Volunteering in international sports events from a public administration perspective

Abstract

Volunteering constitutes a crucial part not only of sport management but also public service delivery. International sports events represent a special case in this respect due to the necessity of cooperation between public and private actors. This chapter seeks to address the following research question: is there room of for cooperation and/or does each actor have to go it alone? The aim of this study is to identify and explain how public administrations can and should involve themselves in international sports events. In pursuing this, the authors analyse a case study – UEFA U-21 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Based on the case, we conclude that volunteering in international sports events is a good example of two different management paradigms of administration co-existing – on the one hand, the managerial driven international sport organisation and on the other hand, the network driven local/national government.