We understand that it feels like everything used to run on volunteers alone, but it’s worth noting that while volunteers have always played a vital role and will continue to do so, they were never the only part of the Lopez system supporting sports and youth programs. There’s always been a mix of staff, resources, and community support behind the scenes. A few points to consider are:
Even in the past, parents could coach or help, but who would pay for the bus, the ferry fees, the drivers, the uniforms, the field maintenance, the referees, and all the scheduling and logistics? Those costs don’t disappear just because you rely on volunteers. It takes a structured program, not just goodwill, to make sure kids can actually develop skills over time, get to games, participate safely, and be competitive with other schools in the district.
These programs require planning, staffing, safety oversight, materials, and reliable scheduling. Volunteers can certainly help- and have – but without paid staff to organize and manage, it’s simply unrealistic to expect them to consistently deliver the quality and continuity families depend on. Being solely volunteer-run has simply never been the case.
Right now, many youth opportunities on Lopez only exist because a handful of passionate parents step up while their kids are involved. But when those kids graduate or “age out,” those parents usually stop volunteering. If no one else steps in, the program collapses. We’ve seen this happen – kids excited about a sport suddenly lose it because the volunteer support disappears. That’s what happened to our beloved Lopez baseball program. It’s heartbreaking and unfair to the kids. Paid staff provide continuity and stability so programs aren’t dependent on one or two families carrying the entire burden.
It’s not that people don’t care – they do. But families today are stretched thin with jobs, child care, and making ends meet. National and local studies confirm this: volunteer recruitment is harder than ever, turnover is high, and burnout is common. On Lopez most families need two incomes to make ends meet, so people have less time to volunteer than they used to. We see this reality on the ground: sometimes it’s difficult to find just three volunteers for an hour and half for a home soccer game – one to take tickets at the gate, one to run concessions, and one to manage the scoreboard. And these are extremely small, one-off tasks compared to the year-round responsibility of actually organizing, funding, and running entire sports programs.
Sports and after-school programs aren’t just about fun – they also involve safety, transportation, liability, and consistent oversight. These state and regulatory body requirements have really changed over the years, and that’s unfortunately just today’s reality. If we want every kid to have the same opportunity we need a system that doesn’t collapse when people’s schedules change. Paid staff can handle logistics and accountability, while volunteers can still support in meaningful but sustainable ways.
Volunteering and coming together as a community are still a part of what makes Lopez special, and there will always be room for “good hearted volunteers” on Lopez – but ask anyone involved in programming, and they will tell you that depending solely on them is unrealistic and puts kids’ opportunities at constant risk. Having a funded, staffed Rec District means programs don’t rise and fall based on a handful of parents’ availability. It ensures stability, fairness, and continuity—so kids don’t lose access to the sports and activities that matter most to them. While volunteering looks different than it did in the past, our community still finds a way—and that’s what Lopez Rec is about: a local solution. For Lopez, by Lopez.
Rally for the Rec © 2024 Lopez Island Parks and Rec District Formation Committee | Website and Branding by Stephanie Cariker
