They are the backbone of any club and as sport emerges from the COVID-19 gloom and junior and senior organisations prepare to kick-off their winter competitions, there will be added strain on volunteers.
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Northern NSW Football has on behalf of it's seven member zones, which includes Northern Inland Football, put the call out for more volunteers acknowledging that for clubs to make the revised 2020 season a successful one, they will need more help from parents, senior players and the community.
NNSWF CEO David Eland said due to the delay that COVID-19 has caused and the resulting extra activities which need to occur, clubs will need more people to step-up and dedicate whatever time they can to assist.
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"We have more than 8,000 volunteers across northern NSW and they do a fabulous job. Our game wouldn't exist without them," he said.
"But football is going to be different this season and for clubs to be able to get back on the pitch and prosper they are going to need extra hands on deck."
He stressed that they are only asking for two or three hours a week.
"There are jobs everyone can do to help whether it be packing down fields, directing people and/or cars, helping to communicate to other players and families or just encouraging good hygiene," he said.
NIF operations manager Toby McVey reiterated the call. Whether it be at training or on match days, he said clubs "will need need volunteers to help them out more than ever before".
McVey welcomed the news on Wednesday that, in line junior sport, senior sport could resume from July 1.
"It's good to get back to some normality," he said.
July 18 had previously been the target to kick-off the new premier division and local senior competitions, but McVey indicated the clubs were keen to start earlier.
"Our senior guys are keen to hit the ground running and play during the school holidays," he said.
"We've got a a meeting planned to discuss the first weekend in July as potential trial game fixtures with competitions kicking off on July 11."
Of the understanding that the current training restrictions (up to only 10 in a group and no contact) will remain in place until July 1 that will give the players two weeks to get game ready.
He is urging interested junior and senior players, if they haven't already, to jump online and register.
