Training criteria of the sports specialty volunteers for the service support during winter sports comprtitions

Abstract: We searched objective criteria to assess the quality of a volunteer’s training for service support at major sporting events. We considered the possibility of training volunteers in sports specialties for service support in winter sports competitions. We determined that the volunteer search should be carried out among students in higher schools. This social group has a significant interest in sports, and they can be trained to volunteer according to existing educational programs, and the students can take in-service training during the educational process. We determined that the organizers of the competition assess the main criteria of volunteer’s competence. These include practical experience with such activities and foreign communicative competence (the knowledge of foreign languages at a high level). Students matching these criteria are significantly more successful (p < 0.05), and they have a higher percentage of approved applications for voluntary activity in winter sports competitions (World Ski Orienteering Championships of 2017, Winter Student Games of 2019). Meanwhile, we determined that the competition organizers do not pay enough attention to the mental and physical health status of future volunteers and do not consider the level of a youth’s health as an important criterion for assessing a student’s degree of training for volunteer duty in the sports specialty. Key words: Winter Universiade – 2019; ski orienteering; students; training of volunteers; winter sports