After your local sports club has recruited volunteers to help out at your club, (hopefully by following the tips from our article – how to recruit volunteers for your local sports club) it is important to understand how to manage your volunteers and ensure that they are on the right track about the goals of your club as a whole.

Your club can develop a policy especially for volunteers, to help everyone stay on track. This policy will also help to define the roles of volunteers, the way they will be managed and how the club operates. It might also be efficient to nominate a volunteer coordinator. This person can manage the volunteers within the club and be the first point of contact if volunteers need help or guidance in their roles.

It is very important that the club supports its volunteers. Volunteers who feel valued and are properly managed are more likely to remain with the club. Proper training should be provided to new volunteers as well as if there are any changes in procedures to ensure that all volunteers have the correct knowledge and information.

Rewarding volunteers for working hard will let them know that they are valued members of the club. Recognising the work they put into improving the club, will help them to feel important. Lastly, make sure that the club pays for expenses that are necessary and does not leave expenses to be paid by volunteers, remember they are volunteering their time and service, do not take advantage of this.