Teammates honored at football game

TeamMate mentors and board members carry the organization sign as they are recognized at the October 16 football game.

TeamMate voluteers were recognized at the Falls City Tiger football game on Friday, October 16. The Falls City Public Schools are proud to be a chapter school of the TeamMates Mentoring Program for the past 10 years!

Former UNL head coach Tom Osborne and his wife Nancy took notice of how different the challenges that today’s youth faced compared to the ones they faced and their children faced growing up. Their response was to make a difference through mentoring today’s youth. In 1991, they teamed up 25 middle school boys in the Lincoln Public Schools with University of Nebraska football players. The Osbornes expanded the TeamMates Program through St Mark’s United Methodist Church and Lincoln Public Schools. In 1998, the Teammates Mentoring Program initiated a grassroots effort as an affiliate fund with the Nebraska Community Foundation. At that time, there were 441 mentors in 12 chapters.

Through the years this program continues to grow. TeamMates was identified by the W. K., Kellog Foundation as a “best practices” model for a school-based, one-to-one mentoring program. TeamMates made presentations in Kansas, Iowa, and Tennessee to expand the program to a national audience. There are currently over a dozen states who are considering starting the program. Today, in Nebraska, TeamMates includes over 80 chapters in 111 communities serving over 3,000 students.

Since this program got its beginnings with football, it seemed appropriate that the mentors, past and present, who have been a part of our local chapter were recognized at the last home football game of the 2009 season. Some of the mentors are unable to be here this evening due to the fact that they had scheduling conflicts, moved away, or passed away. Their names will not be omitted from the list.

TeamMate volunteers have included the following: Michael Ellis, Don Ferguson, Kristy Gerweck, Rob Gerweck, Kim Goff, Ed Harris, Tim Heckenlively, Diane Hinz, Gerald Hopp, Pam Huettner, Virginia Jones, Gayle Keller, Doug Kottich, Mary Little, Bob Martin, Bruce Merz, Gary Nelson, Elaine Ramer, Keith Richey, Al Romine, Barb Sailors, Randy Sailors, Gina Scheitel, Kevin Scheitel, Charlene Schuetz, Jim Sefried, Kenny Simpson, Brian Thomas, and Steve Wainwright.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or know someone who would be interested in mentoring, contact one of the board members: Sara Barker, Gayle Dunkhas, Don Hogue, Terri Hogue, Rick Johnson, JoAnn Koso, Roger Lampe, and Marie Parsons. The Falls City TeamMates Coordinator is Linnette Fankhauser.