Crimson and Gold Connection; Kevin Muff

Welcome to Crimson and Gold Connection, keeping you connected to the people and current events at Pittsburgh State University. Thanks for joining us for Crimson and Gold Connection. This is Trent Johnson. Today's guest is Pittsburgh State University men's head basketball coach Kevin Muff, as he talks about his contributions to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and starts out by giving us a little background of the organization. Well, Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization that was formed back in the early 1900s, actually. That didn't have that actual title that wasn't until I believe 1977. An organization that reached out in the early 1900s to the large number of immigrant children who came to America and needed assistance left on the street, abandoned by families. Maybe family members died and so we're basically on their own and there are two organizations. One was for boys and one was for girls, usually church-oriented, church-organized, but reached out to children who were in need of help.

I think that legacy has continued on to the current day and reaching out to children, maybe who aren't abandoned, but maybe don't have that particular role model in their life. Someone to turn to for entertainment reasons, someone to talk to can be simply as simple as that, but basically a way to reach young children who maybe don't have an adult role model in their life that whether it be an older or younger person being that particular mentor can reach out to that child and do activities with them, talk to them, those types of things. It's been an organization that's been around for a while. It's one that I have a very strong feelings for. I believe it's very important, especially in today's society, to have those kind of role models in your life. How do you think the time spent impacts not only the kids' lives, but the volunteers' lives as well? Exactly right, it's two-way street. Young kids benefit from it. Like I mentioned earlier, having activities, someone to spend time with, and I look back on my own childhood and remember times with my dad and my mom and my younger brother,

but the times that I remember the most are the times we just spent together. Doing activities, it could be being outside, going to movies, out to dinner, whatever it may be, but the time spent, someone to talk to, someone to share experiences with. So I think that's a big part of it, and being able to just be there for that person, that you don't have to have any special skill, special talent, be willing to give your time and be a good listener. What made you want to get involved with this organization? For me, it kind of touched me personally. My faith, I'm a Christian, and my faith is very, very important to me, and one of the things I really try to do with my faith is to be there and serve others. And I think that is what big brothers and big sisters is about, is reaching out and serving others. And anything I can do support an organization that believes that, especially young children who need positive influences in their life, I think it's something that's well worth while. And if you can reach out and talk to a young boy or a young girl, be there for them, I think that's down the road that's going to impact them to, from anywhere to not skipping

school or dropping out early to using alcohol or legal drugs, whatever it may be, I think you could have a positive influence in directing them the right way. How long have you been involved in, where did you kind of get your start in this? Well, I got my start when I got here at Pittsburgh State about five years ago, and I was aware of big brothers and big sisters actually did some fundraising events back in Concordia Kansas, whereas the junior college coach got involved with them there. And then when I got here, I was asked by the director to put on a basketball clinic for my players, and so on Saturday and October back in, would have been 2010. We got our players together, and they brought, I think it was about 20, 25 littles, they call them, little brothers, little sisters, and brought them into our gym, and we spent a couple of hours with them, had lunch with them afterwards. And from that experience, I just saw that, you know, my players could really have, you know, for whatever short amount of time it was, could really have a positive impact on these kids.

They seemed to bond, they were laughing, kiddin', having a good time together, they sat down and ate lunch together, and talked about, you know, things, anything from school to, you know, where our players came from, their home life, where they grew up, and shared stories and experiences, and I thought it was just a positive thing, so we've continued to carry on that clinic every year and been a very positive experience. Why is it important for an organization like this to have, say, volunteers from many different walks of life? Well, everybody's different. I mean, when you talk about children and adults, you know, everybody's experiences shapes them in a unique way, you know, I think there's not an outline or a perfect way to be a big brother, a big sister, I think sharing your experiences being honest and providing, you know, that you as an adult or a big, you know, you've had some experiences in your life where you weren't perfect, and everybody has their own struggles, everybody has their own hurts, everybody has positive experiences that are maybe always going to be a little

bit different from someone else, and perspectives are going to be a little bit different, and so I think learning to share those and a wide variety of experiences shapes an entire person, and so I think it's a positive thing. I have actually have a player on my team, Jake Bollard, his volunteering as a big, and he takes his little out to eat, was with him and at her basketball clinics been some time with him there, but I know he is, outside of basketball season is with him on a once a week basis, and it hasn't just been good for the little, it's been really good for Jake, and Jake has learned that responsibility and taken it very seriously and really, really enjoys his time with his little. What do you think the benefits are of volunteering your time instead of maybe just making a money donation to an organization? Well, I think, you know, one of our campaign slogans right now is go big or go home. We've partnered with a lot of the university's Kansas State, KU, Fort Hay State, along with Pittsburgh State, and challenging young adults, even high school age kids to get out and get involved.

I'm a big believer in time, and giving of your time, I think it carries more of a value than actual money. From a perspective that I take, I think being there is as important as giving, and I would much rather spend my time to see how my volunteer time work, efforts, et cetera, impact individuals or families or whatever organization is that I'm supporting, and I would, you know, give $100 and not really see, you know, the results of that money. I think it's, personally, it's more impactful when you directly affect a one person's life however many it may be, but I like to see the results of my effort. How do people become involved? Well, I think the best way is to become involved in any of the activities that big brothers big sisters have. I know they've had a campaign here on campus for students to get involved as bigs. I think that was actually back in September or October of this past couple months, and they'll continue to have those opportunities so you can contact big brothers big sisters. Another way is they have the bull for kids sake. It's a pretty popular fundraising opportunity, and they always do need help monetarily, and the bull for kids sake is nationwide.

Our current fundraising activity will be, I believe, it's in February towards the end of February, and we're doing it in coordination with one of our games here at home, one of our home basketball games, and so I'll be there and we'll have some of our players present as well, and so getting involved in that regard and doing a fun activity. And then you're free to contact me, I'll point you in the right direction, and there's many avenues and many ways to become involved in this very positive organization. For anyone who might be on the fence of volunteering, what's your advice to them? Well, I think the biggest thing is I can't, you know, and I do this with my own time, and when I look at volunteering for activities, I hate to get involved in something and then have something else come up where it may take me away, whether it's a job or a family obligation. I understand that, even if it's once every two weeks, this isn't a huge time commitment. I know that they look for, you know, two to three weeks a month or one day out of those two or three weeks a month, that they're looking for their volunteers to get in touch with their littles and spend some time with them.

It's really not a huge commitment of time, but nonetheless, it is very difficult to do and I think once you take that step, I think you'll see the positive benefits that you can have and the impact you can have on a young kid's life that makes any amount of time you spend so much positive and worthwhile. Is there anything that I've overpassed or anything that you'd just like to add? I just like to say that volunteering is something that can't cause some apprehension. When you can impact a young kid's life, and you may not see the results of that immediately, you may get some positive feedback, like I mentioned earlier, you may see some changes in that young person's life, but it's kind of so in that seed, planting that seed early and what you say and do now with that young, maybe the difference that it takes or that it makes in their future that changes their direction and they'll have a life where in turn they can give back and they may see the positive benefits from it and when they get older and they'll volunteer. I think it becomes cyclical and I think it can have a very positive impact on society.

Today's guest was Kevin Muff, headman's basketball coach at Pittsburgh State University. This is Trent Johnson. Join us for Crimson and Gold Connection, Wednesdays at 8.50 and Friday's at 350.