Take a minute and thank a volunteer

Just for fun, take a minute or two and drop by your local rink – or gym, or any other sport and recreation facility. Take a look at all that’s going on, then stop a minute and imagine the same scene without volunteers.

For the past month, as the focus of its annual “Sport Makes A Difference” awareness campaign, Sport Nova Scotia has been promoting the contributions of sport and recreation volunteers.

The “Sport Makes A Difference” campaign focuses on one aspect of our sport and recreation system in order to raise awareness among Nova Scotians. This year, says Sport Nova Scotia CEO Jamie Ferguson, “we are focusing on the sport volunteer.”

These individuals “are critical to the success of sport programs, and we want to recognize their efforts as well as encourage more people to get involved in this rewarding experience.” In a nutshell, Ferguson suggests, “without volunteers, kids can’t play.”

Every day throughout Nova Scotia, tens of thousands of youngsters (and adults) participate in sport and recreation activities. It isn’t much of a stretch to suggest there are an equal number of volunteers driving those programs.

The bulk of these volunteers do their work behind the scenes, with little or no fanfare and, by definition, without any financial remuneration. Volunteer coaches tend to often be as visible as their players, but there are so many other volunteers – officials, adminstrators, fundraisers and event organizers – who toil in anonymity, and seldom receive nearly the credit they deserve for all the work they do.

Sport volunteers do what they do out of a love for the game, and the satisfaction of seeing a successful and fun event come to fruition. They don’t do it out of a need to be recognized for their efforts but, at the same time - like any of us, they’re only human. No matter what we might say in public, we all enjoy being appreciated.

Sport Nova Scotia refers to volunteerism as “the backbone of Nova Scotia’s sport and recreation system.” Volunteers have been, and continue to be, a vital component, contributing extensively to the organization, governance and administration and delivery of sport in this province.

Sport and recreation associations comprise 21 per cent of all non-profit and voluntary organizations in Canada – the largest single component of the voluntary sector, bigger than arts and culture, religion, health and social services.

This is a staggering number, made even more significant by the fact the Canadian sport and recreation sector has only 131,000 paid employees. The rest are volunteers. This amounts to one paid staff for every 40 volunteer positions. For all our sport and recreation organizations do, almost three-quarters have no paid staff at all.

Many volunteers are also parents - who have a stake in their childrens’ activities but, at the same time, may have many stresses on their time simply by virtue of being parents.

Statistics show, from a family standpoint, in cases where at least one parent is involved in amateur sport in some capacity, their childrens’ participation rate jumps to 83 per cent.

It’s like the late Pictou County teacher, coach, broadcaster and sports icon John “Brother” MacDonald used to suggest each year for Minor Hockey Week: “don’t send your (children) to the rink. Take them – and stay and watch them play.”

I applaud Sport Nova Scotia for recognizing our sport and recreation volunteers province-wide, and for an entire month. At the same time, once a year isn’t nearly enough to thank our volunteers for the job they do on our (and our children’s) behalf.