Some things I’ve learned as a volunteer

I’m a volunteer triathlon coach and committee member for our local club, and spend about 8-10 hours a month mostly coaching young triathletes on their swimming, but also helping with events and the management committee.

I have always volunteered, often in a more ad hoc fashion, either as a fundraiser or to help set up events. As a result of the pandemic I now also work mostly from home, and as the years rolled by, I found myself spending 18 hours a day either working or sleeping in my own bedroom.

How could I force myself to get outside? To socialise with others? I didn’t find staring at the lack of steps on my step counter terribly motivating. I needed something more structured that would get me out of the house, doing something that would change the scenery.

I was a decent swimmer in my youth and joined the club, and shortly thereafter was invited to train as a coach. I’ve been involved in a few different voluntary sporting groups at the community level over the years, and I’ve found there are some familiar and recurring themes, both personally and organisationally.

Many charities work with volunteers, but I sense that sometimes what we most want or need are the ‘committed’ type, not the ‘ad hoc’ kind, which I suspect may be harder to come by and easier to burn out! So here are a few observations I think are worth thinking about:

1. Too much volunteering bureaucracy can threaten the supply of volunteers. It’s amazing how many qualifications, certificates and training courses you have to complete, especially to do anything with young people. It all costs a fortune, too. Of course I absolutely understand the need for safety, quality of provision and child protection, but I do wonder if all of it is actually effective and necessary.

We have to remember that especially in the case of sporting groups, the volunteer (and governance) ‘pool’ is often made up of parents who are already time-poor. I think the myriad regulatory bodies need to do much more to make things easier for volunteers or those who express an interest. Otherwise, potential volunteers risk being scared off and even well-supported clubs can fizzle out. I’ve seen this happen elsewhere.

2. Skills are important, but passion and commitment are more important. I was invited to become a coach because I had some skills to share. I had taught swimming lessons in my youth, and raced competitively. Fortunately the club was able to support the training course. But let’s face it: courses and qualifications aren’t what motivates me to leave my bedroom on a rainy Monday evening in January to go coach the kids. It’s because I like seeing friends, enjoy helping the kids develop and learn, and hopefully playing some small role in them achieving something or having skills they can use for life. It’s about developing their skills much more than my own.

To be honest, when the teenage boys are messing about or I’m losing my voice explaining the same thing again to tired 8-year-olds whose attention span has been totally drained by a full day of school, it can even be a bit of a drag! In those times, my belief that I am doing something worthwhile keeps me going. When I see the kids enjoying themselves playing a game, cracking a new technique or doing well in races, this gives me a real buzz and helps me through more challenging times.

3. Volunteers need support but also benefit from realistic expectations. There are more senior coaches at our club than me. I learn a lot from them all the time, and rely on them for guidance. However they’re also volunteers, many with young kids and full-time jobs! They’re quite experienced and really committed, but they can’t hold my hand every minute.

Volunteering for a local sports club isn’t a work-type environment, where you have a manager constantly available to assign tasks and to ask for guidance. It’s more like a ‘team’ than a rigid hierarchy in my experience. There can be unanticipated situations and you may need to improvise, problem-solve and just use your best judgment. You may also have to occasionally ask for more support. I think learning to trust yourself, having the confidence to ask questions, and thinking about how you can be a leader as a volunteer is also something we should all consider, whatever type of volunteering we’re involved with.

To learn more about the latest trends and topics in volunteering, don’t miss DSC’s upcoming Volunteering in 2026 and Beyond conference, taking place on Thursday, 14 May. Book your place today!