The Ontario Minor Hockey Association is
highlighting and celebrating the critical and often overlooked role of hockey
volunteers by announcing an annual awareness initiative the last week of
February each year, with the inaugural launch of Thank a Volunteer Week set for
February 25-March 3, 2019.
If you know someone in your hockey community who deserves to be recognized you can submit their story at omha.net/thank-a-volunteer. All volunteer submissions will be profiled through short stories and three will be chosen annually for full video profiles.
“The OMHA considers volunteerism the backbone of our operations and without the commitment of time, effort and diligence, the association could not function with the efficiency it does today,” says Ian Taylor, Executive Director of the OMHA. “This annual acknowledgement is just a small way to recognize their efforts and encourage others to share in that same passion.”
Thank a Volunteer Week will be highlighted through volunteer video profiles, motivational tools to attract new volunteers, and material-sharing for associations that outline benefits of volunteering.
“By profiling these giving people, we hope to highlight their committed efforts, as well as demonstrate the related joy they get out of their work,” adds Taylor.
Volunteers are an extremely dedicated group of parents, community members and administrators that give their time to ensure a positive minor hockey experience for our young athletes. The OMHA takes great pride in having an outstanding group of volunteers across its centres.
Every bit of volunteerism makes an impact – from organizing community Hockey Gives Back events to creating a carpool schedule, these things all add up in the big picture. Associations rely on a few to do the work of many.
Some volunteer statistics to consider:
· More than 30,000 people volunteer within the OMHA
· Contributions of time include coaches, trainers, managers, time keepers, fundraisers and administrators, with 13,500 coaches leading the way by percentage
· Ratio of volunteers to players is 1:3
· Total number of training modules/courses completed by volunteers: 22,250