Spotlight on Volunteers - Frank Vocca
Thousands of hours volunteered mentoring youth in sports and leadership
Batter-up! Cottonwood's Frank Vocca shares his hard-earned wisdom freely with the young athletes of the community. The kids Vocca coached the past 16 years in Little League, basketball and football, can count on him to follow their achievements and sit through their games even when they go on to high school and beyond.
The most rewarding thing Vocca has realized from his years as a sports mentor is to watch kids become productive citizens. "Some of the kids I started with are out of college, and it's fun to see what they're doing," Vocca says. The father of five sons, Vocca says not every kid who plays ball is necessarily an athlete. "It's not just about sports," he says. "If kids get involved with sports activities, it helps them learn positive behavior." Vocca says kids who participate in sports learn life's lessons-- including responsibility, teamwork and sportsmanship.
"You don't get into coaching thinking you're going to see a kid make it to the major leagues or the pros. Chances of that are not likely. The enjoyment is seeing the kids become productive citizens and go on in life to do other things. That's what you hope, that the time you spent with these kids helped them along that path," Vocca says.
A banker at Stockmen's Bank, Vocca coached Little League for 15 years before handing off the baton last year. He served as a commissioner and chairman on Cottonwood's Parks and Recreation Commission for eight years, and is currently part of a steering committee studying the feasibility of building a new recreation and aquatics center in Cottonwood.
A recreation center facility serving all age groups is something Vocca would like for community members. "There should be something for everybody, where people of all ages can use the facilities. It should be affordable for everyone," Vocca says.
Vocca grew up in a close-knit family in Ashtabula, Ohio, where his uncles set the example for volunteerism by coaching youth sports. One uncle served on the city council. "My brother and I attended council meetings to see how they were run and what went on,” Vocca reminisces." I didn't have the desire to get into politics, but I loved athletics and wanted to follow their examples by coaching."
Vocca says that volunteers are always needed. "Organizations are always scrambling for coaches and umpires." He says the most rewarding thing he's ever done is to mentor young people. "I've met some of my best friends, parents and the kids, too, from volunteering in youth sports."
In 10 years Vocca sees growth as one of the biggest challenges the community will face. "Obviously the community will keep growing, and the thing I want to see is managed growth. Growth is inevitable, you can't stop it. But it brings a lot of problems that people don't think about," he says.
"It's an exciting place to live right now, but it takes a lot of time and money to provide the kind of facilities the city provides. We're talking about a new recreation center, we're working on the ball field expansion at Riverfront Park, the Little League complex, and the skate park. It's not easy, it's not cheap," Vocca says. "Things will get done, but everyone has to be patient. We're the hub of the Verde Valley, and Cottonwood provides services to more people than just those who live inside our boundaries. It's challenging for the community to keep up with the needs."
A Cottonwood resident for 17 years, Vocca graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He and wife Mary-- a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker--also have a granddaughter, which is quite a change of pace after raising five boys. Vocca has also coached city recreation basketball, is a past financial officer for Sons of the American Legion, and now serves on the Verde Valley Guidance Clinic Board. He is involved with the football booster Red Dot Club and the baseball booster Mingus RBI Club.
His favorite pastime is watching his own sons play sports and following Mingus Union High School athletics. "I like to support the kids. My wife always knows where I'm at," Vocca quips.
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Spotlight on Volunteers is written by Diane Joens on behalf of the Cottonwood City Council. Council members recognize the invaluable contributions volunteers make to the betterment of city government and the community. There are many opportunities to volunteer and make a positive difference. Council members encourage everyone to get involved. Volunteer today!