A natural occurrence whenever an annual event or activity doesn’t take place for any reason is that some of the people responsible for or involved in making it happen to decide not to return when it resumes.

“It’s the perfect timing for me to step aside and let someone else take over,” is a common reason. 

The same is going to happen in youth sports as we come out of this pandemic and get fully back into the way things were throughout organizations, leagues and teams. It won’t happen everywhere, but trust me, it will happen. 

Whether it’s board members, head coaches, assistants or team parents, positions that were previously filled by the same people year after year might all of a sudden be vacant. And don’t forget those people responsible for lining the fields, managing scorekeepers and making sure the hot dogs are cooked and the coffee is percolating in the concession stands.

As these volunteer positions open up, it might be your chance to take a turn and fill one. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment, but instead, your initial agreement could be just to serve in that capacity for one season. 

Usually, people like to fill positions that they enjoy doing. If you like to be in your kitchen, the concession stand is a natural place. If you have a green thumb, being on the grounds crew might be a great way to pitch in. And obviously, if you know the sport, there are usually always coaching positions available.

When the time comes to completely return to normalcy in youth sports, our kids deserve to have just that. It means, as it always has and always will, parents need to chip in to help, and for many, it might be for the first time. It might actually be a good thing that comes out of this pandemic – involving parents in roles they otherwise may have never volunteered to accept. And who knows - that one season might turn into two, three or maybe even more. 

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years with perspectives as a parent, coach and board member. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.