There are many reasons to volunteer in sport. Volunteers help to make sport happen and assist in shaping the next generation of sporting stars. Through volunteering, you can give back - without people like you, sport simply would not happen!
There are various volunteer roles and opportunities out there to cater to your interests, skillset, and time commitments. As well as this, everyone will get something different out of volunteering – let’s look at some of the reasons why you should volunteer.
Developing your skills
Volunteering is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skillset, and these developed skills can be transferred into other roles in the future.
Do I need qualifications or certain skills to be a volunteer?
Some volunteering opportunities require certain skills, such as coaching which may require qualifications. However, clubs, local authorities and community sport hubs often provide training opportunities or support to find the correct training to allow you to volunteer.
Often sport organisations are looking for personal skills, such as the ability to work in a team with a variety of different people, being a reliable individual, or enthusiastic about sport/the club.
It’s important to consider what skills you’ve developed through previous experiences, and think about how they align with a volunteer opportunity you are interested in.
What skills can I expect to gain and develop?
So much can be gained through volunteering in sport, and the skills you learn and develop can often be transferred into many other roles within and out with sport.
Listed below are just some of the skills and qualities you could expect to develop:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Problem solving
- Presentation and public speaking
- Managing accounts and budgeting
- Event management
These are just a few, why not read some of our volunteer case studies to see how other people have used volunteering opportunities for personal development.
Not only will you gain valuable skills through volunteering, but you will also meet lots of people – volunteering is a great way to socialise and make a difference in so many individuals’ lives.
Awards and recognition
Volunteers are the heroes of sport.
Without volunteers, sport in Scotland could not run the way it does and for that reason it is important to recognise the amazing work of volunteers across the country.
There are numerous awards that you could be nominated for, including:
- sportscotland Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering awards
- Queens Award
- Saltire Awards
- Youth Achievement Awards
Do you know of someone who has gone to great lengths in their volunteering journey? Think about nominating them for an award.