Sport is one of the most significant and
universal connections between individuals and society. All
levels of sport, particularly at the grassroots level, rely on
the active involvement of volunteers - to the point that
organized sport would cease to exist without the time and
effort of thousands of dedicated volunteers.
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KERRY SALMONI |
It is estimated that 380,000 Ontarians (or
four percent of the province's population) volunteer in
organized sport, and each volunteer contributes an average of
143 hours per year (Stats Canada, 2001). Most begin as
children, when sports provide them with their first exposure to
the concept of volunteerism: seeing their parents get involved
as coaches, committee members and fundraisers of children's
sports teams is often the first source of encouragement for
future volunteers.
And yet it seems that good help is not so
easy to find these days. Recently SportLink conducted a survey
to determine the needs of local sports organizations;
surprisingly, out of 84 local sport organizations polled, 59
(or 70 percent) reported needing help recruiting more
volunteers.
When asked why they had not hosted a regional
or provincial championship in recent years, most of these
organizations replied that they did not feel they could secure
the number of volunteers required to run the event.
These survey results suggest that Sudbury may
be losing out on many of the social and economic benefits of
sport because of our inability to recruit and retain volunteers
necessary to host events.
This problem has been recognized as a barrier
to success for many non-profit organizations all over the
country. This realization has lead to the development of a
number of volunteer organizations in communities across
Ontario, including Sudbury, dedicated to the recruitment,
development and placement of volunteers. Our own Volunteer
Sudbury connects individuals interested in volunteering with
organizations in need of assistance. The volunteer centre is
fairly new, but will soon prove to be a huge asset for local
sports organizations.
"Ideally we would like our organization to be
the main centre to which local sports organizations turn to
when they are in need of volunteers." said Jodie LeBlanc,
co-ordinator of Volunteer Sudbury.
"A partnership between Volunteer Sudbury and
local sports organizations will provide volunteers access to a
number of exciting opportunities and enable sports organization
to fulfil their volunteer needs through contact with a single
organization."
With the New Year fast approaching, I am sure
many of you are thinking about your resolutions for 2006. Why
not give back to your community and become a volunteer? It's a
great way to expand your social awareness, learn a new skill,
help others, gain self-confidence, and discover new
talents.
There are many local sport organizations in
need of your help throughout the year. Sport provides fun and
excitement for everyone involved - not just the players!
For more information on volunteering in
sports, or volunteering in general, e-mail
[email protected]
.
