When it comes to your youth hockey league, there’s a good
chance that you rely on volunteers to help you get through the season and to
make even having a season possible.
Unfortunately, though, finding good, quality volunteers-
ones who are truly dedicated to providing superior service on a consistent
basis- can be difficult. If you truly understand the reasons why people
volunteer, however, and what it takes to recruit and maintain quality volunteers,
you can build a backing of reliable, good-hearted people to assist you in this
hockey season and the ones beyond.
The Reasons People Volunteer
First things first, it’s import to understand the myriad of
reasons why people volunteer. When you understand those, it becomes much easier
to appeal to potential volunteers and to get them interested.
Some of the more common reasons people give for volunteering
include:
l They
value/believe in the cause they are supporting. In the case of youth
hockey, this might mean going after hockey supporters, such as those who once
participated in hockey themselves, and parents, who support and believe in
fostering athleticism in their children and others.
l They
have a desire to learn more about the cause. High school and college
students who are interested in one day being coaches or physical education
teachers are a perfect example of volunteers who stand to gain valuable
understanding and learning experiences from their volunteerism.
l They
need a social outlet. By promoting volunteer opportunities as a fun way to
meet others with similar interests, it’s very easy to attract those who are
interested in volunteering for social reasons.
l They
desire personal enhancement. Many people volunteer because they want to
feel like they are making a difference. By promoting the positive things your
league does for children and by constantly rewarding and thanking volunteers,
it’s easy to appeal to these types of volunteers and potential volunteers.
As you can see, once you understand the reasons people are
likely to volunteer, it becomes much easier to learn how to best “market” and
promote volunteer opportunities to those in your community.
Finding Volunteers
Once you understand these reasons for volunteering, it’s
easy to find people whom you can interest in your available volunteer
opportunities.
Start simply by recruiting parents, teachers, and others
with a direct relation to and interest in one or more of your players.
If you still need volunteers, post ads at the local high schools
and colleges or even post an ad online or in the local paper.
You can find volunteers just about anywhere; it’s the
keeping them that’s the hard part!
Keeping Volunteers
You can keep your volunteers around by, first and foremost,
making them feel welcome and appreciated the very first time they help out the
organization.
Also, never make too large of a demand on your volunteers’
time. If they can only give you two hours a week, be grateful for those two
hours and don’t ask for more, at least not right away.
If, after a while, you’d like to increase the amount of
volunteering someone does, ask for a small increase, which can slowly build
over time.
No matter how much or how little a volunteer serves, always
show extreme appreciation and gratitude as this is a surefire way to keep the
volunteers you have, and your happy volunteers might just encourage others to
come out and join the in their helpful efforts.
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