Lack of volunteers has some Vancouver Island youth sports seasons in danger

With the weather cooling, it’s back to school — and for many families, back to sports. 

But some Vancouver Island leagues may be in jeopardy, with organizers calling for volunteers to step up to keep the lights on and the Zambonis rolling. 

Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association (VIAHA) put out a call for volunteers earlier this week, saying that five divisions required volunteer commissioners and teams would not be receiving games until those volunteers were in place. 

While some of those roles have since been filled, VIAHA president Al McCulloch says there’s still roughly four or five vacant roles, from team level positions like coaches, managers, and tournament coordinators, to bigger commissioner and board roles. 

"It doesn't matter what it is; people don't really volunteer until they're basically forced to," said McCulloch. 

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"In a lot of ways, we have to threaten them with, ‘Well, we don't have these people, your kids don't play hockey.’ And that's not what we want to do. It feels strong-handed, but that's what happens." 

While VIAHA might be the largest organization impacted, it's not alone. The Vancouver Island Field Lacrosse League (VIFLL) put out a similar call looking for commissioners for its U11 and U13 leagues, with games delayed until the positions are filled.

Lower Island Soccer, which has five member clubs and over 9,500 participants, says it’s struggling to find volunteer coaches. Executive diretor Stuart Bancroft said each year it gets harder to fill those volunteer roles. 

It’s not just minor sports on Vancouver Island seeing the struggle — volunteerism is dropping across Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, 79 per cent of Canadians volunteered in 2018.

But