Caracterización del voluntariado deportivo en España: la perspectiva de los empleadores

Introduction: Sport volunteering in Spain is regulated by Law 6/96 and is prevalent in universities and sports clubs. However, its characteristics in other types of organisations remain underexplored. Objective: Hence, a comprehensive overview of the current state of sports volunteering in Spain based on the views of sport employers was conducted in order to address this issue. Methodology: Implemented between May and July 2022, the European survey, designed and implemented by the European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE), collected responses from 70 Spanish sport organisations and focused on the skills required in volunteering, the difficulties to attract and engage volunteers, and the management and retention of volunteers. Results: Volunteers are highly valued for their social contributions and essential support to the execution of sport events, and that volunteering should reflect social diversity. It was confirmed that volunteers should have technical skills and specific knowledge as well as a high level of motivation. Barriers such as the lack of time and recognition were underlined as impactful on volunteer participation. Discussion: However, the assessment of volunteers' skills, their recruitment and retention may be conditioned by expectations regarding their personality, prior knowledge, and social, cultural, symbolic and physical backgrounds. Conclusions: Overall, while Spanish sport volunteering has an essential role in sport and a recognised strong social support, it also faces structural challenges that must be addressed to expand and strengthen its legitimacy.