NORTHFIELD, Minn,, July 16, 2011 – How are soccer and volunteerism similar? They both have players in the game and viewers on the sidelines. How this relationship works makes a difference to how the game is played. Shouts from the sidelines can encourage or distract the players from making their goal.
Volunteerism
This week I received a phone plea to join a committee meeting. The caller told me that an educational program run by volunteers was in danger of dying. Only two people are now on the committee. One team member will not continue unless a third person joins. Curious, I went as the third participant.
A stalwart volunteer told me at the start of the meeting, “I was told that I am too demanding. Therefore, two team members are resigning.”
As we talked more it became clearer that the volunteer had done a lot of work to ensure the success of the nine month educational program. The person resigning had served one year and left with numerous complaints. It seemed like the main player was being criticized for doing so much.
A litany of suggestions was detailed. Participants had ‘gotten tired’ of seeing the same leaders. Bring in new resource people. Describe events in less detail. Reduce the number of ‘talking heads’. Get more young people to attend.
Suggestions from the sidelines were plentiful. Team members to carry out the work were scarce.
Soccer
This week my daughter ended her soccer season. The fourteen years olds played hard. Each game had multiple viewers. Sitting on the sidelines, I often heard many of the players being criticized throughout the game.
From the lawn chair cohort, it sounded as if soccer is easy. Run faster. Kick harder. Keep the ball in the field. Trap the speedy ball and turn it. Make a run downfield and take a forceful kick into the goal. Kick between the posts. Score more often.
Suggestions from the sidelines were plentiful.
Commonalities
Ways that volunteerism and soccer seem alike include:
- People on the sidelines have opinions about how the players in the game are doing
- Play often looks easier from the sidelines then it is when you are in the game
- Vocalized criticism may discourage players
- Teams including parents and fans may exhibit a spirit of support or critique
- Keeping a viable team is sometimes tough to do over time
Recommendation
Our soccer team parents and fans were asked not to shout from the sidelines. We were given a research article that said even well intended suggestions were not helpful to players. This ‘vow of silence’ was not true for other teams. In fact, some coaches and parents were downright rowdy.
Sometimes organizations and groups can be vocal and rowdy. One of the adages that can be true in regard to volunteerism can be “No good deed goes unpunished.” By that I mean that well intended actions can lead to negative reactions. People on the sidelines criticize those who are doing the work.
Perhaps a ‘vow of silence’ is appropriate for those on the sidelines of volunteer endeavors too. Even well intentioned suggestions can have a negative effect on volunteer participation.
As for our three person committee, once we were clear about how much the educational sessions mean to people, we decided to carry on. Getting to goal is not easy; it is usually worthwhile.
Please Comment: As a volunteer, have you received sideline suggestions? How did they make you feel? What did you do?
Read more from Donna Rae Scheffert at Washington Times Communities and Online-Leadership-Tools. She can also be found on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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