Paul Cooley

How long have you been a HARRA member? : I have been a HARRA member since about 1995.

Are you a member of a running club? : I am a member of Houston Masters Sports Association. Brief description of HARRA volunteer service performed (roles, responsibilities, relate an experience or story, etc.): I was appointed as a HARRA board member about 1996. At that time the then President, Joy Smith, asked if I would help put together a guide for putting on safe road races. With the help of several HARRA members and with a wealth of information obtained from Houston area runners and race directors, we came up with a guide booklet that has been sent to all clubs in the Road Runners Club of America. I have also served on the advisory board of HARRA for the past several years helping with various legal issues that have arisen.

Volunteering experience:

How did you get involved with volunteering or what motivates you to volunteer? My initial reason for volunteering was a way to pay some dues to all the people who help out in the races that I run.  I looked at my club and I looked at HARRA and saw that the same people, year after year, did most of the work.  I thought that I should do a share of the work too. 

Which of the following are motivators?

•  Affiliation My belonging to a club and to HARRA had a hand in my volunteering. 

•  Accomplishment

•  Influence/impact

•  Leadership opportunities

•  Recognition

I think one of the greater motivators, for me, in volunteering, was to pay back a little for all of the volunteers that help out in the races that I do. 

List skills, abilities, hobbies, training, educational background or other volunteer experience that aids you in your volunteer support for HARRA: I don ’t really have a background in volunteering.  I have been a lawyer in the Houston area for the past 26 years, so through my legal background I am able to help out with legal issues that arose.  I guess I am somewhat of a control person, so I do like to organize and take charge of situations. 

What benefits do you perceive from volunteering? Association with good people, satisfaction from helping others

and from lending a hand to make the sport of running better for everyone. 

What can HARRA do to provide a positive experience for its volunteers? HARRA provides a great opportunity for people to volunteer.  From my association with HARRA I have seen that they put the safety of the runner and the quality of the event first.  I have seen many non-HARRA races where this is not the case and I can imagine that is not a positive experience for its volunteers.  People like to be associated, I believe, with organizations and people that do things correctly, and HARRA has always strived to be a first class running club and to put on first class running events.  I think by continuing in that direction, HARRA is creating a positive experience for any volunteer.  If anyone reading this has not taken the time to volunteer in a HARRA event, or become active in the organization, I would greatly recommend that they do so.  They certainly won ’t regret it and will be the better for the positive experience they will assuredly have. 

Thank you for volunteering!