The Top Five Ways to Involve Yourself in Local Sports
Sports have been known to bring people together, whether it's through the sheer competition or the emotion of seeing your team succeed. Sports have helped people make friends that they'll keep forever and have brought families closer together.
Becoming involved in local sports can really make a change in a person's life, and you don't even have to be an athlete to do so. There are a number of ways you can become involved in local sports and experience the emotional boost sports can provide.
5. Watch - There are plenty of sporting events happening all around you, and not just in the major stadiums in your city. While these big, 
professional events are spectacular and fun to watch, you can experience sports on an entirely different level right in your own back yard. Every high school in your area has a number of spectator sports that happen almost year-round. Take your family to see a high school football or volleyball game in the fall, or catch a baseball game or track event in the spring. It may not provide the same fan experience as the NFL or MLB, but you'll be supporting local sports and your local community, not to mention spending some quality time with your family. Once you've been to a game, there are plenty of resources out there to help you continue to follow your local teams. There are sites like MaxPreps which list rankings and stats for high school sports across the country. Also, many newspapers have started a large, online prep sports section. Even if you can't find your high school teams in your morning edition, just fire up the computer, head to your local newspaper's website, and you should be able to find everything you need to follow your favorite teams.
4. Volunteer - Just about every sports team across the country could use a little help, and not just on the field. People are needed to assist youth and high school teams with things like working the concession stand, holding the chains during a football game or even working on the sports booster club. If you have the chance to be involved with one of your children's sports teams, take the opportunity. You'll have a great time, and it will make your kids happy to have you involved. Even if you don't have kids at home, local sports teams could still use your assistance, so get involved. One great way to do so is to volunteer with a disabled sports organization, and there are plenty in your local area. You can sign up to volunteer through the National Sports Center for the Disabled, a national organization geared at providing quality sports experiences to disabled people.
3. Officiate - Every sports league needs officials, from high school on down to pee wee. Becoming an official is a great way to become involved with one of your favorite sports as well as give back to your community. There are different rules for each level of your sport, so you'll have to get to know the rule book. You'll also have to pass a test to ensure you're well versed in these rules. Once you're ready, you'll be able to step onto the playing field of your favorite sport and make a difference. There are some great references out there that can help you learn a little more about officiating before you jump in. Check out the National Alliance for Youth Sports. They have a great program for training and support of youth officials.
2. Coach - One of the best ways to get involved in local sports, and in the lives of your kids, is to take a coaching position on a local youth sports team. Youth sports teams are always looking for coaches, and you don't have to be Vince Lombardi to take on a team. As long as you can give the kids a few pointers and make sure they have fun, you'll have done your job and probably had a little fun yourself in the process. Becoming a coach can change your life for the better. You'll be giving back to the community as well as bettering the lives of the youth around you, not to mention spending time enjoying your favorite sport. There are plenty of sport-specific websites out there that can help you get into coaching youth sports. Organizations like USA Football have great information for youth football coaches as well as handbooks and rules for the sport.
There are organizations like this out there for almost every sport:
Soccer - The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (www.nscaa.com)
Hockey - USA Hockey (www.usahockey.com)
Volleyball - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (www.avca.org)
Baseball - The American Baseball Coaches Association (www.abca.org)
Softball - The National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (www.nfca.org)
Basketball -The National Association of Basketball Coaches (www.nabc.org)
Women's Basketball - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (www.wbca.org)
1. Play - The absolute best way to get involved in local sports is to strap on some pads and go play. There are so many sports out there that you're bound to find one that you love to be involved with. There are beginner-level leagues for everyone in just about every sport. If you're interested in baseball or basketball, get out on the court and give it a shot. There are also sports like bowling which offer the team atmosphere with a lower level of physical activity, for people that can't get out and move around. There's a sport out there for everyone, you just need to find it. When you do, strap on the pads or pick up the ball and go play. You'll be glad you did. You can find national organizations for almost every sport that can help point you to a league in your area.
Football - The National Adult Flag Football Association (www.usclubsport.com)
Hockey - USA Adult Hockey (www.usahockey.com)
Soccer - The United States Adult Soccer Association (www.usasa.com)
Volleyball - The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (www.nirsa.org)
Baseball - The National Adult Baseball Association (www.dugout.org)
Softball - The National Softball Association (www.playnsa.com)
Basketball - The National Adult Basketball Association (www.nabahoops.com)