Job Strickland of the Barron (Wis.) Ward is a dyed-in-the-wool Milwaukee Brewers baseball fan. His heroes, at least until July 17, were baseball stars.

That's the date that 6,000 athletes from more than 90 countries began converging on St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., for the International Special Olympics that opened two days later. It's also the day that Job helped with security at one of the athletes' dorms as part of a Youth Conference organized by the St. Paul Minnesota Stake."Now I have two new heroes," said Job about his Special Olympics experience, referring to two team handball players."

No matter which team won or lost, the Special Olympics athletes were happy and glad to be there. They cheered the other athletes on, whether they were on their own team or not.

For Job, 15, and some 380 other LDS volunteers from the Twin Cities, serving athletes with mental retardation proved both edifying and eye-opening.

"It was so gratifying to see our kids' attitudes change about service and those with special needs," said Jerry Burns, St. Paul Stake Young Men president and an organizer of the youth conference. "I don't think we've ever done anything with as broad an influence on helping our kids recognize the value of service."

Added Gail Whereatt, who coordinated the St. Paul Stake Youth Special Olympics activities, "Many realized the spiritual aspects of service for the first time."

At the games, about 200 youth from the St. Paul Stake and another 180 from the Minneapolis Stake were joined by 30,000 other volunteers who gave of their time, talents, sweat and lung power.

Duties ranged from interpreting for the athletes to helping competitors at various venues to security and baggage handling. In addition, youth served in the dining rooms at the dormitories as "cheer teams" - teams of spectators cheering contestants at the games themselves. Other LDS families hosted athletes' families in their homes for 11 days.

The Minneapolis Stake provided 107 flag bearers for the opening ceremonies at the Minneapolis Metrodome. St. Paul youth carried the flags at the closing ceremony at the state Capitol in St. Paul.

One of the flag bearers was Kate Edwards of the Bloomington (Minn.) Ward. "It was an honor," she said of the experience. "I had a feeling of pride that I could contribute to the happiness of the Olympians. It was wonderful."

Coordinating the schedules of 200 volunteers and organizing several special youth activities, as well, was a major undertaking for the St. Paul Stake, but well worth the extra effort, said conference organizers.

"We saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Connie Bankston, Young Women president of the St. Paul Stake and one of the initiators of the special youth conference. "We hoped the kids would come away from this experience with a new-found realization of how wonderful their lives are, after serving and sharing with people whose needs are greater than their own. And that's just what happened."

Beginning three days before the games and continuing throughout the event, the youth conference included special presentations, dances, a testimony meeting, and most important, time volunteering at the games. Altogether, some 2,200 hours of service were contributed by participants in the St. Paul Stake Youth Conference - 1,500 hours as volunteers and 700 hours as spectator cheer teams.

After completing their initial assignment, many youth returned again and again to experience once more the spirit of the games. Many came away with a new outlook on service and on those with special needs.

"I was impressed by the Christ-like qualities of the athletes," said Becky Holt, a member of the St. Paul 2nd Ward who spent part of her time walking security at a dormitory. "I wished I could be more like them. They were so gentle, so kind, so humble. Working with them was so overwhelming."

Polly Crookston, who put in some 50 hours as a French interpreter at the equestrian venue, added, "What impressed me most was that it didn't matter what disability or country an athlete was from. They all wanted to be friends with everyone. I gained more benefit from serving them than they could possibly have gained from me. I can't believe how much my eyes were opened by watching them associate with each other."

For conference organizers though, perhaps the greatest thrill was hearing the testimonies of youth participants the morning after the Olympics had ended.

"As the young people shared their testimonies, it was clear that by far their most valuable experiences had come from one-on-one sharing in the dorms," said Brother Burns, the stake Young Men president. "This was more important to them than any national television coverage that they received."