Org. 6 – Sokol

This organization is very dear to me. I have been part of this group on and off for the past 29 years. I took classes from 6th grade through high school and then became an assistant, an instructor, an author, and a women’s director. This organization has been around for over 150 years, starting in Czechoslovakia and then moving to the U.S. It started as a men’s fitness training group and then expanded in to family. This comes from the Sokol website: Well into its second century, American Sokol remains an organization dedicated to the physical, mental, and cultural advancement of its members, the youth and adults that attend its programs, and the local communities we serve. The mission of the American Sokol is to provide fitness and community for individuals and families through physical, educational, cultural and social programs. There are currently 35 American Sokol units, or clubs, operating in North America. For 145 years in the United States, American Sokol has been shaping the lives of Olympians, Diplomats, Artists, Athletes, and most importantly, the families in the communities in which we serve. For the past 4 years my brother and I have coached junior girls, these are the girls from 12 to 18. We coach them in gymnastics, track and field, and mass calisthenics. I have grown very attached to these girls. For this volunteer shift I spent 11 hours assisting at a gymnastics meet/fundraiser helping to move equipment, be a go-between for the coaches and the directors, and as an announcer.

Sokol has become like my second family.