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Editorial
Coaches competing on a different field to benefit students
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Some of the old rivalries may be gone, but that doesn't keep football coaches from Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas from competing every chance they can.
The National Mentoring Partnership has enlisted Bo Pelini of Nebraska, Bill Snyder of Kansas State, Turner Gill of Kansas, Paul Rhoads of Iowa State and Kirk Ferentz of Iowa in a friendly challenge to see which state can recruit the most new mentors.
The need is great. The partnership has identified 15 million youth in need of a mentor, including 25 right here in McCook, according to Darcey Hansen, coordinator of the local TeamMates Mentoring Program.
The winner of the Iowa/Nebraska Coaches Challenge will be announced during the Iowa vs. Nebraska football game, Nov. 25 in Lincoln, and the Iowa/Kansas winner will be announced during the Iowa State vs. Kansas State game Dec. 3 in Manhattan.
Nebraska's TeamMates mentoring program, founded by Tom and Nancy Osborne, is a mentoring program whose mission is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring.
According to Dr. Tom and Nancy Osborne, "Our young people face different challenges today that affect them personally. If we are going to make a difference, we have to get involved with them as one-to-one mentors. We thank you for your support and we know that one student at a time, we can make a difference, not only in this generation, but for the generations to come."
According to the TeamMates website, Tom and Nancy Osborne founded the TeamMates Mentoring Program in 1991 in an effort to provide support and encouragement to school aged youth. The goal of the program is to see youth graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education. To reach this goal, youth meet one hour per week with a caring adult who serves as a mentor. Mentors are volunteers from the community who have dedicated themselves to making a difference in the life of a young person. Mentors give youth a sense of hope, purpose and vision.
The TeamMates Mentoring Program provides a mentor for over 5,000 youth across Nebraska, Iowa, and California.
Its core values
Commitment to youth -- ... committed to serving youth with compassion and respect.
Safety -- The safety and protection of the mentee and mentor is first priority.
Integrity and Trust -- ... committed to integrity and trust in all relationships.
Inclusion -- ... committed to the inclusion of mentees and mentors from diverse backgrounds.
The group's vision is to serve 10,000 youth and be nationally recognized as the leading school-based mentoring program by 2015.
Mentors meet one hour per week at the school to provide support and encouragement to youth. There are 100 TeamMates Chapters across Nebraska, Iowa and California.
Besides McCook, there are TeamMates chapters in Arapahoe, Cambridge, Maywood and Medicine Valley. Visit teammates.org for more information.
Any new mentor application that is received between Aug. 1 and Nov. 21, 2011, will count toward the "score" of the respective state, with cumulative totals updated each month. By signing up to be a mentor, fans cannot only show pride in their state and team, but they can help improve the life of a child.