Volunteers
The majority of athletics clubs in the UK are run by volunteers, there is no pay structure and without volunteers it is a huge possibility that our Track and Field sport will disappear. We don’t want that to happen, we want to carry on the legacy of all those volunteers that have come before us, to make it the sport that we know and love.
At the club there are a variety of volunteer roles on club nights, at competitions and also activities in the background:
Team Manager:
You will liaise with athletes/parents and coaches to select the best team at league meetings. Ensure that athletes and parents have the information for them to attend the league meetings on time and understand what is required of them. You would be shown how to upload the team data onto the team portal. On the day you will be there to answer questions from athletes and parents, providing direction where required, issuing numbers and reorganising teams and updating the team portal when needed. There are also sometimes queries that need answering by the organising club.
Officiating:
Officiating athletics is fun, great for your mental and physical health and the chance to make lots of great memories and friendships along the way. Being at the heart of the sport officials can be the friendly smile someone meets, the encouraging voice and the supporting influence, to inspire and encourage the next generation of people to progress within the sport across all the roles.
Ideally we would like to see enough officials to cover each of our league meetings in 2025. There is an opportunity for everyone to be a part of the officiating community and it is a great way to give back to the sport when it gives so much to our athletes.
From registering athletes for their events, to using technology like photofinish, measuring a throw/jump or directing the athletes during a cross country event – you can enjoy and learn officiating at your own pace in a supportive and relaxed environment.
Generally for field officials at league meetings there are 3-4 events to cover throughout the day. Track roles such as Track Judges, Time Keepers and Starting teams are generally needed for the whole day, however, if we had sufficient officials, there may be the capacity to split the roles to ensure there is the opportunity to watch your athletes compete.
Whether you’re beginning your journey as an Official, or an existing official looking to progress, there are qualifications to suit everyone. Officiating Qualifications – England Athletics
Coaching:
Coaching can begin as an extra pair of eyes, working with one of our qualified coaches, keeping athletes safe. You could volunteer for just one night a week.
You can develop in this role as far as you wish, initially coaching appropriate skill sets to the age/ability of athletes in the group, providing a positive role model, creating a safe and fun environment, and getting information to parents about the training sessions and preparing athletes for competition.
Anyone that takes on this role would be required to have a DBS check and take on the complete the Coaching Assistant qualification. This provides you with the minimum qualification to support and coach under supervision of a qualified Athletics Coach.
England Athletics says that it wants to ensure coaches and leaders are able to offer safe, enjoyable and high quality experiences to athletes and runners across all disciplines and all ability levels. We provide a range of informative and engaging qualifications that are underpinned by high quality developmental opportunities that directly support coaches operating in both track & field off track environments.
Other Volunteer Roles:
- Could you write up match reports for social media/internet/press?
- Do you have any IT skills that might be of use in helping us manage our club?
- Fundraising – Do you have any contacts that may be able to help the club out with funds? It could be for sponsorship, money for, or donations of kit and equipment, could you help sell in the club shop, sources raffle prizes and sell raffle tickets.