RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
GUIDE
CONTENTS PAGE
Introduction
Page 3
Recruitment
Page 3
Retention
Page 8
Templates
Page 11

Terms & Conditions
Page 11

Application Form
Page 14

Reference Form
Page 18

Volunteer Agreement
Page 19
INTRODUCTION
This document seeks to provide support to clubs and schools in the recruitment and retention
of volunteers, coaches and players. One of the key aims of the SFA Youth Action Plan is to
increase participation across all levels of the game. This can be achieved by ensuring the long
term sustainability and development of football within clubs and schools, regardless of size
and resource. This document is designed to offer support to the current volunteers at your
club/school and encourage a new stream of participants who will fall in love with the game
and immerse themselves in lifelong football activity. Good luck!
RECRUITMENT
Recruiting Volunteers / Coaches:
Recruitment is the process of attracting new volunteers to football clubs, schools and
associations. Personal contact with potential volunteers, whether through friends, family or
individuals already involved in group are amongst the most frequently cited ways that
volunteers first became involved in football. In the majority of cases, individuals need to be
asked to volunteer if an organisation is going to be successful in recruiting volunteers. Once
asked, the recruitment process should provide potential volunteers with a realistic preview of
what a job entails. When recruiting volunteers, it is important to emphasise the benefits for
volunteers rather than the needs of the organisation. Volunteers need to feel valued by
football clubs/schools or associations and not feel as though they are being recruited to fill a
position that no-one else wanted.
The Recruitment Process:
Recruiting
Volunteers
1. Human
Resource
Planning
Managing Volunteer Support
8. Retention or
Replacement
6. Performance
Appraisal
2. Volunteer
Recruitment
3. Selection
and
Screening
7. Rewards and
Recognition
4. Understanding roles
/ the organisation
5. Training and
Development
[Adapted from Cuskelly & Boag , 1999]
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RECRUITING YOUR VOLUNTEERS - A QUICK GUIDE
 Produce volunteer information templates – including job descriptions for volunteer roles
 Check past and present membership lists for potential volunteers
 Conduct a skills audit of your club or association to identify potential volunteers
 Provide new members with information on ways they can get involved with your
organisation as a volunteer
 Write a letter of invitation to members or parents inviting them to volunteer
 Organise “recruitment” drives using current volunteers to promote the club/association

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

and its activities
Use the local community newspaper – classified ad, letters to the editor, feature articles
Produce posters, pamphlets or flyers that promote the club and the roles that volunteers
are required for – distribute where potential volunteers may visit
Organise community notices on the local radio
Promote your club/association and its activities as part of Higher PE studies at the local
high school
Offer young members the opportunity to take on the role of apprentice volunteers. Use
existing and experienced volunteer as mentors.
Advertise for volunteers on your organisation’s website
 Contact your local Volunteer Centre – utilise their volunteer referral service
www.volunteerscotland.org.uk
 Advertise for volunteers on the “Go Volunteer” website of your local volunteer centre (as
above)
 Offer volunteers the opportunity to “job share” their volunteer role with a friend or partner
3
Recruiting Players:
Players are the future of football and of your club. It should be the aim of all clubs to ensure
that players involved in their organisation have an enjoyable and memorable experience in the
hope that they continue to help out at the club when their playing careers are over. A main
source of players for clubs to recruit is within the local schools. Clubs are encouraged to form
strong links with schools in the community to ensure a smooth transition from initial
involvement to regular game participation (See Appendix 1 for further details on club/school
links). In addition to links with local schools, clubs should consider the following partners
who may be able to assist the recruitment process:
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SFA Community Officers
Local Authority Sports Development Officers
Active Schools Coordinators
Local Sports Councils
Local Youth & Community Groups
RECRUITING YOUR PLAYERS - A QUICK GUIDE
 Consider demand from local community and existing playing opportunities
 Produce and include recruitment plan within club development plan
 Form links with local schools / youth organisations etc
 Hold club open day /come & try coaching session / mini festival
 Advertise above events within schools
 Hold a bring a friend night and ask for support of existing players
 Advertise for players on your organisation’s, league’s or NGB’s website
 Use the local community newspaper – classified ad, letters to the editor, feature articles
 Produce posters, pamphlets or flyers that promote the club and the teams that players are
required for – distribute where potential players may visit
 Advertise for players on the local radio
 Contact your local SFA Development Officer
 Use word of mouth within local community
4
Appendix 1 - Club / School Links
One of the club’s first points of contact should be the local schools. A club should be able to
make a strong case for developing links with the local school as there are many benefits to be
gained by both the school and the club.
Benefits for the school:


Clear pathways/ exit routes for children to continue participating in sport outside of
school
Wider range of sports available for pupils

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


Improved performance and sporting success
Increase in the number of school children keeping active, fit and healthy
Contribute to a young person’s social and personal development
Raise the school profile
Positive sporting and community image
Benefits for the club:

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Raise the club profile
Boost junior membership
Potential new income
New opportunities for children to develop through ‘your’ sport
Potential to share resources; equipment, facilities, coaching expertise
Access to additional facilities
Coach and Volunteer Development.
Examples of club to school links:
1. School raises the profile of the club and promotes opportunities provided by the club
i.e. circulate / display posters; invite representatives to school assemblies or arranged
visits during PE lessons.
2. Club coaches attend after school clubs to identify talented pupils and invite them to
attend a specific club session or development squad
3. Club runs an after school / extra curricular club or coaching sessions at school site
4. Taster / come and try sessions on school site followed by club site
5. Arrange for the pupils to visit the club
6. Club can get involved in organising festivals or tournaments
5
Developing school links
Key Steps to Developing School Links:
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Who do we want to link up with and why?
Before approaching the school identify some possible ideas for the partnership
Identify the information needed from the school
How will we make contact
What can we offer the partnership
How will we need to manage and promote the links
For any coaching activities taking place within the school grounds, the school’s Head Teacher
and organiser of the activity must be totally satisfied that the external coaches are qualified
and competent to supervise the activities and that they have been fully briefed about their role
and responsibilities and the school’s roles and responsibilities.
The coach and school should agree a form of contract which outlines:
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A job description/ role of the coach
The role of the class teacher
The shared responsibility and development of the programme
A commitment from the school to promote the sport and the club
Agreement to encourage teachers/ parents to take part in appropriates coaching
courses
Specific manageable targets.
6
RETENTION
Retaining Volunteers / Coaches
The goal of volunteer retention is crucial to any football club or association. It is important to
develop a sense of organisational responsibility amongst volunteers. Although volunteer
turnover is to be expected in most football clubs and associations, unusually high rates of
turnover can hinder the capacity of clubs or associations to deliver a quality service to its
members. Football clubs and associations with high rates of volunteer turnover may have to
spend significant proportions of limited resources to recruiting and training new volunteers
which will in turn limit their ability to deliver quality football development opportunities.
MANAGING YOUR VOLUNTEERS - A QUICK GUIDE
Coordination
 Appoint a volunteer / coach co-ordinator to your club or association. This individual will
be responsible for recruiting managing and recognising your volunteers. This person will
also act as a point of contact for volunteers.
Planning
 Develop a volunteer management plan. This plan should address:

Number of volunteers required and the roles they are required for

Identification of skills already in the organisation (i.e.: conduct a skills audit of
existing members and volunteers)

Recruitment strategies

Roles and responsibilities of volunteers

Roles and responsibilities of the club or association

Training that can be offered to volunteers

Ongoing day-to-day support that can be provided

Recognition strategies
Job Descriptions
 Develop job descriptions outlining volunteers’ duties. Job descriptions enable potential
volunteers to understand what is expected of them before taking on the position
Induction
 Provide new volunteers with an orientation, including:

a welcome to the club or association

details of their position

information on the day-to-day operations of the club or association

support that will be provided to them

introductions to key people in the club or association
7
Training
 Identify the training requirements of your volunteers
 Keep up to date with the training that is available locally/regionally for positions in the
club or association
Support
 Provide volunteers with a central point of contact i.e.: volunteer coordinator
 Ensure open channels of communication are available to volunteers. Provide them with
the opportunity to ask questions, discuss problems, raise issues, put forward complaints
 Make sure that volunteers are not out of pocket; where possible cover their expenses
 Ensure that the roles and responsibilities of the volunteers and the club or association are
clearly defined and communicated
 Keep volunteers regularly informed about what is happening in the club or association
 Ensure that recognition of volunteers is ongoing.
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Retaining Players
The task of retaining players within a club is almost as great as the initial recruitment process.
Young players today are faced with many opportunities in a wide range of activities and clubs
must work harder to ensure that the clubs activities continue to stimulate and motivate the
young player. Player retention is as important as Player development and it is essential that
clubs consider the feelings and thoughts of their members.
Many studies have been carried out on the motivation of young players involved in football.
Some examples of the intrinsic rewards associated with the game are:
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Fun & Enjoyment
Peer group acceptance
Personal well-being
Experience of the game
Excitement of the challenge
To assist in the planning and preparation of your season’s activities, your club might want to
ask your members the following questions:
1. Why do you play?
2. What do you enjoy most?
3. What else would you like to do?
The role of the coach in player retention is crucial. Players want to enjoy themselves, but also
want to be challenged, therefore it is important that the coach designs his/her coaching
sessions with the following points in mind:
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Use the ball
Be organised and well prepared
Provide a structured activity with realistic objectives
Offer simple instructions
Never place the players under undue pressure or put an over-emphasis on winning
Be innovative in session design and challenge players to realise potential
Be patient and offer encouragement
In addition to the intrinsic rewards, players also enjoy the social interaction and activities out with football that comes from being part of a team. Players will savour a club outing or get
together which will allow them to switch off from football and bond as a group. This may also
have a positive effect on how they then work together as a team. Furthermore, enjoyable
activities like these will encourage the player to actively continue their involvement with the
club.
It is up to you to provide the players in your care with a rewarding, challenging and enjoyable
experience every time they attend your club activities. Remember that youths perceive the
world differently from adults and that an understanding of them is sometimes more important
than an understanding of the game
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TERMS & CONDITIONS
Recruitment Terms and Conditions
It may be useful to ensure that all staff (voluntary or paid) is aware of the terms and
conditions under which they have been employed or recruited. This document will establish
the procedures for recruitment and is particularly pertinent if the club is offering paid
expenses or reimbursements.
RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE
The recruitment of all staff is dependent upon the successful completion of the club’s
recruitment procedure.
INDUCTION
Once appointed, all new staff will be given an induction by a member of the
Executive Committee. The induction includes:
 Welcome Pack – training nights, club newsletter, competition programme, club
achievements etc.
 Tour of site and facilities

 Emergency equipment and procedures
 Club contacts list – committee, coaches, facility staff
 Club documents & policies.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
All qualified coaches are expected to ensure that their qualifications are valid and updated
when required. If a qualification is due for renewal the coach must report to:
.……………………………………………………………………………………..……………
Funding assistance may be available but unfortunately cannot be guaranteed. The club is
committed to developing our staff and therefore we promise to seek and secure additional
funding to support education and training.
The following courses are recommended:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
British Red Cross Basic First Aid Award inc. Sports Injuries module
The Responsible Sports Coach (scUK Workshop)
Coaching Children (scUK Workshop)
Coaching & The Law (scUK Workshop)
Good Practice & Child Protection (NCF Workshop)
If you are interested in attending any of the above courses please contact:
………………………………………………………………………….…………………
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METHODS OF PAYMENT/ EXPENSES/ REIMBURSEMENTS
Payment
Coaches and officials rates of pay are determined in conjunction with your National
Governing Body/NVQ level of qualification. These are agreed as follows:
Coach Level 1: ………………………………
………………………………
Coach Level 2: ………………………………
………………………………
Coach Level 3: ………………………………
Official
Assistant:
Official
Level1:
Expenses/ Reimbursements
Travel – Mileage to be paid @ xxp per mile for certain journeys: To and from training
sessions to and from league matches
Food – Meal reimbursements up to £x.xx per day: After league matches only.
Protective Clothing – Up to a maximum of £xx per quarter will be paid towards specific
sports clothing as follows:
……………………………… ……………………………… ………………………………
………………………………
All expenses will be paid retrospectively. Therefore please keep all receipts and keep a note
of all mileage undertaken in compliance with the above. All expenses will be paid on a
quarterly basis.
The payment, expenses and reimbursements as stated above are liable to change on a yearly
basis. You will be informed of all amendments for the following year at the AGM.
SICKNESS / UNAVAILABILITY
In the event of any staff not being able to meet their responsibilities i.e. unable to attend
training session, please notify your replacement as early as possible:
Emergency contacts: ………………………………
………………………………
………………………………
In the event of a cancellation please notify:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
who will contact all participants or parents by telephone or letter (whichever is appropriate).
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INSURANCE
Through affiliation with the NGB the club has a public liability insurance of up to
£…………… which gives all clubs representatives cover for………………………………….
......…………………………………......................……………………………………………..
Additional personal insurance for qualified coaches and/ or officials is highly recommended
via:
……………………………………………………………………..……………………………
Please contact ……………………………................. for more details.
SIGNATURES:
Job Title
…………………………………………………………………...
Signature
……………………………..............…………………………...
Date
…………………………………………………………………...
Chair Person
…………………………………………………………………...
Date
…………………………………………………………………...
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SAMPLE JOB APPLICATION FORM
The following form can be amended to suit the job being applied for, or to gain more or less
information about someone’s past experience. This example provides some ideas for the type
of personal details you may need to ask a coach before they are recruited. This form also
gives the coach an opportunity to express their education and training needs or wants.
SECTION 1: PERSONAL DETAILS
1.
Title: □ Mr
□ Mrs
□ Miss
□ Ms
□ Other ………….......…
2.
First Name(s): ......………………………………………………………………………...
3.
Surname: …………..……………………………………………………………………...
4.
Address: .......……………………………………………………………………………...
………………………………………..............................................Postcode: …………………
5.
Tel: (day)............................................................ (eve) ...................................................….
6.
Tel:(Mobile).......................................................…Fax:..........................................……….
8.
E-Mail: ....................………………………………………………………………………
9.
Date of birth………………………………………………………………………………
10.
Gender: □ Male
□ Female
11. Ethnic Origin: □ White (UK)
□ White (European) □ Irish
□ White (other) □ Bangladeshi
□ Black African
□ Black (Caribbean)
□ Black other □ Chinese
□ Indian
□ Pakistani
□ Arab
□ Asian (other)
□ Other …………………………………….……..
12.
National Insurance Number: ……………………………………… (if applicable)
13.
Occupation:
14.
Are you registered disabled?
.................…………………………………………………………………
□ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please state disability/ special needs: …………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
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SECTION 2: COACHING QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION RELATED TO
COACHING
15. Sporting Qualifications - Please list below any relevant National Governing Body
coaching qualifications/ sports specific CPD (Continual Professional Development)
Workshops you may have attended.
Sport
16.
Level
of Date
Qualification achieved
Awarded
by (NGB)
Are you a Are you an
tutor for assessor
this award for
this
award?
Number of years coaching main sport:
□ None
17.
Expiry
date
□ Under 1 yr
□ 1-5 yrs
Are you currently affiliated to your NGB? □ Yes
□ 6-9 yrs
□ 10yrs+
□ No
If yes, through which Club/Organisation? .........…………………………………………
18.
Do you belong to a coaches association?
□ None
19.
□ NCF
□ Other: ………………………………………
Do you have insurance cover?
□ None
20.
□ NGB
□ NGB
□ Personal
□ Other.........……………………………........
Please list below any National governing Body Awards you wish to take in the future
Award/ Course
Timescale in which to take the award
0 – 6 months
6 – 12 months
12 months +
14
21.
Please list below any scUK Workshop/ Running Sport Workshop you have attended
Workshop
Date attended
22. Please list below any other relevant qualifications (e.g. First Aid)
Name of Course
Date
Expiry Date
attended
(if
Awarded by (Organisation)
applicable)
23.
Development Opportunities
Please indicate if you would be interested in any of the following areas.
Area
Interested in attending (please
tick)
Sport specific technical/tactical workshop
Fitness development workshop
Sports Psychology workshop
Nutrition workshop
Sports Injury & Management workshop
Observation and analysis Workshop
Work with more experienced coaches
Topical workshops e.g. Child Protection, Sport & the
Law
Disability Workshops
15
SECTION 3 – CURRENT COACHING ACTIVITIES
Please list below your current coaching activities
Sport Sex
Coached Age
People
(male/female/both) group with
special
needs?
Location
Name
Days/time
Time
(club/school/NGB/ of
(during term/
Local authority / scheme
holidays/both)
other)
24.
Average number of coaching hours per week: .....................……………………………...
26.
Are you:
□ paid
□ voluntary
□ both?
SECTION 4 REFERENCES
Please give details of two unrelated referees who can verify your coaching experience:
1. Name: ............................………………………………………………………………...
Address: ..........................................................................................….…………………...
..........................................................................Postcode: ....……………...………………
Tel: .......................................
2. Name: ............................……………………………………………………………….
Address: ..........................................................................................….…………………...
Postcode: ....……………...………
Tel: ....……………...………
I confirm that all of the above information is correct and true to the best of my knowledge.
Signature: ………………………………………….…………
Date: ……………………
Thank you for completing this Profile form, please return it to:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Reference Form
Dear Sir or Madam:
……………… (name of volunteer) ……………………….… has expressed an interest in
becoming a volunteer / coach at our club, and has given your name as a referee.
If you are happy to complete this reference, all the information contained on the form
will remain absolutely confidential, and will only be shared with the applicants
immediate supervisor should they be offered a volunteer position. We would appreciate
you being candid in your evaluation of this person.
1.
How long have you known the above named person? ..........……………….…………..
2.
What capacity? .....................………………………………………….…………….......
3.
What attributes does this person have that would make them a suitable volunteer?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4.
How would you describe their personality?
……………...……………………………………………………………………………………
…………….……………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Please rate this person on the following (please tick one)
Poor
Average
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Responsibility
Maturity
Self Motivation
Can
Motivate
others
Energy
Trustworthy
Reliable
This post involves substantial access to children. As an organisation committed to the
welfare and protection of children, we are anxious to know if you have any reason to be
concerned about this applicant being in contact with children or young people. Yes □ No □
If you have answered ‘yes’ we will contact you in confidence.
Thank you for your time, please return this form to:..………………………..
Yours sincerely (Signed by Chair Person)
17
SAMPLE VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT FORM
NAME OF CLUB
NAME OF VOLUNTEER (coach/team manager/official)
All coaches/team managers/officials working with NAME OF CLUB are encouraged to work
to high standards and adopt recognised best practice where possible. In addition to their own
standards of practice, all club coaches/team managers/ officials should be aware of and adopt
NAME OF CLUB club’s own:




Codes of conduct for coaches/team managers/officials
Child protection guidelines
Equity policy statement
Health & safety guidelines.
The club will ensure that its club coaches/team managers/officials have a copy of each policy
and guidance note that is relevant to their work. The club will listen to and respond to matters
that the club officials bring to its attention in relation to their work and will support, where
possible, their training needs.
I, NAME OF VOLUNTEER, am familiar with NAME OF CLUB’s standards of practice named
above and will adopt these in my work. I accept the responsibilities outlined in the attached
task description.
SIGNED:
DATE:
NAME:
NB Before a volunteer signs and returns the agreement; you should provide them with copies
of the following:





Health & safety guidelines
Codes of conduct
Equity policy statement
Child protection guidelines
Task description
18