Getting parents to volunteer

[Macey78]

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.

:53IDontThinkSoNo

Anyone saying being a linesman is simple and enjoyable. I completely disagree. This is a whole other level from helping out the goals out etc.

Totally agree , I don't see people's problem in putting nets out , running the line no way . I've been a football mum (now match official mum) for a long long time , no way could I run a line .

@dannydyerismydad

Team manager's wife. I have to poo pick the entire pitch before kick off.

Strangely enough the other parents are falling over themselves to put up the goal nets to avoid dealing with dogshit.

Yes, no parent wants their child to be playing or slide tackling on a pitch with dog poo/broken glass or other hazards. They don't realise that the pitch has been walked and every part looked at to check it is safe prior to training or matches.

Hated that job especially when it was raining and the poo had obviously been there from the night before, trying to lift it while holding umbrella at the same time! 🤮

They have no idea how much work goes on for free in the background for their kids to get to play in a club!

@lljkk

Am pretty sure a volunteer run club can pay for services -- if the PTA run a school disco, we pay the DJ for his services. I imagine a youth wanting to get their coaching certificate could be available for pay, possibly as volunteer.

It is easy enough to pay a business for services, but a different matter if the club is employing directly. We pay for our first aid cover for competitive events for instance, but our first aider is self employed. He invoices us, we pay him. But we aren't his employer.

Sorry you are having a problem with this. Volunteer parents are always the linesmen around here. Been to a thousand matches, a parent from each team steps forward to run the line, My ds refs and he calls for the linesmen to step forward and they do so. Never been a quibble. Can't believe you are having so much trouble but the attitudes on here seem to verify your issue.
Also being a youth parent linesman is not a highly qualified job. They seem to know what's offside or not when they eatxh tv. It's the refs job to agree or disagree with the linesman so there is minimal pressure.
Also as an aside I've only come across one woman linesmanning - guess thats clear why from the comments on here.

I remember one match , a very excited mom and newly appointed lines woman, bounced over to get her flag . She was supper excited. My son(the ref) ran through the flag signals with her , she didn't have a clue . Still off she went flag in hand happy to play her part . Unfortunately her line skills didn't match her enthusiasm but she gave it her all. At the end of the match my son thanked her , always thanks his lino. She obviously knew she wasn't very good and asked how she did . He told her she definitely had the hang of waving the flag 🤣 what for he had no clue . They had a good laugh about it .

At £25 a month , i would assume £5 per hour session, that this should be staffed.

I do help out with my daughters grass roots football , however, its manned entirely by volunteers and costs £8 per month. (£2 per 1 hour lesson max. )

Well you must have a very inexpensive pitch then Babababababybell
In the winter when we need the floodlights on our club pays over £100 for an evening's hire of our facility so £2 per session wouldn't even touch that, never mind cover insurance, affiliation, maintenance and renewal of equipment etc.

The term 'parent rep' winds me up, I'm afraid. I see them as a busybody and will do anything to not have to interact with them. If I'm paying for an activity, I expect that any jobs that need doing will be done by the staff. If they need help, then I'm more likely to respond to the them asking directly, rather than have some irritating parent, who's far too involved for my liking, repeatedly asking me to do stuff.

Or @stingofthebutterfly, you could thank and be grateful for these 'busybody/irritating parents' who are saving you money and time.

@stingofthebutterfly

The term 'parent rep' winds me up, I'm afraid. I see them as a busybody and will do anything to not have to interact with them. If I'm paying for an activity, I expect that any jobs that need doing will be done by the staff. If they need help, then I'm more likely to respond to the them asking directly, rather than have some irritating parent, who's far too involved for my liking, repeatedly asking me to do stuff.

You do realise, as has been explained already multiple times on this thread, that "the staff" at the vast majority of sports clubs and teams are volunteers and that what you pay probably barely covers the running costs of the organisation? The people you call "staff" are probably parents too .Or were - plenty of us stay on for the benefit of other people's children once ours have grown up. Are the coaches "busybodies"? The Treasurer and Secretary "irritating" and the Chair "over involved"? Are the people who turn up week after week in all weathers to run the activities, do the accounts or sit in meetings with the sport's governing body or the local council doing more than you approve of? Or is it just the volunteers who ask you to help that you object to? Not wanting to get involved yourself is one thing, but bitching about those who do help out is another. Were it not for such people, the options for extracurricular activities would be very limited for many children.

But @MrsAvocet what about someone like me who was already volunteering other places and couldn’t take on any more?

The op has no idea of people’s personal load and/or life set up and/or disabilities and she has no right to be told any of that. I wouldn’t be sharing that with some random football mum to be gossiped about. I’ve had enough of that in my life so I don’t give out personal information

That's fair enough for Bigeggs. I don't do anything to speak of at the 3rd club my children are in because of commitments to the first two, though I will shove a load of smelly shirts in the wash when it's my turn.
And we don't insist on parental help as a condition of membership, or expect to be given reasons at my clubs. But I do find it hard to believe that every parent who won't help can't do. The probability of a group of say, 25 parents all having reasons that mean they genuinely can't spare 15 minutes to help put away the balls and cones once a month isn't really that high is it?

I really think the DofE volunteers is the way to go. Schools and DPs are desperate to find activities that their teenagers can volunteer at, and even better some of them might know some football rules.
I'd put up a FB post and let local secondary schools know. It's a huge win win for everyone.

A lot of sport clubs in the UK expect members to volunteer for all kinds of jobs, I'm not originally from the UK and I think the mentality behind the club volunteering is flawed. It rewards privileged people that have energy, time and headspace to volunteer, whilst also offering substandard service that cannot be challenged because it's 'rude' you know (they're volunteers after all!) Not very professional. Yes, of course a commercial club would require admin overhead (legal, accounts etc) and that's exactly what's needed for a well run club.

How old are the children? My DD and one DS have played for 12 years now, and the children do the set up. Parents being refs or linesmen would lead to accusations of bias and those are usually players from other teams - usually all kids tbh! We pay next to nothing (about 50€ per year) and all parents do is car pool drive and man a coffee/ refreshments stall at tournaments to raise funds. The older teens often do referee and coaching qualifications.

Am pretty sure a volunteer run club can pay for services

Where is the money coming from?

Up the fee to £45 per month and pay an eager teenager to do it
Or get the kids to do it. Each team nominate a kid per game for the role.

As a parent I have zero interest and zero availability for stuff that kids can do.

Volunteer clubs need legal, accounts etc too, it is much like running a small business. They have to comply with the rules of their sport governing body, have a committee, manage their finances, development planning, publicity, training, safeguarding, first aid, facility hire, equipment management, a huge amount goes on behind the scenes, its not just what you see when you turn up at training or for a match.

Op, Going by the intentional lack of awareness of the ethos and what goes on behind the scenes in these volunteer run, not for profit, community clubs maybe ask the committee to have a meeting with the parents and show them the hours non paid volunteers put in for the benefit of their children and where you need support. Incentives might also help such as gaining credits to play in special friendly matches or events.

Op maybe post a comment, make it clear how much time you are asking for , if it's just 15 min before or after each match to move goals ect or if it's hours and hours weekly behind the scenes. Also you have said you can't run the line maybe other parents are in the same boat . Lots of comments regarding D of E, older Teens to do this (14 to run a line ) . The FA do run the odd linesman course or your coach could maybe run through the basics, the match official will override any bad calls .

@Avarua

Up the fee to £45 per month and pay an eager teenager to do it Or get the kids to do it. Each team nominate a kid per game for the role.

As a parent I have zero interest and zero availability for stuff that kids can do.

A vast % of families in grassroots football could not afford £45 a month per child. A lot struggle to pay £20 with free kits via sponsors. It's not a sport of the wealthy

A ref for a youth football game is £25-35 so it's very expensive to them pay linesmen on top & few teenagers are interested in doing it unpaid.
Which is why the absolute norm is for a parent from each team to take a side of the pitch each. Generally a dad who knows the rules. But any parent can help put nets up & down, put out respect barrier, flags etc

@stingofthebutterfly

The term 'parent rep' winds me up, I'm afraid. I see them as a busybody and will do anything to not have to interact with them. If I'm paying for an activity, I expect that any jobs that need doing will be done by the staff. If they need help, then I'm more likely to respond to the them asking directly, rather than have some irritating parent, who's far too involved for my liking, repeatedly asking me to do stuff.

@Seemssounfair

Op, Going by the intentional lack of awareness of the ethos and what goes on behind the scenes in these volunteer run, not for profit, community clubs maybe ask the committee to have a meeting with the parents and show them the hours non paid volunteers put in for the benefit of their children and where you need support. Incentives might also help such as gaining credits to play in special friendly matches or events.

I don't think it is an intentional lack of awareness. If you don't want to volunteer to do something then don't. You have no idea why others aren't doing what you deem to be their fair share.

@Babababababybelll Grassroots football is generally £15-30 a month but the big variable if facilities hire.
We pay £300 a night for a single training night that runs under floodlights for 3hours. We do this twice a week to accommodate all the kids. Pitch hire is expensive.
Usually even a 5v5 cage pitch for one team is £25/hour. A full size school floodlit 3G is prob £100-150 an hour.
Summer costs can be cheaper if a club just uses a local park - but still need toilets etc
League costs are up to £550 a team per season. Plus affiliation and insurance plus equipment costs.
Even end of season trophies are about £8 a player.