Melanie (far left) with her doubles partners

Volunteering at StreetSquash wasn’t my idea. Until last year, the only volunteer work I did was at a not-for-profit that records books for the blind. My work there is quality control — listening to recordings and flagging errors that require rerecording. It’s quiet, contemplative work, with only the occasional interruption to ask a question or chat with another volunteer. Kind of the opposite of volunteering at a kids’ after-school program, right?

Maybe you’ve heard the old adage that sometimes it’s good to do something outside of your comfort zone. Until I started volunteering at StreetSquash, I fulfilled that comfort zone challenge in very small ways, like buying generic moisturizer or wearing squash shoes that weren’t black.

Then one evening last fall, I attended a StreetSquash community clinic, run by one of their pros, Joanne Schickerling. She asked if I’d be interested in volunteering, which meant hitting with some of the after-school kids once or twice a week and/or tutoring. I’ve been playing squash, on and off, for more than 20 years. Through this very fun sport, I’ve met people from all over the world, made a few lifelong friends (even if they don’t know it), and managed to stay relatively in shape, while having a pretty good time. But one thing I’ve never done is hit with kids young enough to be my children (if I had any) or maybe even my grandchildren (but who’s counting?).

So why did I decide to volunteer? Well, I try to do everything Joanne suggests. She’s a really good coach, which she demonstrates regularly, helping adults improve their serves, coaching competitive teams, or just teaching absolute beginners the basics of the game. And she’s not alone. There are really great players there, who work and teach and mentor, and do it with a seemingly endless supply of patience. So, when Joanne said that I could be of help, I decided to step out of the aforementioned comfort zone and try it. And I’m glad I did. I’ve been volunteering now for about seven months and look forward to hitting the one-year mark.

There were plenty of reasons not to volunteer at StreetSquash: I don’t have kids, so don’t know how to deal with them. I’m not the most patient person in the room. I don’t like loud noises. I tend to stay away from crowds. I’m an older woman from the Upper West Side, so what could I possibly have in common with a bunch of kids from Harlem? The answer? Squash.

It’s fun hitting with these kids, helping them get the hang of a sport that isn’t immediately easy for most people. It’s rewarding to see some of these kids get better in just a few months. It’s awe-inspiring to see just how good some of them become, competing in national tournaments and, in some cases, earning college scholarships.

I like being a part of an organization that can help that happen, even if I’m just a really small part of it. I only volunteer for about two to four hours a week, but I always get a warm welcome and lots of fist bumps from the coaches and staff. I’ve had a few tough afternoons, when I wondered if what I was saying and doing was getting through to any of the kids. But the coaches are always there to talk me down, teach me, and encourage me. Friends who are parents have also given me advice about dealing with kids, but I just ignore them. Who says we can’t learn from our students?

Finally, every once in a while, one of those StreetSquash kids smiles at me and says hi. I’m pretty comfortable with that.