Benefits of Sport

Volunteering provides substantial benefits to sport, society, and to the volunteers themselves. 1, 2, 3, 4, 33
Sports organisations can gain from greater diversity in viewpoints, decision making, and leadership, new and innovative ideas for strategies and programs, and increased participation and fan bases. In return, sport can offer enhanced social, educational, employment, and wellbeing outcomes. 3, 5, 6, 33
Several surveys and reports have shown that more people volunteer in the sporting sector than any other (e.g., religious or cultural sectors). 7, 8
In 2020, 31% of Australians who volunteered through an organisation, chose activities related to sports and physical recreation.7

Sport volunteers are estimated to donate 158 million hours annually– equivalent to nearly 90,000 full-time jobs and $3 billion in economic value.20

In 2018, 95% of employers believe that volunteering can be a credible way of gaining real work experience. 5

In 2020, 66% of volunteers engaged in volunteering for personal satisfaction or to do something worthwhile. 7

In 2020, 74% of volunteers engaged in volunteering to help others or their community. 7

Impact
Sport sectorVolunteers add great value to the sector by ensuring organised activities are affordable, well run, and inclusive.
CommunityVolunteering provides numerous benefits to the broader economy and community, including improvements in engagement and social cohesion.
Physical, social, and mental wellbeingSport volunteering can positively impact individual life satisfaction, physical, cognitive, social, and mental wellbeing.
Personal and professional developmentSport volunteering can have a positive impact on individual's education, employment, and career prospects.
REFERENCESSport and Social Capital, Australia, 2010, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (March 2012) Final report (ceased).
European Report on Skills Needs Identification: Situation, trends, perspectives and priorities for the sport and physical activity sector, opens in a new tab, European Observatoire of Sport and Employment, (March 2023).
The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement, opens in a new tab, Volunteering Australia, (2015).
The economic contribution of sport to Australia - 2009, Frontier Economics report to the Australian Sports Commission, (2010).
Volunteering and Settlement in Australia: A snapshot, opens in a new tab, Volunteering Australia, Settlement Council of Australia, (May 2019).
State of Volunteering in Australia report, opens in a new tab, Volunteering Australia/PWC, (April 2016).
General Social Survey, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (June 2021).
Volunteers in Victoria: trends, challenges and opportunities, State of Victoria, Ministerial Council for Volunteers, (June 2017).
Giving and volunteering in culturally and linguistically diverse and Indigenous communitie, opens in a new tabs, Commonwealth Department of Social Services, pp.44, (2016).
Australia, opens in a new tab, Sheranne Fairley, Pamm Phillips, Chapter 1 in 'Sports Volunteers Around the Globe: Meaning and Understanding of Volunteering and its Societal Impact', Kirstin Hallmann, Sheranne Fairley (eds.), Springer, pp.7-20, (2019).
Volunteering Australia Response on a National Sports Plan, opens in a new tab, Volunteering Australia, (July 2017).
Sport’s unsung heroes: Involvement in non-playing roles, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics (Perspectives on Sport series), (June 2011).
Volunteers: the "heartbeat" of Olympic legacy, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee, (6 December 2019).
Pioneer volunteers: the role identity of continuous volunteers at sport events, opens in a new tab, Fairley S, Green B, O’Brian D, et al., Journal of Sport and Tourism, Volume 19(3-4), pp.233-255, (2014).
Hidden diamonds: Uncovering the true value of sport volunteers, opens in a new tab, Join in, (2014).
Building on the value of Victoria’s community sector, opens in a new tab, Victorian Council of Social Services, (2015).
Evidence Insights: Volunteering and mental health, opens in a new tab, Jack McDermott, Dominic O'Neill, Volunteering Australia, (October 2021).
Active Lives, opens in a new tab, Department for Health and Ageing, Government of South Australia, prepared for the Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing, (2019 and 2021).
Value of Sport, opens in a new tab, Sport NZ, (March 2018).
Intergenerational review of Australian sport 2017, opens in a new tab, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for the Australian Sports Commission, (2017).
Volunteering is good for us and the community!, opens in a new tab Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Government of South Australia, (13 August 2020).
Participatory arts, sport, physical activity and loneliness: the role of volunteering, opens in a new tab, what works wellbeing, (December 2020).
Is mid-life social participation associated with cognitive function at age 50? Results from the British National Child Development Study (NCDS), opens in a new tab, Bowling A, Pikhartova J, Dodgeon B, BMC Psychology, Volume 4, article 58, (December 2016).
Altruism: How to Cultivate Selfless Behavior, opens in a new tab, Kendra Cherry, very well mind, (8 May 2023).
Key facts and statistics about volunteering in Australia, opens in a new tab, Volunteering Australia, (2015).
Youth volunteering in Australia: An evidence review, opens in a new tab, Walsh L and Black R, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY), (2015).
The impact of volunteering on happiness and health, opens in a new tab, Volunteering Victoria, (August 2016).
Regular volunteer work provides demonstrable benefits for the health and well-being of older adults, opens in a new tab, Elsevier, Medical Xpress, (11 June 2020).
Volunteering and Subsequent Health and Well-Being in Older Adults: An Outcome-Wide Longitudinal Approach, opens in a new tab, Eric Kim, Ashley Whillans, Matthew Lee, et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 59(2), pp.176-186, (August 2020).
Volunteering is associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment, opens in a new tab, Infurna F, Okun M, Grimm K, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Volume 64(11), pp.2263-2269, (November 2016).
The Value and Benefits of Sport: Education, Clearinghouse for Sport, (accessed 19 July 2023).
The impact of engagement in sport on graduate employability: implications for higher education policy and practice, opens in a new tab, Kerry Griffiths, Steve Bullough, Simon Shibli, et al., International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 9(3), pp.431-451, (2017).
Sport Volunteering in Europe: Realities, opportunities and challenges, opens in a new tab, V4V: Skills acquired through volunteering in sport project, European Observatoire of Sport and Employment, (October 2023).
See more on this topic:Overview
Benefits of Sport
Factors influencing participation
Volunteer management
Policies, programs, and supporting structures
Awards and recognition
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