Analysing volunteering strategies within
commercial sport. A case study from Scottish
Professional Youth Soccer
Robert Kielty
Glasgow Caledonian University
Objectives
Analyse the volunteer strategy adopted
Challenges
Framing within Volunteer research
Why the quantum leap ?
•
McLeish Report (2010)
•
Competition qualification failure (France 1998)
•
•
Lack of elite players playing internationally
(see EPL / Europe)
•
ECL low rating
•
Bleak financial back drop of associated clubs
(‘just too many clubs’)
•
Emergence of ‘academic’ evidence-based
research into elite athletic development
(Holland) - CONTESTED
•
Asked for Government funding
a three-tier structure on the basis of
pre-determined “Elite Academy”,
“Performance” and “Initiative”
criteria.
Commercial Football: Characteristics
• ‘Professional’ perspective
• private business not state
• Private culture and
accountability
• Models of academic
partnerships are rare
• Lack of consensus
‘Some people think that academies are the
way forward and a lot of them work on
the blueprint from Clairefontaine in France
but I’ve been on courses where I’ve argued
about it and studies have come back to
say academies aren’t working.
“They are not as successful as people
thought they were going to be’
Problem & Solution
Problem – Scrutiny of criteria requirements – most clubs
cannot meet the criteria set by governing body:
E.G - Sports Science (Physical Preparation)
Salaried specialist staff & equipment (e.g. – testing)
Accommodation (indoor 4G AstroTurf)
Deliver to 100+ players each week
Data base of player profiling
Parental support, lifestyle management
Solution –Human capital requirement (Volunteers)
Case Study: DAFC
• Pedagogy
• Physical
Preparation
• Lifestyle
University
College
School
placements
Supervisor
• ‘Mixing’
HR [bpm]
200
HR [bpm]
200
180
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160
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120
100
100
80
80
60
60
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20
129 bpm
0
0:00:00
0:20:00
0:40:00
1:00:00
1:20:00
1:40:00
Time
Cursor values:
Time: 0:00:00
HR: 86 bpm
Calorie rate: 0 kcal/60min
Person
Exercise
Sport
Note
PLAYER 10
06/10/2009 02:30
Running
Date
06/10/2009
Time
02:30:34
Duration 1:44:45.0
Heart rate average
Heart rate max
Selection
129 bpm
190 bpm
0:00:00 - 1:44:45 (1:44:45.0)
What you get
Knowledge Transfer
Season ticket
Clothing
Expenses (> minimum wage)
Free accommodation on club visits
Free access to SFA CPD programme
1 x In-service KT session per month
Video scrutiny of delivery
Results: Numbers
• Since 2009. 45+
volunteers have been
up skilled
• 400+ elite players have
been experienced
• 75% of current 1st team
from environment
• 8 volunteers have
employment
• 85% of pupils studying
related themes at FE/HE
• 4/5 RATING from
Governing Body
• ‘innovative; sector
leading model; excellent
support structure’
Results: Academic Culture
• Conference papers
(e.g. –WCAA; ISSA; LSA)
• Journal articles (LSA)
• Conference in partnership
(SSS + SFA)
• Visiting presentation
• Evaluation ‘culture’
• Usage of social media
• Network value
• Club visits
•
•
•
•
•
Changing status at club
Taken seriously
Parental activity
Less ‘discrimination’
Criteria ‘pawn’
Results: Capital
Recruitment
Perceptions
•
•
•
•
Unemployment fear
HE = little industry experience
Professional soccer –
the dream
the value
Pay to work for free
Better than cleaning loos
In service = weakness
diagnosis
247 applicants for 9 places
44 PhD
100 PG
Geography
Observations on research
Examples
DeSouza (2005) – HE – barriers
–widening access – avoiding
the ‘safe pair of hands’. Case
study based x 3.
VDS / Sports scotland 20112015 - The success of sport
depends on volunteering at
many levels’
Implications for DAFC
• Need serious structure to offer
social inclusion (training,
travelling and evaluation)
• DAFC is ring fenced –allowing
volunteers to be paid
• Volunteering is integral (not
peripheral)
Observations on research
Examples
Implications
Nichols (2006) -reviewing
the question – member
/activist model
• Conflict between paid and volunteer
structure
• Lack of stake/autonomy is
addressed
• nature of pro football creating a
new volunteer monster
Blackshaw (2008) –redefining the community in
football
• Creating a ‘new kind of dignity’
(private + public, elitist + wideing
opportunities)
Observations on research
Examples
VEU (2010)
‘Mismatch between supply and
demand’
Implications
• Re-training of volunteers
• 75% of in-service activity is
pedagogical foundation
Challenges
Volunteer research
Football
• LONG TERM APPROACH
• Social capital of experience
• Employment routes
• Widening access (social
inclusion)
• Elitist recruitment
• Narratives of ‘free’ full time
volunteers
• RESOURCE FOCUS
• COMPARISONS AGAINST
PUBLIC FUNDED BODIES
Thank you
Robert.kielty@gcal.ac.uk
Twitter: @robertkielty