Question about volunteering

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by alephzer0

So are you saying that I could be a non-lead (assistant) scorekeeper?
Or a ref if I'm mature(which I am if the situation calls)?
I need a little clarification.

I'm going to chime in here as a Volunteer Coordinator. I'm sure others will chime in as this thread gains traction as well.

Personally, I would not assign a high school student to any role that affects outcomes of the matches (scorekeeper, ref, etc), even as an assistant, if you're volunteering within your home region. Yes, volunteers are all required to sign a conflict of interest form - but I'd rather spare the potential for an issue to arise.

While you're still in high school, I'd keep you in non-technical roles. Field reset, queueing, Pit Admin, spare parts. After you've spent some time volunteering, or when you're in college, assistant scorekeeper or FTAA fits what you're describing.

I tend not to assign young people as referees, inspectors, judges -roles that require training and maturity- even if they're college students (and in that case, it's a maturity judgement call.) There are particular roles at events that directly impact all teams' experiences, and those are usually better left to adults. There needs to be an intense understanding of the weight of your decisions and how your attitude/actions as a volunteer make & shape the teams' perceptions of the event. That's part of why Conflict of Interest forms exist.

Regardless of age or role assignment, there needs to be a maturity level there, in recognizing that you are the face of FIRST to the kids on teams, and it is your responsibility to make their experience a good one. <minor soapbox moment> Volunteering isn't about you, it's about making sure the teams have the best possible experience at the event you're volunteering for. </minor soapbox moment>

Hope that helps!