TeamMates hold one hour walk

TeamMates Mentoring Program was founded in 1991. The group's purpose being to provide a good adult example in school aged children's lives in addition to parents and teachers. The Kimball chapter of the TeamMates recently held the Ken Risk One Hour Walk.

Kim Baliman has been a TeamMates board member since the Kimball chapter's inception ten years ago and has been a mentor in the program for the last five years. She offered up a great deal of information on both the walk and the program.

"Ken Risk was on our local board and was on the state board, and he was very generous to the Kimball chapter both financially and time wise. Since his passing, his wife, Bonnie, has taken on our board," Baliman said.

The walk itself was held on Sunday, April 25, at 5 p.m. Due to rain and some snow, the walk was pushed indoors. Carolyn Montgomery, Kimball Chapter Director, was present and made sure that the High School was open so that the walk could still take place. Instead of having a track to walk around the TeamMates had the school to walk.

"We have t-shirts. Buy a t-shirt in order to walk with us for the hour. We also have water provided by Main Street Market and snacks provided by Carol's Nut List," Montgomery said.

All ages attended the walk, mentors and mentees alike. Although some were not in attendance due to the weather.

Kimball TeamMates is a very popular program among students. In fact, there is a waiting list of students who want to join the program. Unfortunately, there are not currently enough mentors to pair up with all the waiting students. It's very simple to sign up to become a mentor with the TeamMates, and it only takes one hour each week during the school year.

"Talk to any one of the board members. Go online and get a form to fill out, it will ask for three references and they will contact those references. So whoever you put down you want to let them know that they will be receiving a call. Then there is a background check," Baliman said.

Once the background check has been cleared and the mentor has been trained in the rules and regulations in regards to mentoring with TeamMates, they get paired with a mentee. Mentors and mentees are paired based on similar personalties, interests, and hobbies. This allows the two to have things to discuss and share.

Aside from the one hour a week spent talking and checking in with one another, TeamMates tries to take two trips a year.

"We also use our funds to take two trips a year we try to take one sporting trip whether it's hockey, basketball, baseball, and we've done pro and area colleges and we think that's important because it gets our kids on a college campus," Baliman said.

TeamMates hopes that by introducing students to college campus life they will embed a desire to attend college, or at least make a decision for college easier.

"We want them to experience the feel of what a college campus feels like and then we try to take one cultural or fun trip be it a dinner theater or something like that," Baliman said.

The trips that the TeamMates take are fun and educational, however, they also teach a bit of responsibility to the students involved. It helps them learn responsibility, punctuality, and professionalism.

"I have seen nothing but positive from it. They have commitment they have to fill out a form to be able to go and they have to get parent's permission. It's responsibility it's dress code. They have to make sure they are paying attention to time, because they have certain times they have to be places and they absolutely love seeing the college atmosphere," Baliman said.

The TeamMates have been to Chadron State, University of Wyoming and Kearney. All the trips have been beneficial in teaching the students what to expect from a college.

Being a TeamMate mentor isn't all about trips to colleges though. The TeamMates' purpose is to change lives. They want to make a difference and to be a present force in a child's life.

"It's about being present in their life and showing up. One hour a week and it provides another positive adult role model for the kids," Baliman said.

During that hour of visiting mentors and mentees will take a walk and talk or play a game. mentors try to be advocates for their mentees and be good listeners. The program stresses being a trustworthy figure to the mentees, and giving them a person in which to have confidence.

"You get as much out as you put in. I've seen the program grow and when kids ask to be in the program we don't tell them no you can't be in the program, we tell them that we haven't found a match for you yet," Baliman said.

The TeamMates try to put a lot of effort into their program. They hold a summer golf tournament to raise money and a tailgate feed during one of the games. While kids do get scholarships for being in the program, the money at the fundraisers is not the main focus.

"It's not so much about the money as it is about PR and trying to get advertising done so we can get more mentors," Baliman said.

The TeamMates hold a mentor night in order to get mentors ready for the time they will be spending with the mentees, They have a meeting where they discuss things that experienced mentors have been doing with the mentees. They bounce ideas off each other and sometimes they even listen to a professional speaker in order to become better and more effective mentors. This is also a night on which the mentors go over the rules and regulations.

An ice cream social is also held as an ice breaker for students and mentors to chat and get to know one another. Mentors and mentees are also invited to the Christmas feast at the school.

"We have an ice cream social that's kind of like an icebreaker for the year we do an end of the year bowling party where mentors and mentees and their families can all come and have fun," Baliman said.

So along with the Ken Risk One Hour Walk the TeamMates are very busy. They are always welcoming new mentors to sign up to meet the demands of the students waiting to join the program.

The TeamMates is about building trust and relationships. It's about trying to inspire and change someone's life. It teaches students that they can have friends of all ages that they can look up to and ask for advice. It provides another sound and stable voice in a young person's life.