Have you ever wondered why community service – also knowns as volunteering – Is a mandatory part of high school here in Ontario? Or why it counts as work experience on a resumé? Taking the time, your time, to volunteer supports and promotes vital resources in your community. Without volunteer power, there are a lot of things that just wouldn’t work in your hometown, if you think about it: sports teams, after school clubs, school field trips, fundraisers, food banks, the library, animal shelters, community centres, and festivals, just to name a few. The world needs volunteers!
But what’s in it for you? You don’t get paid, and you give up some of your precious free time, something athletes value because it’s hard to come by during competition season!
One of the best things to get from your volunteer experience is to meet new people. In the corporate world they call it networking, but in the volunteer world, you often get to call them friends! The people you meet while you volunteer can 
offer you new friendships that you might never had otherwise. You can also make excellent references, which further boosts your resumé when you’re applying for a job, and sometimes even for school.
You can gain a lot of work experience as a volunteer! You can put that on your resume, but also it can allow you to try out a job you are interested in but don’t know if it’s a good fit for you. Usually, when we hear about volunteering, we think about hauling chairs and tables for an event. But you can volunteer and get experience with: cash register/payment processing, data entry and analysis, audio and video set up, social media marketing, child care, customer service, project planning, photography, event planning, lesson planning, animal welfare, teaching, and more!
Help someone who needs it, just because you can. Giving back just really feels good. That’s what community service truly is: you’re doing your part to help make your neighbourhood, city, sports team, or school a happy, nurturing, place for your family and friends, neighbours, and the people you don’t know but see in the grocery store! Once you find a volunteer position that you like, you will very quickly see what a difference your small part makes in someone’s life, and how good that makes you feel, too.
Finally, volunteering builds character! You might feel a little bit nervous going somewhere new and meeting new people and working on something you’ve never done before. And that’s okay! It’s not always going to be easy, but you will learn amazing problem-solving skills that you can use forever. And you’re already bringing with you an incredible list of skills to your position, adding more to that makes you even stronger!
Not sure where to start your volunteering journey? Talk to your coaches, your teammates, and of course your family for suggestions. You will be amazed at all of the different organizations that your circle of friends is already involved in!
Cheer Sport Sharks cheerleading programming is internationally recognized for providing athletes with exceptional training: the skills our athletes learn are ones they keep for life! Check out our competitive and recreational programs online), or call us at (1) 888-25-CHEER for more information.
