Posted on 3rd Feb 2012 @ 4:12 PM

US Youth Soccer - Volunteer Dependent

In a recent survey done by Korrio, a sports communication developer, it was found that Youth Soccer in the United States is increasing in size, quality and involvement every year. Amongst its findings were encouraging numbers from the Leadership perspective. 42% claimed that sportsmanship had improved over the past five years, with only 2% claiming its worse. A positive sign when, lately, the professionals have not been setting the best example on and off the field.

Also, 80% say parent involvement has increased over that same time, with 75% being "Committed to Highly Committed". More importantly, parental behavior on the sidelines has also drastically improved with two-thirds of respondents reporting "Good to Excellent behavior". Unfortunately, over 50% of those who were surveyed still had at least one minor incident with a parent.

It is because of this growth in the Youth Soccer Movement organizations are putting heavy loads on their volunteers, 37% of which were putting in 31-60 hours a week in administrative work. Due to this intense work-load, volunteer turnover is a major issue for these organizations, as less than half stay longer than 1-3 years. Furthermore, training and recruitment are difficult when there is no platform on which to communicate and announce updates and information. In the end, the survey shows that 90% of US Youth Soccer Organizations are volunteer dependent. Largely, this is because of the growth and success that these volunteers have fostered in their free time, but they also pay the price. Be sure to thank your local volunteers for all they've done for Youth Soccer, and all Youth Soccer has done for our youth!

by Coyle Briggs