Leichhardt Saints has more than 1,200 players, over 80 teams on the park each weekend, and almost no paid staff. Everything you see on a weekend, the nets going up, the canteen opening, someone in an orange vest keeping an eye on the sideline, is a parent or player who put their hand up.
Most of it is smaller than people expect. Below is every way to help, starting with the ones that take under an hour.
Never done it before? That’s the normal way to start. Nobody arrives knowing how any of this works. We’ll show you.
What every family does
These aren’t volunteer roles so much as what being in a team looks like. Your manager will organise a roster.
Half-time oranges and jersey washing – Many teams run a roster so it comes around once or twice a season. Jerseys stay together as a set and come back to your manager at the end of the year.
Field set-up and pack-up – If your team has the first game of the day at King George Park, Balmain Road, Rozelle Parklands or SSC Leichhardt, arrive 45 minutes early to help with nets and flags. Last game of the day helps pack up.
Canteen duty – Each junior team is rostered roughly twice a season. The canteen is our biggest fundraiser and it pays many of the club’s expenses, so every bacon and egg roll genuinely counts.
Team roles
Ground Official
One match · No experience needed
You wear the orange vest and keep an eye on the sideline. That’s it. You’re there for both teams and for the referee, and most problems are settled with a quiet word before they become anything.
You have the club’s backing. If you ask someone to change their behaviour or to leave, we will support that decision, and you are never expected to put yourself at risk.
Two things worth knowing: you can’t do anything else for that match, no coaching, managing, refereeing or canteen, and you need to be vested and active within ten minutes of kick-off. A ground official not vested and active within ten minutes results in an automatic fine from the association, one of the most avoidable ones we get.
Game Leader – for young people
Saturdays and Sundays · Ages 10 and up · Paid
Game Leaders referee the Under 6 to Under 12 matches. It’s a first job, it’s paid, and it’s a good one – you learn the game from the inside and build confidence dealing with people.
Training and support are provided, and you’re never thrown in alone.
Team Manager
A few hours a week · No football knowledge needed · Working with Children Check required for Junior teams
The engine room of the team. Managers handle communications, match sheets and rosters – the organising, not the coaching. If you’re the person in the group chat who answers first, this is your role.
Every team needs at least one registered coach or manager. Football Canterbury won’t accept a team without one.
Coach
Training plus match day · Courses provided · Working with Children Check required for Junior teams
You don’t need to have played. You need to be willing to learn, and to put development and enjoyment ahead of the scoreline.
The club runs coaching courses before and during the season and will pay for the accreditation appropriate to your age group. New coaches get support from our Technical Director and from the coaches around them.
The club’s playing time and heading rules give you a clear framework, so you’re not making the hard calls on your own.
Register as a Coach → · Game Time Policy · Heading and Concussion Policy
Club roles
Join the Committee
Monthly meeting plus a defined job · Year-round
The committee runs the club – registrations, grounds, equipment, finances, grading, child safety, sponsorship. One year terms are elected at the AGM, but roles open up during the year and we’d rather hear from you before then.
We’re currently looking for a Canteen Manager. It’s a coordination role: setting up the team roster, keeping stock ordered, setting up for the day.
If you have time, or a skill we’re short of, graphic design, comms, trades, anything – tell us.
One-off help
A morning, once
Working bees, presentation day, gala days, grant applications, photography. If you can’t commit to a season, tell us what you can do and we’ll find something that fits.
Become a Sponsor
Local businesses keep our fees down and our teams on the park.
Sponsorship options → · Team sponsorship and branded merchandise →
Before you start
Two things apply to anyone in an official role.
Register through PlayFootball. Only registered officials can be in the technical area on match day, and only registered officials get club notifications. Registration is free. The easiest time to do it is when you register your child – same login, a few extra minutes.
Get a Working with Children Check. Anyone working with under-18s needs one. It’s free for volunteers and valid for five years.
Apply online, then visit a Service NSW centre to verify your identity. Start early – it can take a few weeks, and we can’t issue your ID card without a verified WWCC number.
Apply for a WWCC → · Full registration steps →
Coaches and managers of adult teams who don’t hold a WWCC can apply for an exemption through the PlayFootball portal.
Ready?
Tell us what you’re interested in and we’ll match you to a team or a job. You’re not committing to anything by asking.
Or email admin@leichhardtsaints.com, or text the club on 0403 474 000.