Volunteers on Volunteering

Abstract

Sporting mega-events improve local economy, affect political processes, and develop such non-commercial sector as volunteering. The article examines the attitude of volunteers to the legacy of such sporting mega-events as Olympic or Paralympic Games. An online survey of volunteers (n=332) who participated in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2014 defined various problems that hinder the development of volunteering in Russia. Most respondents were satisfied with their volunteering experience and expressed eagerness to volunteer specifically in this area. They remarked on the increase in the number of volunteer centers and volunteers in Russia as the most significant consequences of the Olympic Games in the field of volunteering. The research results contribute to the Olympic studies and cast light on the public attitude to Olympic volunteering.