| Volunteers today are a very important element of leisure, recreation and sports. Staging big athletic events, such the Olympic Games, would not be feasible without the use of a large amount of sport volunteers. However, research on volunteerism in sports is based largely on concepts and measures derived from studies of volunteers in non-sport industries.;An extensive literature review revealed that the knowledge regarding the internal structure of motivation to volunteer remains limited. The purpose of this study was to answer a group of research questions related to the demographic profile of sport volunteers, the internal structure of motivation to volunteer, the primary motives that influence volunteers' behavior, and the development of a reliable and valid scale to measure these motives.;In order to achieve these objectives, the author developed a survey instrument based on conceptual frameworks that emerged from the review of the literature. The event selected for the major field test of the 40-item questionnaire was the Country Music Marathon, a sport event with international participation that was held in Nashville, Tennessee.;Based on the data collected from the respondents, the predominant type of volunteer had the following characteristics: Caucasian male or female (rather female), between 25--44 years old, not married, working a full-time job, and with an income that exceeds ;The statistical analysis of the data regarding the investigation for the primary motives revealed that egoistic motives were the most important reasons that influenced people to offer their services in this marathon. A set of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses also indicated the emergence of a five-factor model to explain motivation of volunteers in marathon running events.;The 40-item questionnaire used for the purposes of this study was cross-validated and tested for its reliability. In addition, the author validated a shorter survey instrument, which proved to be an excellent research tool for use in settings where time for its administration is a major consideration. Recommendations are also suggested for future marathon event coordinators. |
