Heading up sports volunteering at and involvement in countless community sports clubs makes Carwyn Young well placed to talk about the importance of volunteering.
Here, he gives his thoughts on why we need to make sports volunteering a coveted part of everyday life.
I believe that a person’s time is their most precious commodity. Why else would we have the sayings "I haven't got the time", "How much time have we got?" and "I had a great time!"
It could be argued that in today's society, getting someone to commit their time for no financial reward is one of our greatest challenges. Welcome to the world of sports volunteering.
I have volunteered in sport for most of my life. Roles I've undertaken include club treasurer, club chairperson, swimming technical official, bowls coach and I currently have the responsibility for selling refreshments at my bowls club. It's probably not surprising that I became a volunteer as my earliest memories of my late father include him being a member of countless committees (as most Welshmen appeared to be at that time) and always attending meetings. So you could say it was in my blood.
However, society has changed, and getting people's time has become an increasingly competitive market in the 24/7 world we live in today. People's expectations have increased and, as individuals, we are always looking for the best return on both our money and time.
So with the odds seemingly stacked against sports volunteering, how are we going to encourage more people to give up their time, and importantly what will they gain?
Three core principles will be at the heart of how the sporting sector in Wales approaches sports volunteering:
1. Volunteers know and understand exactly what is expected of them
2. Volunteers are developed, supported and valued
3. The mutual benefits of volunteering are clear to individuals and organisations
What I'd like to do is share some of my volunteering experiences and how I see these principles being brought to life.
“Volunteers know and understand exactly what is expected of them”:
We probably all know organisations that have said they need ‘more volunteers’. Quite simply that is no longer acceptable. We want sports clubs to clearly state what roles they want people to undertake, what it involves and the time commitment.
My recent experience of this in action includes looking for someone to check and approve a set of swimming club accounts for the annual meeting. After clearly stating what type of task we needed help with I discovered one of our swimmer’s parents was the chief auditor of Tata Steel Europe!
On two occasions I've received text messages, one asking if I could officiate at my former swimming club’s sprint meet and another looking for volunteers to weed the ditches or paint the fence around the bowling club on a Saturday morning. On both occasions the brief was clear. This meant a decision could be made on whether I could fit it in around other commitments or plans I had. And it turned out I could.
“Volunteers are developed, supported and valued”
There are clear differences between being developed and being supported. I see being developed as things like structured pembinaan or workshops. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to attend a number the latest seminars, including one on tax for sports clubs. I like the opportunity to mix with people from other sports and there’s always something new to learn.
Supporting volunteers is potentially more challenging as it requires a person being open to being supported and also a support mechanism being available. How many of us have been given a role or task to undertake in a sports club with little or no explanation of what you need to do or potentially how it could be done? I know I have. Having an introduction to what a role involves perhaps via a handover from the former post holder, and a nominated individual to ask questions of, can make all the difference in feeling supported.
How volunteers can be valued can range from a simple ‘Thank You’ to the Wales Sports Awards, and both are just as important as each other. Volunteers don’t automatically expect to be rewarded or recognised for their contribution. However, they should never be taken for granted and something as simple as providing refreshments, acknowledgment at club dinners /AGMs goes a long way.
“The mutual benefits of volunteering are clear to individuals and organisations”
Clubs have traditionally been grateful for anyone to volunteer, which has on occasions resulted in individuals being given roles they may not be the right person for. A potentially controversial statement, but I’m sure most of us could think of examples where this has happened. This may be the result of clubs undervaluing what they actually offer individuals who volunteer.
People who volunteer at clubs develop skills such as communication, decision making and planning, all of which could increase an individual’s employability. There are also considerable networking opportunities both socially and professionally. Sports clubs also provide a social outlet for individuals, create a sense of community and make a positive contribution to that individual’s health & well-being.
Whilst it’s the competitors that take pride of place at events such as Commonwealth and Olympic Games, rugby and football world cups, The Open Golf Championship and Ironman Wales, it’s easy to forget that not one of these events would take place without the army of volunteers and officials that support them. Judges, referees and Umpires at International level all started somewhere, and chances are it was their local sports club. Administrators also have the opportunity to progress through the governance structures of their sports to National and International Boards.
Hopefully what is clear is that the individual volunteer has the opportunity to benefit considerably from giving their time to their club/sport and that clubs should be confident in the opportunities they provide and aim to get the right people in the right roles, even if it means saying no to start with.
When I consider my time in sport as both a player and volunteer, they continue to be some of the best times of my life. I’ve met some great people and had some memorable experiences. My volunteering roles and contribution has changed over the years and it will continue to do so. What is most important is that I will continue to give my time, even if it’s just a little bit of it, and I’ll continue to gain experiences and memories along the way. So why don’t you join me by volunteering at your local club?
For more visit www.sport.wales/coaching & www.walessportawards.co.uk
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