Volunteer Crisis in Sports
From Research and Reason by Faculty of Arts and Education, University of Auckland
October 7, 2025 · 30 min · Season 5 · Episode 4
About this episode
Dr Blake Bennett discusses the challenges faced by volunteer sports coaches in New Zealand and the importance of supporting them.
Where have all the coaches gone? In this episode, Dr Blake Bennett talks to our media adviser Julianne Evans to unpack the hidden pressures of volunteer sport coaching in New Zealand. From the decline in volunteer numbers to the toll on their wellbeing, Blake shares insights from his research and his experience of coaching the national kendo team. As participation in sports remains high, Blake believes that recruiting and supporting volunteers are critical to keeping these opportunities available to young people. Read more about Blake’s research here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/09/02/volunteer-sports-coaches-are-throwing-in-the-towel.html
People in this episode
Host: Julianne Evans
Guest: Dr Blake Bennett
Topics covered
- volunteer coaching
- sports participation
- wellbeing
- kendo
- youth opportunities
Keywords
- volunteer crisis
- sports coaching
- New Zealand
- wellbeing
- youth sports
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Auckland
Places: New Zealand
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