When my son was young, first grade provided my first chance to enjoy the first-rate experience of coaching him in a youth sport.

Soccer was the sport that fall. First place was the result. We celebrated at a postseason “banquet” at a fast-food restaurant that had a deluxe playground. After the last trophy was awarded, the team mom presented me a plastic coffee mug that featured a team photo.

“I’d like to thank all of the little people who made this possible,” I said.

What was funny then is sad now. The end is near. My son is a high school senior. I’m one of his church basketball league team’s coaches. I doubt that I will coach him in college, but I might carry on coaching others.

Through one commissionership of a league, two boards, three children, four sports, 20 years and 34 teams (give or take a few), I have experienced thrills vicariously that have far surpassed any joys I had as a young, mediocre athlete.

I enjoy working with young people. It’s why I said yes when my arm was twisted to help with my church’s high school youth group. Ministering to youth isn’t all I do to stay grounded, but it’s a great way for someone who’s 50 to feel like he’s 15 again.

I love what I do for a living — I’m a Class A workaholic, in fact — but my life would seem empty without opportunities to give back to my community.

And yet what I do is so small compared to what others in this community do. Believe me, I spent much of the past week looking over nominations for 2007 Pointing the Way Awards, and I can’t tell you how impressed and inspired I am. The level of caring and service is incredible. Leaders who roll up their sleeves and sweat and ordinary people who do extraordinary things, far above and beyond their jobs, set wonderful examples for people like me who do a little but could do more.

Because this is the first time in nine years that we have welcomed Pointing the Way nominations from the community, we didn’t know what to expect, but we are delighted with the response.

We received 104 nominations. Those nominated included 60 individuals, three couples and three groups. Sixteen people were nominated multiple times. In most cases, I’m sure this was natural. In a few, I suspect there might have been an orchestrated movement.

I learned new things about people I know well. I learned there are many people in the community whom I want to meet or get to know better.

We probably will publish the list of nominees when we publish the names of the winners in January. It’s a deep list. Many who don’t win this time should be nominated again, because we can’t honor everyone now, but some winners in future years are destined to come from this list.

One line on one nomination form caught my eye. The nominator (a previous PTW winner) said the nominee follows a motto:

“You make a living by what you take out of the community, but you make a life by what you put back in it.”

Now that’s pointing the way.