Running Chadron REC rewarding for McLain

Tina McLain not only gives her time to the community through youth recreational sports but influences those around through her positive attitude and go-getter personality. She not only gained her degree in elementary, K-12 education from Mayville State University, SD, but did so while playing 4 years of volleyball, track, basketball, and 1 year of softball. She is a force to be reckoned with, managing youth tackle football, flag football, fall soccer, basketball, volleyball, and spring soccer. She does all this while substituting at school from time to time and supporting her children. 

Her schedule is very flexible, something she says is a benefit of having the job. Although she has time to get things done, her day to day schedule is very demanding. McLain referees soccer and basketball, makes schedules, lines up gym time, and finds people to help coach for over 150 teams across 6 different sports. 

McLain finds great joy from her influences in the REC community as she gets to watch kids from the time they are 6-8 years old until they are ready to graduate high school. She also gets to stay active in the community, helping out whenever she can. She believes there is a great importance in REC sports throughout the community. ¨Children have a chance to stay active in a world where technology is ruling everything,¨ says McLain. They can grow and develop into the person they will become in the future. Although her job is very rewarding she does find some struggles with being an influential woman in today's society. 

Cons come with every job, McLain says, some of the boys look at her differently because she is older. ¨They look at me like I do not know what I am talking about," said McLain. 

She is proud of the REC program she has built in Chadron, explaining that when she moved here each parent was in charge of a different sport. Everyone involved was ready to pass the job to someone else and also make the job more unified. McLain first took over soccer, then asked if she could start other sports. 

McLain says, ¨Sometimes I find it hard to get volunteers to help with coaching and most of the time rely on parents to help coach." 

Although Tina McLain´s job is challenging and sometimes stressful she finds joy in knowing she is helping her community and especially the younger generation. She finds her job rewarding as she watches kids grow up into adults right before her eyes.