The International Volunteers Day is an excellent opportunity to go around why their role is indispensable at every event and say thank you for their steadfast work. Without them, dozens of university and college sports events of recent years could not have taken place, which the organizers are proud of. In 2024, an opportunity will arise that could be a defining milestone for college and university athletes, sports-loving Hungarians and, of course, volunteers as well.
Hungary, within two sports-centred cities, Debrecen and Miskolc will give a home to the European Universities Games (EUG) in 2024 between the 12th and 24th of July. We expect about 5000 participants from 400 European universities representing 40 countries. Next year, athletes enrolled in higher education studies in Europe will be competing in Futsal, Handball, 3×3 basketball, Badminton, Football, Table tennis and Beach handball in Debrecen, but participants will also be able to compete in Basketball, Tennis, Volleyball, Beach volleyball, Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Chess, Water polo, Taekwondo, and Sitting volleyball in Miskolc.
EUG2024 is more than sport! For conscious young people, the dual life path of sports and higher education provides a foundation that can define their lives and their future careers. However, participating in such an event can not only be an experience of a lifetime, where you can make friends or bond even better with your teammates, but you can also establish your professional career, build relationships and be inspired.
So far, a few thousand volunteers all together part in the EUSA Games, including Hungary. In 2022, over 750 volunteers supported the event in Lodz, Poland, and within that 179 internationals. We asked some volunteers to tell us about their most lasting experience.
Walter Vivien:
“In 2022, I participated in the European University Games organized in Poland, where I gained several international contacts thanks to the various programs. In addition to the Polish volunteers, I made friends from Croatia, Romania, Italy, England and even India. I had the opportunity to learn about new sports, as I helped to arrange 3 sports. My organizational skills have improved a lot, mainly thanks to the new environment. And on my days off, I had the opportunity to visit several Polish cities, so I got to know the country and the local culture better.”
Szaniszló Eszter:
“For me, the 2-week volunteering at EUG 2022 was a great experience. In addition to the human relations I gained there, I was also able to practice many foreign languages due to the diversity of the international team. I was able to gain insight into the mysteries of some sports that I may not have known in depth before, and I even had the opportunity to talk with future Olympians. If you want to step out of your comfort zone, gain new experiences and make lifelong friendships, then try volunteering in sports!”
Szilágyi Sziszó:
“The whole event was like a big festival. The fact that mostly university-going young people took part in the event contributed a lot to the formation of such a great community. Everyone talked to everyone, got to know each other or partied, regardless of nationality. At the same time, our patriotism was also strengthened by the fact that when we weren’t working, we went to support our Hungarian athletes in competitions and afterwards we rejoiced together at the success or helped each other through in difficult moments. We also visited non-Hungarian matches, as the fate of other players became a matter of our hearts due to the friendships made during the event. Even after my previous volunteering experiences and EUG 2022, I realized that a lot of people’s personality is shaped unintentionally when they are in such an open and great environment. In such cases, a completely new world opens up in front of me and I find it much easier to realize the possibilities ahead of me. Since in the future, I want to work in the world of sports and continue my studies in this field as well, such events give me a kind of motivational boost and an opportunity for professional experience and insight – not to mention the extraordinary social capital.”
If you too would like to experience the same described by the quoted volunteers, are passionate about sports, or want to do something for a socially important cause, then join our volunteer team! Opportunities will await in many areas and roles, without any claim to completeness protocol, accompanying tasks, team escort, information desk, accreditation, accommodation, meals, transfer, media, and health services so that everyone can find the right task for them. The application is expected to start in mid-January.
You can gain experience in organizing the largest sports event in Europe, have a unique holiday adventure, learn foreign languages, work with a team of fantastic people from all over Europe, have a new point to add to your CV, and you can make new friends – because this is more than Volunteering!
