Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Getting parents to volunteer

178 replies

Macey78 · 22/10/2021 20:07

I'm a parent rep for the team my daughter plays football on. On match days we need parents to volunteer to act as lines person and at home matches to help set up.

On the group what's app no one ever volunteers for this or help set up. There are 1 or 2 parents who accidentally arrive early on match days and if they see there's Help needed with setting up will do this.

I need to say in a nice but firm way that as parents of your players you need to support the team by helping set up and acting as lines person. My husband has done this quite a few times. When I've spoken to other parent reps they have said they don't seem to have a problem there's always someone ready to volunteer for lines-person and help with setting up at a home game. Any advice with wording greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
Anycolourwilldo · 22/10/2021 20:09

Do they pay for their children to take part in the sport?
I totally get where you're coming from but I'm just wondering if they are paying they might be expecting someone else to do it.

HollyGoLoudly1 · 22/10/2021 20:15

Is it made clear when they join that this is a requirement? You could try setting up a rota and then leave it to the parents to swap or cover for each other if needed.

Original poster
Macey78 · 22/10/2021 20:16

Yes they do - it's £25 a month - they play in league matches and friendlies and can attend training twice a week. I see what your saying our daughter also plays it feels like they just want to come and watch the game and then go.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Original poster
Macey78 · 22/10/2021 20:17

@HollyGoLoudly1 I think it's not. I'm new to this and football. The only reason I became involved is due to no one in the team wanting to take the role of parent rep and my husband asked me as he didn't want to do due to his dyslexia and there's often quite a lot of comms to collate and pass round.

OP posts:
clarrylove · 22/10/2021 20:20

Try and set up a rota for the setting up/taking down? Linesman is a skilled role though, not everyone could do it. You also have to be very fit!

Caspianberg · 22/10/2021 20:21

For me, rightly or wrongly, I would assume I’m ‘free’ during these sports. So in my mind 1hr paid football class means I would spend half of it sending emails needed or ordering stuff knowing child is happily occupied, and other half watching them more. I wouldn’t really expect to need to help on a regular basis ( occasionally is ok).

Monsterpumpkins · 22/10/2021 20:22

Free hot chocolate and cake available for parent helpers post game Saturday on xx date...
Grin

WellTidy · 22/10/2021 20:23

I think that unless they want to, it’s a losing battle. I say this having been very active on the PTA of DS’ primary school for nearly seven years. It was the same group of people (mums) helping each time, between 2 and 6 of us.

We would always say things like ‘unfortunately we will not be able to run [this event] unless we have X number of volunteers. Please try and be available if at all possible and confirm to Named Parent’.

Hardly ever worked and we were just run ragged. The children always seemed to really enjoy themselves and would benefit from the events put on. It’s really hard to accept but some people just cannot give their time for a number of reasons and some simply won’t for a number of reasons.

ScamTheSchool · 22/10/2021 20:24

My daughter has just joined a club and they are asked to help out for matches three times. There is a club doodle. If they do this, part of their membership fee is refunded and each extra time they help out, they get an extra refund.

Anycolourwilldo · 22/10/2021 20:25

I agree with pp I'm afraid. I'd happily occasionally help out but, as a very busy working mum, I'd take the opportunity to take the back step and have some time to myself when DC are in a paid for club.
If you need support, you either need to employ someone or be really clear when parents sign up.

Knittedfairies · 22/10/2021 20:26

I think you may need to reiterate that you need volunteers; other parents may just be assuming that their £25 per month pays for staff to run the activities.

Original poster
Macey78 · 22/10/2021 20:27

@clarrylove absolutely. I can't do lines person duties myself yet as I'm still figuring it out. So
Understand it's not for everyone.

OP posts:
Original poster
Macey78 · 22/10/2021 20:29

@Caspianberg I totally get it but when our daughter joined and was In a different team and saw one person struggling with setting up I just went up and volunteered. Do people not do this any more. Especially with grassroot clubs

OP posts:
Original poster
Macey78 · 22/10/2021 20:29

@Monsterpumpkins I like this idea think I'm going to try this.

OP posts:
InTheLabyrinth · 22/10/2021 20:30

I'm quite happy to move/collect bibs, balls, goals, cones.
But there is absolutly no way I could do any of the umpiring stuff ours are asking for help with. So I dont volunteer, because honestly, I have no idea about it, and if they are short of volunteers (ie always) it's the umpiring that you get assigned to whatever you have offered to do.

Tickledtrout · 22/10/2021 20:32

Have had this with a couple of activities we've ended up running. Tell them that being on the helper rota is a condition of their child's membership. Families can make representation to "the committee" if they have a major problem with this. People don't understand volunteering.

Couldhavebeenme3 · 22/10/2021 20:32

Ex pta and playgroup chair here - I hear you op!

It got to the point once where we told all our Tuesday parents/carers that after weeks of requests for volunteers to help set up/wash up/tidy up etc, that we would be closing the session due to lack of support (it was a minimal contribution place, to cover rent, insurance and tea/coffee, very well attended by lots of regulars - parents, grandparents, carers, child minders). By the end of the session we had a full rota.

Grass roots sports are renowned for the same small group turning up to support every week whilst the rest of the parents just stand by and let it all happen around them as if by magic. Maybe it is time to send out a group text making a final call for volunteers to fill the rota, or the team will be withdrawing from the league due to the existing members stepping down. Harsh but I bet it works.

appplesanddpearrs · 22/10/2021 20:36

If I paid for an activity for my child I wouldn't expect to be asked to make myself available to also run three activity Confused

I would expect to be able to drop and run or sit in a quiet corner and read or catch up on emails or something.

Unless it is made known that a condition of signing your child up is also to help out yabvu.

tinofbeans · 22/10/2021 20:36

It depends - if the coaches are volunteers and it's a community club - parents should totally be expected to help out, with setting up/packing away/running the line as their experience/skills permit. As I've got older (and now coach the team) I'm much more brazen about asking(telling) other parents to pull their finger out.

However, if you've bought into a business that pays the coaches to train the team, then all those jobs are their problems to solve, not yours and you should be able to put your feet up.

ittakes2 · 22/10/2021 20:39

Not everyone can be linesman, my son's coach asked my husband to do it and after a few matches he torn his knee carliage twisting it and was in enormous pain for months and had to have a procedure.
Lots of kids doing the duke of edinburgh need to volunteer - ask the parents if they have teens needing a volunteering job.

tobypercy · 22/10/2021 20:42

I have a volunteer role, and unfortunately I would say it's the same everywhere. Most people don't volunteer - for anything, ever.

If you've made a specific request, everyone will wait for the magic "someone else" to offer. To be fair, lots of people don't mind lending a hand but they won't actively offer.

Definitely recommend a rota, instead of "who can help this Saturday", try "which of these weeks will you cover?". It may be hard to set up initially but once people get into the habit it should get easier. And the more people who are involved, the lighter the load.

batmanladybird · 22/10/2021 20:42

Hello
Place marking

coodawoodashooda · 22/10/2021 20:52

I think people have a ton of stuff going on that you don't necessarily know about. If people can't volunteer the club closes. Don't be a martyr.

reluctantbrit · 22/10/2021 20:54

I am an introvert and hate being part of a committee or helping at events. I tried when DD was in primary school but often the PTA just didn’t tell us what exactly to do or just ignored us at all. So I decided to stop trying g to help.

When DD has paid for activities I try to use the time for me, read, go shopping, ideally I drop off and run back home. A compulsory volunteering is often hard to achieve unless you offer enticement like lower fees.

DD’s old Brownie pack tried it and it backfired as the time meant too many parents had other children to care for and the husband/wife wasn’t home from work yet. But insurance forbade that the volunteers brought additional children so it fell apart spectacularly.

DH is volunteering with the Scouts and sees how hard it is to get people helping out for the younger sections. Same problem as DD’s Brownies but obviously that’s an organisation which relies on volunteers while other activities charge so much that I wonder why they need parents as well.

toocold54 · 22/10/2021 21:00

If you have a FB page you could just put something breezy like - we are always on the lookout for volunteers to help out with the matches. It doesn’t have to be a regular occurrence and it’s also a great way to be a part of your child’s hobby. If you think you might be interested just let me know. - I’m sure other MNs would put it in a better way than that but I definitely think you should pose it as an ask of anyone’s free, rather than you need to do it type thing as most parents who pay for a club don’t expect to have to spend their free time doing it but a lot will happily help out every now and then.