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Apr, 2019

What Happened to the Volunteer State?

Tennessee’s nickname is the Volunteer State. The University of Tennessee sports teams are known as the Tennessee Volunteers. It’s on our license plates, our state welcome signs, just about anywhere we look. The nickname reportedly heralds back to the War of 1812 because of a prominent role played by volunteer Tennessee soldiers.

But, I think we need to change the nickname due to the total lack of volunteer spirit. I have been a volunteer with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) for 22 years. Loudon County AYSO (Region 325) started in 1981, 38 years ago. However, our upcoming spring soccer season may be the last, the program is struggling due to a lack of volunteers. Parents are willing to shell out their hard‑earned money to let their kids play soccer, but few are willing to volunteer their precious time to get involved.

Our current regional board consists of a very small core of volunteers that have been remained long beyond their children’s involvement. My own daughter has not played in over 14 years, but I keep on volunteering. The most important position on our board is our Regional Commissioner. Regional Commissioners usually serve a three‑year term. Our current commissioner has served in that role for over 12 years, and served as a coach for many years before that. This will be her last season. And, since no one has been willing to step up to take over, it may signal the end of AYSO in Loudon County.

I know we all have many demands on our time, and everyone has their reasons for not getting involved (job demands, multiple kids/multiple sports, aging parents, etc). But, AYSO is an all‑volunteer organization. By our organizational charter, we cannot pay our board, pay our coaches, or pay our referees. Their only payment is the smiles on the children’s’ faces and maybe an occasional heartfelt “Thank you”. So, we need a new state motto, as the volunteering spirit is dead.

Lori Melroy