Sport volunteering what it is

Having spent over 8 years in sport volunteering, there is one thing I’m sure about. Sport events without volunteers wouldn’t be able to happen.

Volunteers are an important part of every smaller and bigger sport event. But what is this sport volunteering all about?

In this article, I will tell you what sport volunteering is and how it looks in practise. What are sport volunteers’ tasks, how does recruitment for volunteering during sport events looks, and what do you get from organisers if you volunteer.

Sport volunteering, what it is

Sport volunteering, in a nutshell, consists of supporting sport event organisers. This help is not paid. It is quite a specific branch of volunteering. Most often, it has a non-recurring nature. Volunteers are mainly necessary during the event, and volunteers’ availability is then essential. Rarely is possible to just jump in to help for an hour. Sometimes volunteers also help before and after the event, with arena preparations or equipment uninstallation. Such possibilities and availability are marked separately in the application form.

Sport Volunteers’ tasks

I think that even people who watch sports regularly are not able to imagine exactly how an sport event looks from an organisational standpoint. Basically, it’s much more complex than it looks. And how wide tasks can be. They do differ, of course, and depend on the sport, type and size of the event. But there are a few standard roles and tasks that volunteers work on.  The most typical are:

Information/ Public support

Usually, it is the biggest group of volunteers. The main duties are helping supporters in the arena, showing the correct places, and providing information about transport possibilities. Often, such volunteers also work at airports, stations, hotels, or even streets in the city centre.

Accreditation

Everyone who participates in any event (organisers, guests, journalists, gastronomy point workers, volunteers, and also players) has to wear accreditation. Volunteers who support this department participate in the preparation and issuing of accreditations.

Media Office

This includes helping to organise the media office, delivering starting lists, results, and protocols to journalists, as well as helping with the organisation of press conferences.

Volunteers Centre

Organisation and support of the work of all volunteer groups. Handing out equipment, clothes, meals, and communication within volunteers.

Competition Office

Transport of starting lists and protocols, preparation of players zone, and help with stats.

VIP

Help with preparation and leading the zone for special guests.

Field/ Tracks Zone

Depending on sport discipline: brining balls, cleaning pitch, track preparation, etc.

Local Organising Committee and Ceremonies

Generic help in logistics (accommodation, transport, marketing) and help in preparation of decoration and pre-game and post-game ceremonies (for example, flags and prices preparation or directing players)

Transport

Help in transport logistics, but also as drivers.

Team Guide/Host/Liason Officer

A Team Guide acts as a connection between the team and organisers.

It’s not an easy role, and the spectrum of tasks is really wide. It’s not always done by volunteers. More about this, very interesting role, in future posts.

Recruitment for sport volunteer

Steps for recruitment for sport volunteers largely depend on the type of event. For big events, such as the Olympic Games or the football World Cup, recruitment process starts even two years before. For smaller events, single games, or friendly tournaments, it starts a couple of weeks before. It even happened to me that recruitment had opened only a few days before.

The recruitment process is not always led directly by organisers. Sometimes it is outsourced to organisations, or volunteer centres, or even recruitment companies.

The beginning of recruitment is announced on the event’s or organiser’s website, alternatively, on their social media profiles. It’s worth to following them to not miss out on deadlines.

It’s a bit complicated. Firstly, you need to know that some tournament will take place, where and when. It’s easier to monitor the biggest events, a particular sport discipline you are interested in, or particular place you live close by. If you are more flexible and willing to search for various disciplines or places, it’s more difficult to keep track and easy to miss out.

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Often volunteers receive information about being accepted for volunteering during the event, but all the details related to the role or any help with accommodation come later. It may be problematic when deciding whether you should go to the event or not. Remember to have the patience and willingness to act at the last minute.

Before coming to the event, you should already know which tasks you have been assigned to. Such a choice is based on the candidate’ preferences (question is usually asked in the application form) and experience and knowledge.

There are tasks that can be performed without problems without any experience, good will and short training are enough here. Others require more knowledge and familiarity with the topic.

What you get from sport event organizer’s side

Again, it depends on the type event, duration, sport federation, or country. Almost always, you will attend an information meeting with short training. You get the leader’s or coordinator’s support. And of course you also get accreditation, which enables you to enter the arena and zones not available to supporters. Also, you can count on meals during working hours.

You will also receive clothes for work: a t-shirt, maybe a jumper or jacket, if you are working outside. These are often very nice and useful things, that could be used in the future.

Tickets for public transport, passes for less popular parts of the tournament, snacks, backpacks, or other jackets can happen too.

Is it possible to see games/competition? Well, as always here… it depends, mostly on your tasks. It may be tough to see the full game, but there is usually no problem with parts. Every coordinator tries to set tasks or rotas in such a way that volunteers see at least part of the event/game/set.

Do you get accommodation? Rarely. There is such a possibility, but not too often. Sometimes there is also special accommodation organised, where you have to pay, but less than in standard hotels.

At the longer tournaments, additional integration activities for volunteers can also appear, like group visits, karaoke, or good-bye party.

However, such bonuses can be expected mostly during big events, with well-organised volunteering. Football events can be examples of very professionally prepared volunteering. It does sometimes happen that the recruitment of volunteers, even in high ranking events, is done just by other volunteers, so you can’t expect full professional organisation.

Don’t get scared or give up. Sport volunteering is very interesting, offering a lot of advantages and it is great idea for spending free time. For many people, it’s become a way of life. Try it!