Owen Zerbib is a junior at Mamaroneck High School. He has been volunteering with Backyard Sports Cares for three years in a variety of ways including two summers at Camp Shape, (BYSC’s summer camp in New Rochelle), at the Boys and Girls Club of Mount Vernon and at YCOP (Youth Community Outreach Program).
What makes working at Backyard Sports Cares special?
A lot of times you can be working as a volunteer and you really can’t be sure you are making a difference. But when you work at Backyard Sports Cares, you really do know you are making a difference because you can see the joy that you are bringing to these kids. It’s not hidden. They express it when you walk into the gym. There literally is cheering. It’s special, and you just don’t get that at other places.
What would you tell a friend if they asked you whether they should volunteer at Backyard Sports Cares?
I’d tell them there is nothing you won’t like about volunteering at Backyard Sports Cares. I’d also tell them there is nothing about it that won’t make them want to do it again. The other great thing is that you get really connected to the kids and the work. You can see that you are making a positive impact by making the kids happy. It also makes me happy in a way, and while that’s not the point, it’s a pretty good part of it.
You volunteer as a tennis coach at Camp Shape where campers pay a nominal amount for the four week camp and approximately 40 percent of the children are on full or partial scholarship. Talk about your experience at Camp Shape.
My favorite part of Camp Shape is that it is a really diverse community in a way that you don’t see in a lot of other places. You have kids from all different backgrounds and all different skill levels. And it’s particularly great with tennis which has a history of being an exclusive sport which generally is not available to everyone. But Camp Shape changes that stereotype and offers tennis to all kids of all levels and all backgrounds. They all start at different levels, but by the end of the summer, since they are kids and they are young, they all end up somewhere around each other in terms of skill levels. And that’s really nice to see.
What impact do you think working at Backyard Sports Cares has had on you as an individual?
It has made me a stronger communicator. Before I started working at Backyard Sports Cares, I didn’t know how important that was, but now I know. A lot of times working as a volunteer, I encounter kids that don’t speak English or are athletes with special needs and there can be difficulty communicating. But my experience at Backyard Sports Cares has shown me how important it is not only with the whole group, but with every individual to make sure everyone’s needs are being met.
