Paraguay

This chapter aims to describe sports volunteering in Paraguay and the reasons why it is a rather small phenomenon in contrast to other countries described in this book. To understand the scope of sports volunteering in Paraguay, it is important to understand the overarching concept of volunteering for its inhabitants. In a society where people are striving to find a secure job and a stable income, to dedicate much time to volunteer in sports can be challenging. To society, volunteering is understood as the time one dedicates for a cause, event, or institution without receiving financial remuneration. The willingness to help and volunteer is a major pillar in the Paraguayan society, as reflected by large events – mainly religious events – and fundraisers for nonprofit organizations. As for volunteering in sports, the demand for volunteers is mainly for sports events and, if needed, mostly not in large numbers. Information on sports volunteering is limited, but nonetheless this chapter provides a better understanding of the volunteering landscape. The lack of literature and information on volunteering in sports is a hindrance to obtain a deeper insight into the voluntary engagement in sports clubs all over the country – therefore interviews were conducted and an ethnographic perspective is taken.