Young people have been serving Mass from the earliest centuries. They have helped to get things ready: assisting the priest with vestments, lighting candles, carrying the books used at Mass, ringing bells, and saying prayers in practically every language known. They have been getting up early in the morning and staying up late at night.
Of utmost importance, however, is not really the things they do but the example they give. More than anything else, the server is a prayer leader. Servers help people to pray. So, servers must ask themselves, "What is prayer?" To begin with, prayer is listening, listening to God. During the Mass, there's much to be listened to. There's music, the priest's prayers, the people's prayers, and especially there are the words of Scripture. All the things servers have to do during Mass cannot be a distraction to their listening.
Remember, the server is a part of the celebration. The server is not like a waiter in a restaurant who stands off to the side and only helps out occasionally. A waiter is not usually a part of the dinner celebration, but the server is; the server is a part of the celebration, listening all the time. This is one way you pray: by listening. Another part of prayer is, of course, responding. At Mass, the community responds in prayer and song. In our prayers and songs, praise and thanks are given to God for all the great things he has done. So, unless you are doing something that makes it impossible, you should be praying and singing whenever it is called for. People will see you participating through your listening, praying, and singing. This will help them to feel more comfortable about praying and singing themselves. This is your first leadership job: to be a prayer leader.
Altar Servers Procedures 2023 (PDF)