Volunteering has given me my love of sport back, by Beth Fisher

Beth Fisher, a Wales Hockey international, is a volunteer board member for Welsh Cycling and an ambassador for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender) Sport Network.

She was recently awarded the Women in Sport award at the Chwarae Teg Womenspire Awards.

Sport without volunteers would simply mean no sport. A huge statement but it’s true. As a kid growing up playing hockey I took for granted the coaching, the organisation and the lifts. Thanks to these volunteers – who are still volunteering - I was simply allowed to turn up, play and learn the game.

Being absolutely honest I always thought I was “too busy” to volunteer but that changed in 2014. Whilst I was injured I volunteered to coach Penarth Ladies Hockey Club junior section. I was having a personal crisis because I couldn’t play and to be honest I was falling out of love with hockey. But coaching these junior girls changed that in an instant. In them I saw myself 20 years ago. They turned up week in and week out simply because they loved playing hockey and seeing the joy in their faces when they grasped a new skill was truly inspirational. They are my role models and I always think of them when struggling to find the motivation to train!

We currently live in a world where our time seems to be more stretched and, because sport is becoming more professional, people expect more for their race entry or membership. But remember, 99% of the time the people behind the scenes are doing it for free and probably have full-time jobs on top of everything else.

At a recent Welsh Cycling Board meeting I was astounded to hear how many volunteers it takes to run just one cycling event. These people aren’t in it for money or the prestige; they are there simply for the love of the sport. And this passion and commitment must be cherished and continued by the next generation.

Retaining and gaining more volunteers is a huge challenge for Welsh Cycling and all governing bodies in Wales. I think we could all give a couple of hours a week more to the sport we love and I would genuinely encourage everyone to go back to where they started. There may be no payment but in my experience the honour of inspiring the next generation has been absolutely priceless!