It’s funny how the universe — and moms — seem to surface just what we need before we know we need it. Backyard Sports Cares volunteer peer mentor, Alec Greenwald, talks to us about his surprising experience working with special needs children and teens participating in BYSC Plus Program.
WATCH our interview with BYSC teen volunteer and peer mentor, Alec Greenwald
“One of my friends who’s also a “Red Shirt” had been volunteering with BYSC for one season. His mom got together with my mom and told her how great the program was and that she should check it out. So, in truth, I didn’t find my way here by choice. My mom enthusiastically suggested it, but what came after that is what really counts, because my experiences with the kids are what made me stay.”
“Sometimes there are really hard days, where all the player wants to do is run away from you or not kick the soccer ball. I’ve learned that those days, despite the challenge, offer the greatest reward. Knowing what you did for that kid at the end — watching them finally kick the ball, watching as they go back to their parents with a smile on their face…even the smile on their parents’ faces, is just incredible.” — Alec Greenwald, Scarsdale High School Senior, and BYSC “Red Shirt” volunteer
*BYSC Red Shirt volunteers are generally experienced high school seniors who have been with the Backyard Sports Cares teen volunteer/peer mentor program for more than one year. As such, they take on greater responsibility in their role as peer mentors to the disadvantaged or special needs kids and teens that they work with.
