New national initiative will recognise the young people whose energy, commitment and leadership make sport happen in communities across Ireland
Sport for Business and ClubSpot have today, Tuesday, September 15th, launched a new national initiative to recognise 30 outstanding young volunteers from across Irish sport.
The initiative invites clubs and sporting organisations across Ireland to nominate young people under 30 who are making an exceptional voluntary contribution to their sport.
It builds on the success of the Sport for Business PwC 30 Under 30, which celebrates its tenth year in 2026 and has established itself as an important recognition of the emerging generation working professionally in and around the business of sport.
The new programme takes that same principle into the heart of community and grassroots sport.
Youth’s Importance in Volunteer-Run Sport
Young volunteers coach teams, referee matches, organise competitions, serve on committees, manage social media, raise funds, support inclusion, look after facilities, and take on countless other responsibilities that allow clubs to function every week.
There is deliberately no requirement relating to what nominees do in their working lives.
They could be students, apprentices, teachers, nurses, Gardaí, doctors, tradespeople, accountants, engineers or working in any other field. This recognition is about what they give back to sport.
For the inaugural 2026 programme, nominees must have been born on or after January 1st, 1997.
Nominations are welcome from across the sporting spectrum and from clubs of every size. The emphasis will be on impact, commitment, leadership and the difference an individual makes within their sporting community rather than simply length of service.
Recognising a New Generation
“Sport in Ireland simply could not operate in the way it does without volunteers,” said Rob Hartnett, Founder of Sport for Business.
“The Sport for Business PwC 30 Under 30 celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and has given us the privilege of watching a generation of talented young people develop into increasingly influential roles across the business of sport.
“It struck us that there is another 30 Under 30 whose contribution deserves to be celebrated just as loudly.
“These are the young people who give up evenings and weekends to coach, officiate, organise, communicate, fundraise and generally make things happen within their clubs.
“They don’t have to work in sport. In fact, that’s part of the point. They could be studying or pursuing careers in completely different areas, but they have chosen to give their time and talent back to sport and their community.
“We want clubs to think about that person under 30 who is always there, who puts their hand up and who makes a real difference. This is their opportunity to put them forward for national recognition.”
ClubSpot and the Power of Clubs
ClubSpot is the initiative’s founding partner and will use its extensive connections with clubs to bring the call for nominations directly to communities across Ireland.
“Young volunteers are absolutely central to the future of our clubs,” said John Hyland, Founder of ClubSpot.
“Through our work with clubs, we get to see the commitment that goes on behind the scenes every day, much of which is never visible outside the club itself.
“There are brilliant young people already taking responsibility, coming up with new ideas and doing the jobs that need to be done simply because they care about their club and their community.
“ClubSpot is delighted to partner with Sport for Business to give 30 of those individuals the recognition they deserve.
“We also hope that telling their stories will inspire other young people to see volunteering not as an obligation but as something that can be rewarding, enjoyable and a fantastic way of making a difference.”
Nominations Open
The ClubSpot Sport for Business 30 Under 30 Young Volunteers in Sport will be promoted through both the Sport for Business and ClubSpot networks, giving clubs across different sports and communities the opportunity to tell the stories of their outstanding young volunteers.
Nominations can cover the full breadth of volunteering, from coaching and officiating to administration, communications, fundraising, inclusion, safeguarding, event delivery, facilities, and the many other roles that help make a club stronger.
NOMINATE YOUR YOUNG VOLUNTEER HERE
A judging process will then select the inaugural 30, with each successful young volunteer profiled through Sport for Business and ClubSpot.
The ambition is for the ClubSpot Sport for Business 30 Under 30 Young Volunteers in Sport to become an annual celebration of the next generation of people prepared to give their time, skills and enthusiasm to Irish sport.
Sport for Business Perspective
Today’s launch is about recognition, but it is also about something bigger.
At a time when sporting organisations are discussing the challenge of recruiting and retaining volunteers, we should make sure that those young people who are already stepping forward can see that their contribution matters.
The traditional image of a sporting volunteer as somebody who has served their club for decades remains worthy of enormous respect. But volunteering has many different faces.
It is also the 22-year-old coaching an underage team, the 25-year-old running a club’s digital channels, the young referee taking charge every weekend, the volunteer organising a fundraiser or the committee member bringing a different perspective to how their club operates.
Recognising those people matters. So too does telling their stories and showing other young people that volunteering can open you up to friendship, experience, responsibility, skills and a powerful connection with your community.
Thirty of those young people will now be recognised through the inaugural ClubSpot Sport for Business 30 Under 30 Young Volunteers in Sport.
Somewhere among them may well be the people who will lead Irish sport for the next generation.
Clubspot is a full member of Sport for Business.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Sport for Business
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