14/06/2026
To all my friends who volunteer at sporting clubs – and there are many of you – thank you.
And to those who don’t volunteer, or perhaps can’t volunteer as much as they’d like, here are a few things to consider that you may not know about what goes on behind the scenes.
Another wet day today on the back of yesterday’s rain.
Right now, volunteers everywhere are checking weather forecasts, inspecting fields, discussing training and trying to make the best decision for their club. None of these volunteers want to cancel training. Everyone wants to keep players on the field as much as possible. They are simply trying to balance what’s best for the players, the fields and the long-term future of the club.
At the same time, they’re preparing themselves for the complaints that often come when training is cancelled or fields are closed.
For those who say, “We used to train and play in the mud” – yes, we did.
We also used to have players knocked out and leave them on the field.
We used to patch up head wounds, fill them with Vaseline and keep playing.
We used to have a magic sponge sitting in a bucket of water full of dirt, sweat and blood that we’d suck water out of and drink from during games. When players were winded, we used to push their knees into their chest because we thought it would help them recover. We now know that in some cases, where broken ribs were involved, that practice could actually cause serious injuries, including punctured lungs.
Times have changed, and for good reason.
Yes, muddy training sessions were fun, but clubs today have a responsibility to protect players, facilities and the future of the club.
What many people don’t see are the hundreds of volunteer hours that go into maintaining a field. The same people who want to train on waterlogged grounds are often the first to complain when the field isn’t green enough, has bare patches or gets muddy.
One wet training session can cause weeks or months of damage.
That damage doesn’t just affect the field. It can lead to cancelled games, reduced canteen income, lost field hire revenue and expensive repair bills. For many volunteer-run clubs, that means less money coming in and more money going out.
For a club with 300 players, major field repairs can add tens of thousands of dollars in costs. Those costs eventually find their way back into player fees. Ironically, the people who complain about cancelled training are often the same people who complain when fees increase.
Before criticising a club for protecting its fields, take a moment to consider what’s involved.
Think about the volunteers. Think about the cost of repairs. Think about the long-term benefit of having quality facilities all season rather than one extra muddy training session.
Most importantly, remember that the people making these decisions are usually volunteers doing their best for the club, not for themselves.
The game has changed. Community sport has changed. Expectations have changed.
Maybe it’s time our thinking changed too.
