Volunteering is a great way to change the lives of those around you. There are so many ways that volunteering can affect positive change in a community. Today, we will be discussing volunteering for Rugby.
Rugby is a team sport. As such, it usually takes a whole community to help a team reach its goal. However, there are instances wherein certain communities cannot lend a hand to their local rugby team even if they wanted to. This is where volunteers come in to save the day!
There is nothing quite as strong as the heart of a volunteer. They invariably changing lives for the better whenever they get involved in a cause.
Why Volunteer for Rugby?
Rugby is a sport that requires quite a bit of support. Equipment, talent, time, and so many other things are needed in order to be able to be part of the world of Rugby. This is an unfortunate but it is a real fact of life.
While there are plenty of teams that are fortunate enough to have everything that they need (which include support), there are more teams and communities out there that do not have the means to support their rugby teams.
If you love rugby, you will understand the need to play it and the crushing feeling when you find that you cannot. In order for rugby to survive as a sport, it needs new players. We get new players through the local communities and their athletes that strive to join the eventual professional league or union. If these players are not given the opportunity to play, how is the sport to continue?
What You Can Do
There are so many ways in which you can volunteer and directly affect someone’s potential career in the sport that you both love. Here are some ways:
Coaching
This is particularly helpful if you have had personal experience in playing the game. There are a lot of youth leagues that require a coach or an assistant coach. Fresh pairs of eyes and fresh minds are always needed to figure out new strategies and new ways to revitalize a team’s play style.
There are even teams that may not even know the rudimentary ways of playing the game. A coach can help to sharpen young players into reaching their potential in the most efficient and healthy way possible.
Grounds Keeping
Rugby fields can get tossed up from one game to another. Even during practices the field can get a bit messy. In order for practices to be effective, there needs to be a clear representation of the lines and borders of the field.
Grounds keeping help to maintain the field where the team plays. If you have ever seen the movie Forrest Gump, this is what he does for his alma mater. He cuts the grass in the same football field that he used to play in as part of his school’s team.
Such tasks are also available for those who volunteer for local rugby teams.
Coordinator
Coordinators usually were volunteers themselves once upon a time. They serve as the liaison between the rugby club or organization and the volunteers. The coordinator will keep track of the people assigned to specific tasks and follow up with how well the fit is.
They will decide if there needs to be a change in the schedule or a rearrangement of who is assigned where. These are the volunteers that have stood the test of time and are counted upon to help keep the organization running.
Marketing
Rugby teams need support from their community. In order for that community to know that they exist, they need to be told about it. Not everyone has family members that are part of the local rugby team. If they do know about the team, they may need a bit of a boost as to why they should help to support it.
If you ever found the call to volunteer through an ad or through a website, the marketing team was responsible for that. If you are someone who is a talented writer or is tech savvy, there are so many rugby teams out there that can use your help. Awareness campaigns are often in the jurisdiction of the marketing team.
When you get to see calls for fund drives and special events, that is under the jurisdiction of the marketing team as well.
Funding
This is the simplest but ultimately strongest way you can show your support for a local rugby team. Sports teams need funding in order to buy the things that they need like uniforms, balls, field rentals, and even travel expenses.
Every single penny counts and no matter what anyone else may tell you, funding the local club or organization is one way to volunteer! After all, not everyone may have the free time to physically dedicate several hours in a week to help out. No one should judge anyone else on what form they are able to throw in their support.
In Conclusion
The whole world could really benefit from more people volunteering to help others. There are countless of people who do not have the same opportunities that you may personally get to experience. When you volunteer your time or your talents for something that you personally enjoy, there is a deeper appreciation of the sport that you get to experience firsthand.
When you find the time, it would be good if you checked your area for any local rugby clubs that you can help with. Try to see what you can do to help you. You never know when your time and your efforts can end up transforming another person’s life entirely.
There is no real need for soul searching when it comes to volunteering. Even something as simple as a few hours of your day can end up helping others in ways that you may not even truly comprehend! So search your heart and see if you would like to volunteer for your local or non-local rugby team.
