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Working for free for an organisation has a name: volunteering.
And volunteering has been part of my life for a very long time. When I was around 18–19 years old playing football and Icehockey, some friends and I started a floorball club. The original idea was actually pretty simple:…
Working for free for an organisation has a name: volunteering.
And volunteering has been part of my life for a very long time.
When I was around 18–19 years old playing football and Icehockey, some friends and I started a floorball club. The original idea was actually pretty simple: we didn't want to play football outside during the Swedish winter and this was a good alternative training.
A lot of players from the football team joined us. We started in the lowest division and, four years later, had climbed four divisions. When we played, it got competitive...
Then came kids – and a completely different sporting journey.
We wanted our children to choose for themselves, so over the years there was martial arts, karate, football, dancing, horseback riding and probably a few things I have forgotten.
As a parent, you suddenly become a driver, coordinator, supporter, equipment manager and sometimes assistant coach.
Some sports were definitely more my thing than others. Horses and martial arts never really became my expertise. Football, however, stuck.
I started volunteering when the kids began playing football at around five years old. Many years later, I am still involved, today helping with administration and coordination around a team.
And I still enjoy it.
Putting 5–10 hours of your spare time into a local sports organisation every week might sound like a lot. But when you see what it can give young people, it feels incredibly worthwhile. Also I am a sponsor for the team and club I volunteer in.
Because sport isn't only about becoming a better player. You learn to respect people, cooperate, take responsibility and be part of a team.
You learn how to win and lose together.
You make mistakes. You succeed. You get disappointed. You try again.
And somewhere along the way, you hopefully make some great friends and have a lot of fun. Those are pretty good preparations for whatever comes next in life. For me, volunteering in local sports is simply one way of giving something back to the community.
And after all these years, I think I have received at least as much from it as I have put in.
And Updal is also the club and team sponsor...
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