DECORAH, IOWA ~ Sometimes being part of a team has absolutely nothing to do with a scoreboard.
No goals.
No referees.
Not even a soccer ball.
On Thursday evening, members of the Luther College soccer teams traded the playing field for a different kind of team effort when they volunteered at Decorah’s Get-2-Gether Summer Celebration.
The free gathering, hosted by Decorah’s Get-2-Gether Committee and Decorah Parks & Recreation, welcomed adults with special needs to Whalen Cabin near Phelps Park for an evening of music, games, food and simply spending time together.
And helping make that evening happen were the college athletes.
The event included pizza from Mabe’s Pizza and frozen custard from Culver’s, while sponsors and community donations helped make it possible for participants to attend at no cost.
There is something worth noticing in that.
College athletics understandably gets measured in wins, losses, goals and seasons.
But sometimes the part that matters happens when nobody is keeping score.
A couple of hours spent helping with games.
Serving food.
Talking with someone.
Laughing.
Making sure another person feels included in what’s happening around them.
Those things won’t show up in a season record.
They still count.
The Get-2-Gether program creates recreational and social opportunities for adults with special needs, and Thursday’s celebration was one more opportunity for people to gather and enjoy an evening together.
And the Luther soccer players weren’t there because anybody needed them to kick a ball.
They were there because somebody needed volunteers.
Maybe that’s one of the better definitions of being a teammate anyway:
Showing up when there’s a place for you to help. ❤️
Deliverance Hope ~ News Feed Bucket | Word ’Round Town
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