide range of people get involved.”

Coaching is not the only way for individuals to get involved, he said. GBRC is always looking for individuals to serve as officials and scorekeepers, as well. Those are actually paid positions by the GBRC, and can be a valuable first work experience for high school age individuals.

“A lot of those kids enjoy doing that,” he said.

For those who want to get involved, he said, it is easy to do, and there are several different ages and sports available for volunteers to coach.

The youth sports programs GBRC offers at different times of the year are volleyball, outdoor soccer and flag football in the fall, basketball in the winter, indoor soccer in the spring, and tee ball, baseball, and softball in the summer. The ages range from kindergarten through sixth grade.

Potential volunteers can either reach out to Athletic Recreation Supervisor Aaron Fuller at 620-793-3755, ext. 118, or they can simply stop by the Rec Center at 1214 Stone St., go to the front desk and get the information they need to begin.

Great Bend Recreation Commission At A Glance

Here’s a quick look at what the Great Bend Recreation Commission Board did on Monday afternoon, Jan. 13:

• The Rec Commission board elected new officers for a one year term for 2020. Those officers were President Bruce Hoefeling, Vice-President Andrea Bauer, and Secretary James Newman.

•  The board approved the monthly board meeting calendar for 2020 and reviewed the Annual Conflict of Interest Disclosure forms required for all GBRC employees and board members.

• The board approved a change order in the amount of $1,476 for the purchase of four additional computer monitors from ISG Technology for dual monitor configuration approved Dec. 9, 2019. The total contract sum, including the change order, is now $5,535.

• The board approved a change order in the amount of $548 for the purchase of outfield fencing panels from Eldridge Fencing Inc., originally approved Nov. 12, 2019. The change order is for the purpose of having the top rail of the fence painted bright yellow. The new total amount, including change order, is $10,012.85.

• The board approved funding for an SQL server upgrade by ISG Technolgy for the purpose of migrating the accounting server to a new virtual server scheduled in March 2020 to bring the operating system and infrastructure up to requirements for Microsoft Dynamics and SQL server. The total amount approved was $11,624.

• The board approved a sponsorship for the City of Great Bend’s 2020 Fourth of July Fireworks Display.

• Enrichment and Aquatic Director Megan Hammeke reported on Dec. 2019 and Jan. 2020 special needs and senior activities. She advised there will be no special needs bowling Jan. 28 due to a Great Bend High School home bowling meet, and that no other special needs activities will take place for the remainder of January while they prepare for spring activities.

• Sports director Chris Umphres reported on the progress of youth and adult winter sports programs. Registrations are still being accepted for all spring sports programs with practices beginning in early February. 

• Enrichment/Activity Center Director Garet Fitzpatrick reported on upcoming Stop and Learn sessions, fitness classes, and after-school programs. After-school programs will start back up the week of Feb. 3 at the school sites, along with pre-school, family and adult classes at the Carl Soden Rec Center and Activity Center. These programs will run through the end of April.

• Executive director Diann Henderson reported total Rec Commission participation for December 2019 was 9,015, including 2,345 spectators; 3,481 people were enrolled in programs sponsored by the recreation commission.