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"Recruiting Volunteers for Youth Soccer Organizations"

By Bob Asklof
District 8 Commissioner

Be organized when you contact a potential "volunteer"
Have a "job description" in writing of what you would like the "volunteer" to do.
Have a list of "contacts" that the person can contact with questions about the "volunteer" job. (Past persons that have held the job, people from other leagues, districts that hold the same job or have held the same job, etc.)
Ask the person to "serve" for a specific length of time. (This makes you appear to be organized and the "volunteer" will not feel like there is "no end" to their "enlistment".
Match a person and their skills to a specific job. Do not give a person that is not very "handy" a job as the "field coordinator" for your league. They will probably be setting up fields and doing other manual labor work. Do not give someone an administrative job that requires heavy computer time and skills that does not possess those skills. (If you want to train and keep good volunteers you must give them jobs they can be successful at, no one wants to be in a position that they are never comfortable with).
Give the "volunteer" a "polite" "drop dead date" that they can convey their intent to "volunteer" or not to "volunteer". No "deadlines" means you will lose valuable time "waiting" for an individual that is not going to commit that you could spend "chasing" another potential "volunteer" for the same job.
Ask people in your administration who they think would make a good "volunteer" for a specific position. This does two things for you! They may come up with someone you have not thought of, and if they recommend someone it will usually be someone that they want to work with and will go out of their way to assist that person if they commit.
Be sure to spend extra time "helping" the new "volunteer" even if they appear to not be having problems. Keep them in all correspondence that relates to the job they are doing. (You do not want them to not feel like they are an "important part" of the process in your organization.)
Be sure to constantly without being obvious to compliment new volunteers on the work they are doing and how important that work is for your organization. (Should also do this with "old" reliable "volunteers" as well).
Always allow "volunteers" to speak their minds, do not "cut them off" because you know, or are pretty sure their premise will not work. They are working very hard for "no pay" and at the very least should be allowed to have their opinions and theories fully heard by you or anyone else they feel should hear what they have to say.
When a "volunteer" has an idea or premise that is "over the top" or will not work for some reason, let them "down" gently. They will have spent a great deal of time in most cases "building their case" for what they want to do. Treat them like you would like to be treated if the situation were reversed.
A "volunteer" must be responsible to the organization, the cry of, "I am not paid what do you expect from me!" is not acceptable when a "volunteer" is not doing the job in an acceptable manner.
Be careful not to put people into "volunteer" positions where they have an "axe to grind". (Parent that wants to be in ODP because of their child's involvement, etc.)
When you ask someone to donate time and work for nothing, be sure to give them the best equipment you can afford to work with and be sure that their "out of pocket" expenses are reimbursed in a prompt manner.
Be sure to inform your "volunteers" what they are reimbursed for and what they are not reimbursed for, this will save you and them some "heartache" later on. The worst way a new "volunteer" can find out what they are reimbursed for is from another "volunteer" that is ill-informed about what expenses are okay and what are not.
The only reason we are "short" of good "volunteers" is because the "leaders" are not doing a good job of convincing people to be a part of our "team" and the "importance" of what we do regardless of what level of youth sports we are involved with. (league, club, district, or state,etc.)

Bob Asklof,
District 8 Commissioner