Lightning on the lookout for volunteers

Here’s a great chance to be part of the excitement of the Sunshine Coast’s new national netball team.

With the help of Sunshine Coast Council, which is assisting with gameday operations, the Lightning is seeking to bolster its forces by recruiting an army of community volunteers for the upcoming Suncorp Super Netball season.

Positions available include gameday ushers, gate-keeping ticket scanners, meet and greet crew and sports management positions working both in the office and on gamedays.

Tourism, Events and Sport Portfolio Cr Jason O’Pray said becoming a volunteer was a great way to be involved in the new club which is less than a month away from its debut game.

“The excitement around the Lightning is enormous and our volunteers will play a huge role in making the club a success off the court,” Cr O’Pray said.

“Although the team is owned by the Melbourne Storm and USC and administered by the Lightning management, council is providing its expertise in respect to gameday operations, particularly the five games which will be played at the revamped USC stadium.

“If you’re interested in being an important part of the Lightning, and want to experience the behind-the-scenes workings of an elite sporting team, then this is the opportunity for you.

“The Lightning is a great asset to our community and is a community club at heart.”

Ideally volunteers will become part of the team by committing to the whole season - seven home games, including pre-season.

In return, volunteers will receive a Sunshine Coast Lightning polo shirt, hat, a behind-the-scenes tour of Lightning’s home court by one of their players, meals, parking and an invitation to an end-of-season celebration.

If you’re interested in volunteering, come along to the recruitment night at 6pm on Monday, January 30 at the USC Innovation Centre where positions will be filled.

Training for all positions will be completed on February 6 to start the experience off at the pre-season matches on February 10 and 12.

Please be aware that there may be more interest than volunteering roles available, so not everyone may be offered a volunteering opportunity for the inaugural season.

Every effort will be made to appoint volunteers to their area of interest, but this may not be possible for all positions.

Volunteers will require an up-to-date Blue Card.

Volunteer position descriptions

Usher – Be on the front-line! Assist patrons in finding their seats and give them directions around the venue. You may be required to assist with other duties as directed by Sunshine Coast Lightning staff.

Gates – Calling all gate keepers! Scan in patrons’ tickets as they enter the venue. You may be required to assist with other duties as directed by Sunshine Coast Lightning staff.

Meet & greet – The happy face of Lightning. Be a wealth of information for fans needing assistance.  Encourage attendees to sample everything the activation zone has to offer and ensure people are queuing in the correct areas. You may be required to assist with other duties as directed by Sunshine Coast Lightning staff.

Mascot assistant – Help the mascot navigate the venue and engage with members and fans.

Event Operations – The all-rounder! Assist the Lightning team with the general set-up, management and pack-up of games.

Sports management volunteers

In addition to the game-day roles, Lightning is looking for volunteers to get second-to-none experience in the office with the management team. There are a range of positions available in the following areas:

Media – read all about it! Duties may include writing match reports, assisting with media calls and interviewing players.

Social media – the social butterfly will assist with content production and posting to Lightning social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

Digital and video production – create a work of art filming the game, training, players, crowds and more.

Photography – snap the memorable moments of the match, the players, the crowd and the fun!