[wskemper]

Until recently, I volunteered as a coach for my local school district's Science Olympiad, in the middle school division. My first year they asked me to work with one of the aviation events. I'd never really had an interest in flight, and certainly not to the extent that I could teach others about it.

First lesson: middle schoolers (think 11 - 14 years old) will test your patience in new and completely unimagined ways, if you don't have kids of your own. They will also surprise you in a bunch of wonderful ways too. I had to learn how to corral their attention, navigate their relationships with each other, and motivate them to actually get stuff done. Turns out it was great training for being a supervisor later on :)

Second lesson: I had to learn about flight, more than I'd ever before, and figure out how to teach it. I don't think I did this very well, to be honest, but five years after graduating school it was nice to teach myself something that wasn't tech-related.

Final lesson: I had to learn to accept there were things I could not fix. As an engineer and inveterate tinkerer, this is hard for me to come to terms with. Even in the affluent area I lived in, and with kids who had all volunteered for this after-school activity, we had kids with serious home issues, kids whose friends were dealing with hard personal problems, and at least one violent outburst. I saw the kids for ninety minutes a week; the best I could do was make a welcoming and safe environment for them. That has never really sat well with me.

My job changed, and now I travel too much to coach anymore. It's my biggest regret about the change. I miss working with those kids.

[clairity]

yes, coaching (and teaching in general) has great bang for the buck and tends to return as much as you give. it helps to have a good understanding of the subject (not necessarily expertise), but if not, in many cases, you can (re-)teach yourself the subject a little ahead of the students.

but the more important lessons come from learning how to manage a team. managing (much less leading) is hard. it develops your empathy muscles. it forces you to be nimble and creative. you'll feel a sense of failure and accomplishment at the same time. but children are so forgiving and watching them learn and grow fills you with a sense of pride (i volunteer coach basketball and i love it).

this sense of pride and self-esteem is a hidden benefit that not many people talk about since it seems so selfish, but it's real benefit to consider.

[ethbro]

> the best I could do was make a welcoming and safe environment for them. That has never really sat well with me

As a child of a kindergarten teacher, this is the constant truth that both breaks every teacher's heart and motivates them to try harder every day.

Title I schools are tougher. Kids who get themselves up and to school, if they come at all. Kids without access to clean clothes. Kids who don't have access to a solid meal outside of school breakfast / lunches.

I can't find a link offhand, but I know I read that some school districts around the country are beginning to co-locate social service points of presence in community schools to good effect.