Recognizing the significant contribution coaches make in the life of children who participate in organized sports and supporting the goals and ideals of National Coaches Appreciation Week.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill that I introduced on the very first day of this session of Congress, House Resolution 6, a resolution which recognizes this week, September 13 through 19, as National Coaches Appreciation Week.

The narrative of the American coach is a powerful testament to the role that volunteerism has played in shaping our country. The passage of H. Res. 6 will build upon this and add another layer of support to those countless individuals and families who give of their time voluntarily to encourage, work with and support our Nation and its young people, as well as time to hold practices, organize games and rally interests within their communities.

I started the Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports in 2006 in order to shift the focus of our youth sports culture. There had been a report card done on the attitudes of many toward youth sports and toward the umpires, the referees and the coaches, and the bad language and the ugly fights that were occurring and the way people were putting down those who took time to work with our young people.

This is a chance for us to emphasize powerful values that we all want for our families and our communities; opportunities not only to emphasize things like sportsmanship, but also what goes along with sportsmanship, those concepts of teamwork, of civility, of respect, of discipline, of loyalty and of learning how to graciously accept the victories and the defeats that we all may face in life from time to time.

As a result, I've also had the benefit of meeting with other youth sports organizations from all over this country that are doing wonderful work, trying not to start another government program but to work with the programs that are already working in our communities across this Nation.

Every afternoon, including this afternoon, there will be young people after school, hurrying out to football fields, soccer fields, tennis courts and other venues to get ready, to practice for their games this weekend. There will be all kinds of recreational activities going on, and we need to be supporting those parents, those families and those volunteer coaches who are out there giving of their time to help support our young people.

This isn't about reform or reinventing the wheel. It's about simply recognizing these contributions, honoring them, and then providing the tools and the resources to help them do well what they're already doing and for which we are grateful.

I would also like to thank our caucus cochairman, Jim Jordan from Ohio, for his work on this, and a fellow Congressman from North Carolina, Heath Shuler, who chairs the Professional Sports Caucus, because they too have been supportive of this effort.

I remember, as many of you probably do, having the influence of sports in my life. My father, Dr. Douglas McIntyre of Lumberton, North Carolina, coached me growing up, and I've had the same privilege to coach my sons Joshua and Stephen and, in fact, over 130 other young people in three different sports over 7 years who only knew me as Coach McIntyre.

I had the opportunity to work with them, to encourage them, to build their self-esteem as well as the other practical benefits of sports not only in character but physical fitness and fighting obesity and a healthier lifestyle. And by working with three all-American, drug-free teams that I coached, they also learned the dangers of getting involved in activities that can only hurt and not help your self-image and your physical well-being.

We all know of coaches who have helped a player make a tough decision, pushed a player to achieve things they never thought possible, and shaped their sense of integrity, character and discipline that now propels them to the successes that they can accomplish today and tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 6 and honor National Coaches Appreciation Week; and in doing so, colleagues, you are supporting and recognizing a vital part of our country's culture and ensuring that our Nation's youth have access to role models who can put them on the path to achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 6) recognizing the significant contribution coaches make in the life of children who participate in organized sports and supporting the goals and ideals of National Coaches Appreciation Week.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 6 into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 6, which recognizes the immeasurable contributions coaches make in the lives of children who participate in organized sports. This week, our Nation will honor adults who volunteer their time to coach our Nation's young with National Coaches Appreciation Week.

Approximately 42 million American children participate in organized sports each year. Youth sports, along with coaches, help fight childhood obesity, increase player self-esteem, develop leadership skills, and create opportunities for children to explore their passion. Participation in sports also develops discipline and fosters positive peer bonding, which helps keep students engaged in school. Because of their involvement with sports, many young athletes develop a lifelong commitment to exercise and well-being.

The benefits of sports participation cannot be overstated. High school students who participate in athletics are more likely to have a healthy mind and body.

Specifically, girls who play sports have better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to girls who do not participate in athletic activities. The risk of breast cancer, osteoporosis and obesity are also reduced with as few as 4 hours of exercise a week.

In addition to the many physical benefits of youth sports, coaches help athletes overcome personal challenges. The presence of a coach helps keep students engaged and provides alterative support systems that can help children stay away from mischief.

To acknowledge some of the dedication and hard work our youth sports coaches offer to children, the National Alliance for Youth Sports created a Coach of the Year award. This is a very prestigious national award that is given to an individual who is committed to the development of children. Last year's winner, Clarence McQueen, demonstrated his commitment to children by coaching basketball, baseball and flag football while teaching the benefits of teamwork, trust and hard work.

Today, more than 20 million children in the United States lack the opportunity to participate in organized sports due, in part, to the lack of available coaches. We must continue to encourage adults to volunteer and commit time to youth sports, as this resolution suggests.

Mr. Speaker, once again I want to express my support for this resolution, and I thank Representative McIntyre for bringing this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), for 5 minutes.

(Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I want to again express my support for this resolution, and I ask my colleagues to vote in favor of the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 6 to recognize the significant contribution coaches make in the life of children who participate in organized sports and to support the goals and ideals of National Coaches Appreciation Week. Our coaches deserve to be honored for the work they put forth in developing the young minds of tomorrows leaders. Coaches have long served as the backbone of youth sports, nurturing generations of minds, bodies and souls.

H. Res. 6 applauds the ongoing effort of our coaches who put in extra time and effort to make the difference in the lives of our children; coaches are a vital part of organized youth sports. Their efforts welcome approximately 42 million American children to participate in organized sports each year. However, 20 million children here in the United States are unable to participate in organized sports, in part due to an insufficient number of coaches. A national effort to promote coaching is needed to increase the number of adults serving as coaches in organized sports.

The Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports will educate Members of Congress, the Media, and the Public on the need to restore a child- centered focus in youth sports that will produce immeasurable positive benefits for the well-being and character development of children. Sports and coaches help children fight obesity, increase their self- esteem, learn leadership skills, and discover how to incorporate the values of sports into other aspects of their daily lives. Children need adults who will believe in them and leaders who give children the support they need to be a success. Coaches can positively impact the physical, emotional, and educational life of children. According to Paul Caccamo, President of Up2Us, a national coalition that seeks to increase the impact of and access to youth sports as a tool for positive youth development, ``Young people who play sports are higher achievers.'' He also said that ``They are more likely to attend college, land jobs with more responsibility and greater pay, and less apt to fall to drug and alcohol abuse. With dropout rates and gang activity on the rise in our urban cities, we cannot afford to stand by when we know there's an alternative. National Coach Appreciation Week recognizes the men and women who have dedicated their time to give our children better, brighter futures.''

Not only will National Coach Appreciation Week recognize the men and women who have dedicated their time to give our children better and brighter futures, it will put forth a great effort to recruit more adults to do this admirable work. As stated by the Up2Us coalition ``National Coach Appreciation Week would

raise awareness and leverage resources to engage millions of children in organized sports that promote health, nutrition, and fitness, as well as other youth development outcomes.''

Madam Speaker, unfortunately I missed recorded votes on the House floor during the week of Monday, September 14, 2009.

Had I been present on Monday, September 14, 2009, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 696 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 6), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 697 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 459), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 698 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 59).

Had I been present on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, I would have voted ``Present'' on rollcall vote No. 699 (On agreeing to H. Res. 744), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 700 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 317), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 701 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 22), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 702 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 3137)

Had I been present on Wednesday, September 16, 2009, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 703 (On agreeing to the resolution H. Res. 746), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 704 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 260), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 705 (On agreeing to the Hall (TX) amendment to H.R. 3246), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 706 (On agreeing to the Donnelly (IN) amendment to HR. 3246), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 707 (On agreeing to the Massa amendment to H.R. 3246), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 708 (On motion to recommit with instructions to H.R. 3246), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 709 (On passage of H.R. 3246)

Had I been present on Thursday, September 17, 2009, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 710 (On agreeing to the Hoekstra amendment to HR. 3221), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 711 (On agreeing to the McMorris Rodgers amendment to HR. 3221), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 712 (On agreeing to the Foxx amendment to HR. 3221), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 713 (On agreeing to the Himes amendment to H.R. 3221), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 714 (On agreeing to the Minnick amendment to HR. 3221), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 715 (On agreeing to the Schauer amendment to H.R. 3221), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 716 (On agreeing to the Teague amendment to HR. 3221), ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 717 (On agreeing to the Guthrie amendment to HR. 3221, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 718 (On motion to recommit with instructions to H.R. 3221) because as an original cosponsor and a strong supporter of H.R. 3571, the Defund ACORN Act, I agree that it is absolutely necessary to prevent all Federal taxpayer dollars from going to ACORN, and ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 719 (On passage of H.R. 3221).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of House Resolution 6, recognizing the significant contributions that coaches make in the lives of children who participate in organized sports and supporting the goals and the ideals of National Coaches Appreciation Week.

Coaches make a lasting impression on America's young people. I bet that almost every Member in this Chamber could name at least one coach that has had a profound impact on their lives and encouraged them to become the person that they are today. This resolution brings national attention to the contributions of coaches and recognizes the time and energy that they dedicate to the athletic and moral development of children. In addition, National

Coaches Week aims to encourage more adults to give their time to coaching, enabling more children to benefit from participation in organized sports.

It is widely accepted that children can benefit in numerous ways from participation in organized sports. Research has found that children who play sports, especially girls, are more often likely to have a positive body image and a higher self-esteem. They also are less likely to be overweight. Children involved in sports are less likely to take drugs or smoke, and statistics show that students who are involved in sports while in high school are more likely to experience academic success and graduate from high school.

The role of a coach can vary from a high-intensity, full-time college football coach to a parent who volunteers to coach his 4-year-old daughter's community soccer team every week. Many coaches in high school are primarily teachers of academic subjects, and many volunteer coaches have other full-time careers in addition to their coaching duties.

Approximately 42 million American children participate in organized sports every year. Each one of these children is influenced in some way by the coach or coaches who lead their team. Along with refining athletes' individual skills, coaches are responsible for instilling good sportsmanship, a competitive spirit and teamwork.

I stand in support of this resolution, recognizing the roles and contributions of America's coaches and recognizing National Coaches Appreciation Week, and I ask for my colleagues' support.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.