Club Directors and club staff wear many hats throughout the club season, and oftentimes are juggling tasks that can be assigned to parent volunteers. Finding ways to involve parents can not only take tasks off of the club director’s plate, but also allow the Head Coach and Assistant Coach to focus more on player development, planning practice, and managing the team.
Here are six ways to incorporate parent volunteers this season:
1. Team Parent
This parent is responsible for helping the coaches to communicate important information with the team such as tournament schedules and itineraries, team activities, fundraisers, Big Sis/Lil Sis. This parent attends a monthly meeting with all Team Parents.
2. Food Parent
Each team can have one or two volunteers to organize food for all tournaments including assigning families to certain tournaments and coming up with a general list of food that is allowed at tournaments.
3. Parent Association Rep
Each team has one parent that attends a monthly meeting with all Parent Association representatives to discuss club wide positives and areas for improvement. This can only be as effective as the parents who involve themselves. It allows parents to have a voice and share ideas, input and observations from various parents on the team, which can alleviate many long venting emails or calls directly to the club director.
“Having parents and players have a voice in our program allows Cobb Atlanta to continually evolve and grow to fit the needs of the club” shares Cobb Atlanta Club Director Jessica Turnbull. “Suggestions are heard, potentially explored, and at a minimum vetted. Additionally, it allows dedicated time to explain why things work the way they do and why some suggestions don’t fit the entire group. Often, a parent or players’ perspective is narrow because they only see their team’s experience, and having open dialogue allows them to be able to grow that perspective of the needs of the entire club and staff. That open dialogue between coaches, players, staff, and parents is what creates our family culture.”
4. Team Photographer
A parent or two can volunteer to take and upload photos to a shareable website for the team and the club office staff to download.
5. Uniform Liaison
This parent works with the club staff to make sure all players receive all items from their uniform package.
6. Uniform Sorter
These parents are so important during the time right before Uniform Distribution Day. A few parents will come in to sort and stuff the items into each player’s bag.
Some other opportunities to recruit parent volunteers are spirit wear fundraisers, tournament concessions stands, and admissions (if your club hosts tournaments). Does your club find other ways to involve parents? Share with us by emailing briana.schunzel@jvavolleyball.org
This article was written by JVA Director of Marketing, Education and Partner Development, Briana Schunzel.
