Ben Fielding said he knows the impact one can have on another’s life by volunteering a few hours of his time.

As a volunteer youth wrestling and football coach on Fort Benning, Fielding said his reward is providing kids with the same opportunities of growth he was shown.

“I had several coaches when I was growing up in youth leagues who helped me develop character and gave me the will to never quit,” Fielding said. “Without those coaches spending their time, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything.”

The Army Volunteer Corps recognized all Fort Benning volunteers Tuesday at the Benning Conference Center’s Supper Club. Some volunteers, including Fielding and Karl Ivey, Faith Middle School boys basketball coach, were given special recognition for volunteering 500 or more hours in 2010. Ivey and his wife, Shinethia, and son, Karl, were recognized as a family. Ivey said his wife volunteers daily at Faith while Karl volunteers at events coordinated by Child, Youth and School Services.

“We don’t volunteer for the recognition, we do it to teach our son about giving back,” Ivey said. “He’s learned the dedication and the hard work that goes into it. If the opportunity presents itself for him to go do it, he’s always there.”

Starla De Saussure, AVC volunteer coordinator, said 90,146 hours were given by volunteers in 2010, which if paid, would equal a sum of $1.925 million. Of those hours, 13,274 were given by volunteer coaches, or about 7 percent.

“When you look at an installation this large, that’s a huge amount of hours,” De Saussure said.

Yet De Saussure, Fielding and Ivey agree there is still a great need on Fort Benning for volunteer coaches in youth athletics.

“If we did not have volunteers in place, we could not have any of those sports,” De Saussure said.

Fielding said parents have a cost-efficient opportunity on Fort Benning to have their children involved in athletics. The nearest youth program that teaches kids about wrestling is in Atlanta, and parents have to pay a fee for it, he said.

Though the rewards of volunteering are great, both Fielding and Ivey said commitment is required. Fielding said coaching wrestling can require up to 20 hours in a week if travel and coordinating events are involved.

Volunteering also comes with pressure and responsibility, Ivey said, especially when it comes to the parents of athletes.

If someone is forced into volunteer coaching, there will not be any benefit, Ivey said. A volunteer has to be driven by the love for what they are doing, he said, and the difference is displayed by the kids being coached.

“I see the kids improve from day to day and watch them grow, and they display what they’ve learned and the hard work and dedication they put in,” he said.

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact De Saussure at starla.desaussure@us.army.mil.