Types of Volunteers

[davetherocketguy]

Are clubs creating an open, welcoming environment to allow people to step into new volunteer position? Are they creating teaching opportunities for people to learn? Clubs often talk about needing more TDs/volunteers for events, big and small. How well informed are potential TDs about all aspects - arranging prize packs (where do I go to get shirts printed?), park requirements and permits (who do I contact for reservations or where do I rent port-a-jons?), to rules, regulations, OB (do I go with the standard tried-and-true OB lines because that's how it's always been, or do I create some new OB markings?). And perhaps most important, what will the reaction be when I inevitably screw something up the first time I run an event? Will I get support from club members? Or, will someone go on FB griping that the lunch break was too short or OB on #15 wasn't clearly defined or the players pack only had small shirts?

You bring up some great points. This post right here gives me a lot to think about.
:thmbup:

 

[dmoore1998]

We seem to get a lot of people who either volunteer then back out/ghost...or just won't volunteer because "I don't know how to". I don't know how to pour concrete, or frame teepads, or use a chainsaw, etc. It doesn't seem to matter how many times people say "no problem, we always need extra hands to run tools back and forth, or hold things in place, or use a shovel". These are people I think would genuinely like to help if the tasks were in their wheelhouse...but feel like they'll be a burden because they don't know how to do something and refuse to accept the reality that half the people who will be there won't know what they're doing.

 

[davetherocketguy]

But wait, there's more...

The "The Club is out to get me" guy. Everything the Club does is somehow underhanded or negatively impacts their direct life.
...Dude, if that's the way you think, no wonder your life is in shambles.

The "Mighty Mouse" guy: This is really just a super-fanboi that loves disc golf so much he just wants to think about disc golf and talk about disc golf all day. Yeah disc golf! So, he volunteers for (almost) everything, and NEVER follows through on anything.

I know a guy that is a combination of those two. It's really really annoying. And his life is in shambles.

 

[autocrosscrx]

We seem to get a lot of people who either volunteer then back out/ghost...or just won't volunteer because "I don't know how to". I don't know how to pour concrete, or frame teepads, or use a chainsaw, etc. It doesn't seem to matter how many times people say "no problem, we always need extra hands to run tools back and forth, or hold things in place, or use a shovel". These are people I think would genuinely like to help if the tasks were in their wheelhouse...but feel like they'll be a burden because they don't know how to do something and refuse to accept the reality that half the people who will be there won't know what they're doing.

I don't do any kind of volunteering with disc golf, but the timing seems consistently tough with my local club. They ask for volunteers. All sorts of people volunteer, then the organizer is like, "Alright, meet at 10 AM Tuesday." Then like 2 people show because most people have work.

 

[dmoore1998]

I don't do any kind of volunteering with disc golf, but the timing seems consistently tough with my local club. They ask for volunteers. All sorts of people volunteer, then the organizer is like, "Alright, meet at 10 AM Tuesday." Then like 2 people show because most people have work.

That's what one of the bigger clubs in the area does. Every work day is a random weekday in the middle of the day (and often posted the night before for the first time). Since we're small and mostly working adults we're pretty much always Saturday mornings...which seems to interfere with Friday night activities of most of our younger folks.

Now that our course re-do is done, there probably won't be a whole lot more work for us thankfully. I'd spend that time helping the bigger clubs in the area if they ever did it during a normal time (heck a course is going in relatively nearby and they're begging for help installing teepads and baskets...and then at the bottom of the post it says they're going to do it every Thursday from 9am-1pm...cool...you got 3 people to show up...do it Saturday morning and you'll probably have at least 50).

 

[Golden Tuna]

Are clubs creating an open, welcoming environment to allow people to step into new volunteer position? ....

Yes. I believe our Club in St. Louis does this well. We have numerous "partner" organizations (Smokin' Aces, Team Blackout, Dark Ace, Godfathers, Coaches, etc.) that have volunteered to co-brand an event and run it for us. Yes, we have had hiccups, but we generally address them as a group and the model has been mostly successful.

I know a guy that is a combination of those two. It's really really annoying. And his life is in shambles.

They usually are. Can't say no, so they take on way too much and never start (or finish) any of it...

I don't do any kind of volunteering with disc golf, but the timing seems consistently tough with my local club. They ask for volunteers. All sorts of people volunteer, then the organizer is like, "Alright, meet at 10 AM Tuesday." Then like 2 people show because most people have work.

I don't think it would matter that much. People are selfish and lazy. We host work days on Saturday with free beer and lunch and still only get a handful (depending on course).

And, another new one, The "Consultant".
We had a guy reach out and volunteer. As Club President, I responded, "Great! We need all the help we can get! Are you interested in helping at the course, events, or joining the board?" He replied, "I was thinking I would be more like a consultant. So, I would come in and tell you guys everything you're doing wrong and how to fix it."

 

[ballgolfconvert]

Our local club schedules work days on the hottest possible days and in direct conflict of popular leagues (Every damn week). League directors keep quitting but the club president refuses to budge. He is also the one that wants changes to be made where no change is wanted by the majority of players. Not a good situation, and it has caused any normal helpers to play neither league or help at workdays. i believe pride makes him refuse to do the right thing. He lost a really good helper and league runner with these antics.

 

[Billipo]

I/We guy - player desperately looking for that thumbs up. Only mildly volunteers for high visibility stuff especially when it's "photo ops". Needing that Ego recharge.

If it's positive and they had the slightest participation then it's "I, I, I"

If club did the work but not them then it's " We did it"

 

[walker139]

It's a real world personality assortment. There are people who continually put in extra effort and educate themselves, and there are people just existing. I have never ran a league, been involved with a club or directed a tourny but I have installed new signs at my hometown course, pruned trees and bushes, picked up trash during my rounds, given away discs to new players, continue be an advocate for the sport, etc. I do believe that Karma works itself out and hopefully people chip in where they can, when they can, to the best of their abilities. Some people just don't have the bandwidth to contribute at a "higher" level, hopefully they pitch in and do good for the sport in other ways.

 

[davetherocketguy]

So I had someone suggest we get a power broom for our tee pads. One suggested we could "easily" rent one. Dude found a web site with what appeared to be a pretty good deal and shared the web site with a bunch of people on a FB messenger group. Yeah, its a good deal if you live in AUSTRAILIA.

:clap:

Dude means well...I just found it funny.

 

[jeffmonty]

There's a local retired guy here that never volunteers for anything, but if a post is made on the club FB page about a work party, and he's out of town on a trip somewhere, he always chimes in with a response like "I sure wish I could be there to help, but I'm in Hawaii right now". No intent to help, just letting everyone know he's in Hawaii.

 

[`cjc]

I like having this forum to vent on. I try hard in the real world to stay positive and not worry about those that don't help.
I've learned as I get older that it really is 10% of people who truly work hard and keep it going for the other 90%. Disc is that, and many jobsites are no different.
Sometimes I feel like a sucker for being the 10% guy, but at the same time I can't shut it off, so what are you going to do? Recognition is always nice, but I do get a personal satisfaction after pouring a new teepad, or clearing a new fairway.
There is something kind of fun about working anonymously, and then listening to peoples real thoughts about things. I've had to bite my tongue listening to people sh!t on work I had done on a course. And listened while people praised the effort put in.

I've had similar experiences over the years too.

The one take I have is that the overwhelming majority of disc golfers are dysfunctional when it comes to anything disc golf related.

An embarrassment to the game, the course, and quite frankly themselves imo.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[mr.smOOOth]

My favorite guy is the old timer who now refuses to do anything work related because he did it all 'back in the day'.

I did like having a key and getting to move baskets. Boy would I hear the complaints then!

 

[madbrad]

On the fly volunteer. Don't expect me to sign up for anything, but I will cut down that thorn bush my disc lands in, toss some fallen branches to the edge of the woods, pick up garbage I walk past, put a few bucks in the course work donation box.

 

[davetherocketguy]

Ok I need a name for this type of volunteer...And I am NOT making any of this up:

Dude complains about a tournament I am running. Dude wants to make it MUCH bigger. Go from one course over 2 days to a 3 course 3 day tourney. I do not have time for this. I say I need someone else to run it. Dude says, nah we'll figure this out later. I say yeah I don't think so. I'm not scheduling this nonsense with the state coordinator until someone commits to running this monstrosity. So we figure it's time for a meeting. I give him my availability and dude schedules a time and place. I proceed to invite the club. We have the meeting. Does the dude asking for this giant tourney and schedule the meeting show up? Nope. :wall:

Welp...we got a bunch of stuff hammered out so it was productive but without dudes input. Guess dude lost his right to complain...

 

[DavidSauls]

I can only assume that dude wasn't one of the assistants who had busted his butt, helping out the current edition of the tournament?

I once knew a Little League coach who, when parents complained, would stand there silently until they finished. Then, without a word, he would take off his cap, and place it on the parent's head.

 

[Dcinmd]

Ok I need a name for this type of volunteer...And I am NOT making any of this up:

A helicopter volunteer?

He is in the air to comment on everything but is never on the ground to do any of the work?

 

[glassila]

Ok I need a name for this type of volunteer...And I am NOT making any of this up:

Dude complains about a tournament I am running. Dude wants to make it MUCH bigger. Go from one course over 2 days to a 3 course 3 day tourney. I do not have time for this. I say I need someone else to run it. Dude says, nah we'll figure this out later. I say yeah I don't think so. I'm not scheduling this nonsense with the state coordinator until someone commits to running this monstrosity. So we figure it's time for a meeting. I give him my availability and dude schedules a time and place. I proceed to invite the club. We have the meeting. Does the dude asking for this giant tourney and schedule the meeting show up? Nope. :wall:

Welp...we got a bunch of stuff hammered out so it was productive but without dudes input. Guess dude lost his right to complain...

This guy is not a volunteer in any way, shape or form. He is the "we should do this" guy, also known as the "suggestion" guy.

If you ask course maintenance people and tournament workers they will say that the "suggestion" guy is the biggest pain in the arse.

Furthermore, I get the feeling that when the course work/event is done "suggestion guy" somehow believes he contributed to it. Probably tells his friends, "that was my idea". :doh:

 

[autocrosscrx]

I assume this was unsolicited complaints.

I've definitely seen cases where the TD or the club or whoever else asks for feedback, then snaps back at anyone that offers feedback for complaining and challenges them to volunteer.

 

[davetherocketguy]

I assume this was unsolicited complaints.

Yes

I've definitely seen cases where the TD or the club or whoever else asks for feedback, then snaps back at anyone that offers feedback for complaining and challenges them to volunteer.

Glad I don't do that. Yikes