Where Did All the Parent Volunteers Go?

One of the reasons why people don’t volunteer is that they’re unsure of what’s required of them. And sometimes it takes too much effort on their part to get information.

There’s been a downward trend in volunteerism the past decade. Each year we have fewer and fewer parents stepping up to help youth sports, schools or other community programs. According to Todd Conrad, Mission Viejo Nadadores General Manager, “I serve on a board of our community’s youth sports teams and they are concerned about the lack of volunteers.

The same number of parents are in the stands watching soccer, tennis, etc. but they aren’t volunteering.” He said Little League doesn’t have enough parent volunteers to host a snack bar. Like many other swim clubs, the Nadadores have a mandatory service policy, and Conrad said they have no shortage of parent volunteers on their team.