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“Sport doesn’t go ahead without volunteers.” Andrew Ridley knows it sounds like a cliché, but he says truer words have never been spoken.
He has spent thousands of hours volunteering and coaching on the sidelines, from soccer, cricket and AFL to the unique sport of goalball.
“Sport wouldn’t go ahead without volunteers, whether it’s coaching, refereeing or even just helping,” Ridley said.
“People with a disability get things pretty tough in life sometimes and if you can do a little bit to help them through sports, enjoyment, and camaraderie – understanding what it’s like to be part of a team – that’s really rewarding.
“You need volunteers who are passionate about what they do.”
Ridley is one of many volunteers who keep Para-sport functioning across Australia.
Paralympics Australia is proud to mark National Volunteer Week from May 20 in celebration of the countless volunteers around the country, including those in sport, who play a critical role across a wide range of tasks.
Volunteers in sport contribute an estimated $4 billion of labour value each year and are respected and recognised as a critical role in the delivery of sport in Australia.
From smashing balls on the cricket pitch to a role on the sidelines, Ridley got involved in goalball in 2018 working his way to head coach of Australia’s men’s team, the Aussie Storm.
“As the kids grew up, I naturally got involved, there aren’t too many people who volunteer nowadays,” he said.
“I love sport and I got involved in junior soccer, AFL and cricket.
“I give myself quite different key performance indicators from other people; for me it’s around enjoyment… if they come back the next year, you know.
“You’ve got to enjoy it, otherwise you’re just not going to do it.”
Paralympics Australia CEO Catherine Clark said volunteering is not only an incredibly positive and rewarding way to be involved but is crucial to the future of Para-sport.
“Sport simply doesn’t happen without volunteers. It’s important to recognise and celebrate the significant contribution the almost three million sport volunteers make across Australia,” she said.
“Many organisations would not be able to run successfully without the volunteers who are on the sidelines coaching or managing, or in the office as an administrator, on a board or a committee member.
“I know from my own journey, I would not have had the opportunities or experiences I have had without the passion of generous volunteers. For everything you do, we say thank you. Volunteers are at the heart of sport, of what we do.”
For Ridley, the purity of goalball is what keeps him coming back.
“Everybody is equal … it’s unlike other vision impaired sports where your sight or a degree of vision can still be an advantage,” he said.
“They’ve all got eye shades on and there’s no benefit to how much you can see.
“I love all sports … but because goalball was invented for people with a vision impairment, it just looks and feels and works like a proper sport and that’s why I really love it.”
By Natalie McGarry, Paralympics Australia
Published 22 May, 2024
