The role of the 'builder' in community sport in Canada

Sport in Canada is led mostly led by volunteers and accounts for the largest proportion of volunteers in the country. Much of our sport infrastructure, especially in terms of the establishment of community sport facilities, and continued operation of organizations, depends on volunteers. Trends of declining and changing types of volunteering have profoundly negative potential consequences for community sport, especially if the key volunteers of our sport system are not replaced. For sport and recreation managers, in local government and in provincial or national sport governing bodies, the challenge will be to encourage and support existing sport builders and to be on the lookout for their successors. This project seeks to understand community sport ‘builders’, to illustrate the nature of their motivations and contributions, and to explore the types of support they need and desire in order to continue their work as exceptional volunteers.