The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Volunteers for a Successful Strongman Competition
Introduction: Building a Strong Volunteer Team for Your Strongman Competition
Running a strongman competition is no small feat. Whether you’re hosting a local novice event or a high-stakes national qualifier, the key to a successful event lies in the strength of your volunteer team. From timekeepers to weight loaders, having the right people in the right roles ensures that everything runs smoothly, athletes feel supported, and the competition stays on schedule. But choosing the right volunteers and organizing them effectively can be a challenge.
In this guide, we’ll break down the essential volunteer roles you need to run a successful strongman event, how to manage them, and why investing in your volunteer team can make all the difference. Plus, we’ll provide you with tools and strategies to stay organized and keep everyone on the same page—from the first athlete stepping onto the competition floor to the final medal presentation.
Master of Ceremonies: The Voice that Drives Your Strongman Event
The Master of Ceremonies (MC) is crucial to the success of any strongman competition. Their role extends far beyond simply announcing athletes or results—they are the energy that keeps the crowd engaged, the voice that ensures the event runs smoothly, and the face that sponsors appreciate for bringing attention to their brands.
A great MC can transform the atmosphere, ensuring the crowd is pumped, informed, and excited throughout the entire competition. They also act as the connective tissue between events, keeping everything on schedule while making sure transitions between athletes and events are seamless.
Why a Strong MC is Essential
Engages the crowd: The MC’s enthusiasm can turn casual spectators into fans. They need to know how to hype up a crowd, explain the significance of each lift, and celebrate every success—big or small.
Keeps the event moving: Timing is everything in a strongman event. A good MC helps maintain momentum, so there’s no lag between athletes or events. The last thing you want is a crowd getting restless or athletes unsure of when they’re up next.
Adds value to sponsors: By consistently mentioning sponsors in an organic, engaging way, the MC ensures those who support the event get the recognition they deserve. Whether it’s a quick shoutout during downtime or a thank-you speech, sponsors need to feel their investment is being appreciated in front of the audience.
What Makes a Great MC?
Not just anyone can step into this role. The best MCs:
Have a fun, charismatic personality: The MC should not be afraid to laugh, joke, or even make a fool of themselves if it gets the crowd going.
Understand the sport: While they don’t need to be an expert, they should have a solid grasp of strongman basics—enough to explain the events and why they’re impressive without over-complicating things for the audience.
Confidence in front of a crowd: Public speaking isn’t for everyone, and the MC needs to own the spotlight. Whether it's sharing athlete backgrounds or calling out big lifts, they should do it with energy and flair.
Tools for a Successful MC
To help the MC perform their duties smoothly, they’ll need a few essential tools:
Athlete roster: So they can properly introduce competitors and highlight notable achievements or backstories.
Event information: A clear breakdown of each event, including rules, time limits, and scoring criteria, so they can communicate it easily to both athletes and the audience.
Sponsor background: Information on all sponsors, including key talking points that will help organically incorporate sponsor shoutouts throughout the day.
Judges: The Backbone of Fair and Smooth Competition
Your judges are one of the most critical components of your strongman competition. They ensure that the event is fair, consistent, and safe for all athletes. But selecting the right judges requires more than just finding people who know their way around the gym. Experience as an athlete doesn’t always translate to experience as a judge, and you want to be sure your judges are well-prepared, knowledgeable, and aligned with your event’s standards.
Why Judge Selection Matters
The judges have the final say on all performances, so they need to be well-versed in the sport and its nuances. Each strongman event has different rules, and the difference between a completed lift and a disqualified one can come down to tiny details. Having judges who understand these intricacies is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the competition.
What Makes a Great Judge?
Deep knowledge of the sport: Every judge should have a solid understanding of strongman events, the required techniques, and the expectations for each event. This ensures they can make fast, accurate decisions that athletes and spectators will respect.
Clear understanding of your event’s rules: It's essential that judges are briefed thoroughly on the specific rules and standards for each event. While they may know the sport, they still need to know your particular competition's requirements to ensure consistency.
Experience level matching the competition: Not all competitions require the most experienced judges. For example, if you're hosting a novice-only show, having newer judges is completely fine and even encouraged. But for bigger competitions, such as national qualifiers, you'll want to recruit judges with high-level experience to match the stakes.
Involving Judges Early in the Planning
To avoid any last-minute confusion, get your judges involved during the planning phase of your event. This allows them to offer input on the rules, clarify any potential ambiguities, and ensure they are comfortable with how each event will be scored. This also helps create a sense of ownership, as judges will feel like they had a hand in shaping the competition's structure.
Balancing Work and Enjoyment for Judges
Judging is a demanding role, and it’s important to ensure your judges don't get burnt out. Try to recruit enough judges so that they can rotate, allowing at least one judge to take a break during each event. After all, your judges are also part of the strongman community—they’ll want to socialize, enjoy the atmosphere, and take in the action as well.
Don’t Forget to Reward Your Judges
Judging is a volunteer-heavy role, but that doesn't mean it should go unappreciated. Incentivize your judges by making sure they receive perks like goodies from sponsors, event swag, or even small stipends if possible. Acknowledging their hard work and dedication helps build positive relationships and ensures they’ll want to return for future events.
Tailoring Your Judges to the Caliber of Your Event
One of the most important aspects of organizing a strongman competition is picking judges that align with the level of your event. Not every competition demands the same level of expertise, and selecting judges with experience that matches the athletes is crucial for maintaining fairness and the overall tone of the event.
For example, at Above the Rest Training Systems, I run a novice-only show called Colt Breakers. Since this event is aimed at newer athletes, I make it a point to select coaches who might also be relatively new to the role. This approach provides valuable judging experience to individuals who may not have had the chance to officiate at larger events, while still maintaining a standard that fits the needs of the competitors. Newer judges can often connect more easily with novice athletes, helping to create a more welcoming and supportive environment.
However, when you're organizing a more prestigious event—such as a national qualifier or a competition that will see advanced athletes—it’s important to bring in the most experienced judges available. High-stakes events demand judges who have been through the trenches and know how to handle the intense pressure that comes with making split-second decisions that can determine who makes the podium. Volunteering at the Shaw Classic I got to see first hand judges like Chad Coy, Joe Kenn, Ed Coan and Mark Phillipi all in action. Nobody is perfect but they got as close as I’ve seen.
Score Keeper: The Quiet, Crucial Role Behind the Scenes
The score keeper is one of the most critical yet often overlooked roles in a strongman competition. They’re responsible for entering scores into platforms like Iron Podium (or any alternative system you’re using), which directly determines the event's outcome. This person works behind the scenes, but the accuracy and speed of their work have a huge impact on the competition’s flow and fairness.
Why the Score Keeper’s Role is Vital
With athletes battling it out on the field, the score keeper ensures every lift, carry, and throw is properly recorded and ranked. Their input determines who stands on the podium at the end of the day, so accuracy here is paramount. Mistakes can lead to confusion, disputes, or even incorrect placements—things that can derail an otherwise smooth event.
Key Traits of an Effective Score Keeper
Stays calm under pressure: The score keeper needs to thrive in high-stress environments. As events unfold, scores need to be entered quickly and accurately, often while athletes, spectators, and other volunteers are bustling around. A calm demeanor is essential to avoid costly errors in the heat of the moment.
Handles confrontation well: Athletes may approach with questions—or worse, complaints—about their scores. They might be demanding or even rude in the heat of competition. A good score keeper needs to be confident and assertive enough to stand their ground, explain the process, or simply direct athletes to speak with the event’s head judge if needed.
Experienced with score entry systems: Familiarity with platforms like Iron Podium or Excel is extremely helpful. Not only will an experienced score keeper enter data faster, but they’ll also be better at spotting potential errors—such as a score that doesn’t seem to align with an athlete's performance—before they affect the overall standings.
The Last Line of Defense Against Errors
The score keeper is the final checkpoint to ensure that everything adds up correctly. Mistakes happen, and small errors in data entry can lead to big problems. Having an experienced score keeper who knows the sport and can test for reasonableness (double-checking whether the score makes sense based on performance) is invaluable for catching any issues early. This safeguards the integrity of your competition and prevents any messy disputes down the line.
Clipboard Volunteer: The Unsung Hero of Event Organization
The Clipboard Volunteer plays a crucial role in ensuring that scores are accurately transferred from judges to the score keeper. While their duties may seem simple on the surface, this position requires a level of attention to detail, reliability, and the ability to work under pressure to prevent any disruptions in the event’s flow.
How the Clipboard System Works
When organizing a competition, I like to keep things structured by printing off an individual score sheet for each athlete and organizing the sheets by division. Each division gets its own clipboard, which helps keep scores organized and easy to find during the event. The Clipboard Volunteer is responsible for managing these clipboards and making sure every score is recorded correctly and handed off to the right person.
Key Responsibilities of the Clipboard Volunteer
Recording Scores: This volunteer is responsible for writing down the score or time that the judge or timekeeper gives them for each athlete's performance. Precision is crucial here—they must be careful to record the correct score for each athlete and follow any specific scoring codes outlined on the sheet.
Transferring Sheets to the Score Keeper: Once the scores are recorded, the Clipboard Volunteer’s next job is to deliver the sheets to the score keeper in a timely fashion. This ensures the data is entered into the system as soon as possible, keeping the competition moving without delay.
Managing Multiple Clipboards: If your competition has multiple lanes or divisions, the Clipboard Volunteer will need to juggle multiple clipboards. Ideally, you’ll have one volunteer per competition lane, ensuring there’s no confusion or backlog in score tracking.
Skills and Traits for Success
Ability to Follow Instructions: The Clipboard Volunteer needs to be able to understand and follow clear instructions regarding how to track scores and use the clipboards. They should be familiar with the competition’s structure and scoring system to avoid any errors in transferring scores.
Good Handwriting: This might seem minor, but clear, legible handwriting is essential. The last thing you want is for a score to be misinterpreted due to sloppy writing, which could lead to unnecessary confusion or disputes.
Stress Management: While the role isn’t physically demanding, it does require the ability to handle a bit of stress. Events can get hectic, and scores need to be recorded and delivered quickly to keep things on track. A calm demeanor and the ability to stay organized under pressure will help tremendously.
Close Collaboration with the Score Keeper: The Clipboard Volunteer works directly with the score keeper, so strong communication is key. They’ll need to deliver scores quickly and accurately while picking up the necessary clipboards for the next round of athletes.
One Volunteer Per Lane
To ensure smooth operation, aim for at least one Clipboard Volunteer per lane. This keeps things running efficiently, avoids delays in score entry, and allows the volunteers to focus on their specific group of athletes without becoming overwhelmed.
Time Keeper: Precision is Key in Every Strongman Event
The Time Keeper is an essential role in many strongman events, especially those where time plays a significant factor in scoring. Whether it’s counting down a maximum lift duration or timing how fast an athlete completes a carry, the accuracy of the time keeper can directly affect competition results. Therefore, this person must be reliable, precise, and well-trained in the use of stopwatches and timing techniques specific to strongman events.
What the Time Keeper Does
The Time Keeper’s main responsibility is simple: run the stopwatch. However, in a fast-paced competition setting, even this seemingly basic task requires focus and attention to detail. Many events will require split times, and any error in timing could lead to confusion or disputes.
In some cases, the judges may prefer to keep their own time, especially for more technical events. When this happens, the Time Keeper essentially becomes a judge’s assistant, helping to cross-check times and ensure accuracy.
Key Responsibilities of a Time Keeper
Run the Stopwatch: The Time Keeper’s primary job is to accurately time each athlete’s performance during an event. They may be timing for events like tire flips, yoke walks, or deadlift holds—anything where time is a deciding factor.
Split Time Training: For events where split times are necessary (e.g., recording how long it takes to complete each section of a medley), the Time Keeper must be familiar with how to accurately track and record these split times.
Assisting the Judge: In some cases, the judge will keep their own time to ensure consistency, and the Time Keeper acts as an assistant in this situation, providing backup timing to double-check for any discrepancies.
Consistency for Fairness
It’s important to have the same judge/time keeper combo for each division to maintain fairness and consistency. This ensures that everyone is timed using the same process, avoiding potential bias or inconsistencies in the timing method. By pairing the same Time Keeper with the same judge throughout a division, you’ll ensure that all athletes in that division are held to the same standard.
Who Makes a Great Time Keeper?
The role of the Time Keeper is perfect for individuals who may want to volunteer but aren’t suited for more physically demanding tasks. This includes:
Injured athletes who still want to be involved in the event without risking further injury.
Elderly volunteers who may not be comfortable with active roles like loading equipment but still want to contribute to the success of the event.
One Time Keeper Per Lane
For competitions with multiple lanes or events happening simultaneously, you should aim to have one dedicated Time Keeper per lane. This allows each Time Keeper to focus on their specific athletes without being distracted or overwhelmed by other lanes, ensuring more accurate timing.
Weight Loader: The Heavy Lifters Behind the Scenes
The Weight Loader is one of the most physically demanding roles at a strongman event. These volunteers are responsible for adjusting weights, resetting equipment, and keeping the competition moving efficiently. Without reliable weight loaders, an event can slow to a crawl, and athletes may face delays that disrupt their rhythm. It’s a tough job, and it’s essential to find the right volunteers who can handle the heavy workload—literally!
Key Responsibilities of a Weight Loader
Adjusting Weights: Throughout the event, weight loaders will be adding or removing plates, swapping out implements, and making sure each division’s weights are set according to the competition standards. This is especially important in timed events where efficiency is critical.
Resetting Equipment: After each athlete completes their turn, the weight loader is responsible for resetting equipment to ensure the next competitor starts with the correct setup. This might include things like moving yokes back to the starting position, resetting sandbags, or realigning deadlift bars.
Why You Can Never Have Too Many Weight Loaders
It’s easy to underestimate how tiring this job can be. That's why it's crucial to have more weight loaders than you think you'll need. It's better to have a few standing around with less to do than to have your crew get overwhelmed and exhausted halfway through the event. Burnout is real, and this job can be physically punishing if the workload isn’t spread out properly.
Clear Guidance and Preparedness
To prevent mistakes and make the job easier, give weight loaders as much guidance as possible. Prepare sheets ahead of time that outline:
The weights needed for each division
Step-by-step instructions on how to load the weights
The exact plate combinations for each event and weight class
The more detailed your instructions, the smoother things will run. Expecting weight loaders to do “plate math” on the fly adds unnecessary stress and increases the likelihood of mistakes. Clear, written instructions take the guesswork out of the equation.
Managing the Weight Loaders
To keep everything organized, it’s a good idea to appoint a volunteer to manage the other weight loaders. This person can oversee the crew, ensure that everyone is where they need to be, and troubleshoot any issues. Having someone in charge ensures that the team stays coordinated and tasks are handled efficiently, especially during more chaotic moments in the competition.
Spotting for Athlete Safety
In addition to loading weights, these volunteers often make excellent spotters for athletes during lifts. Their proximity to the action and familiarity with the equipment makes them well-suited to help ensure athlete safety, particularly during heavy or potentially dangerous events.
A Demanding Job with a Big Impact
The weight loader role isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential. When done well, it keeps the event moving, reduces athlete downtime, and ensures the competition runs smoothly. For volunteers who are up for the challenge, it’s a highly rewarding position that directly impacts the success of the competition.
Equipment Handler: The Backbone of Event Setup and Tear Down
The Equipment Handler plays a crucial role in the overall logistics of a strongman competition. Their primary responsibility is loading, setting up, and tearing down equipment on the competition floor. While their workload may not be as constant or physically intense as the weight loaders, this is still a demanding job that requires focus, precision, and coordination to ensure the competition runs smoothly from start to finish.
What the Equipment Handler Does
The Equipment Handler is in charge of setting up the event space and ensuring that all equipment is correctly positioned and ready for use. They’re also responsible for packing up and storing equipment once events are over. Their duties typically include:
Measuring distances for events like the farmer’s walk or sandbag carries to ensure each athlete is competing on an identical course.
Setting up platforms, stall mats, and any other surfaces required for the event.
Assembling and tearing down large, cumbersome equipment like yokes, logs, or platforms between events.
This role is critical for maintaining the flow of the event, and without the Equipment Handlers, athletes would have no stage on which to perform.
Why a Dedicated Equipment Handler is Important
Having a separate crew of Equipment Handlers offers several key advantages:
Weight loaders get a break: By keeping these roles separate, your weight loaders won’t get overworked. Handling weights during events is tough, and they’ll appreciate the downtime between rounds to rest.
Equipment preparation happens in parallel: As the competition progresses, Equipment Handlers can already begin stowing away used equipment and setting up for the next event. This keeps things moving faster and ensures there's no wasted time between events.
Decreases the likelihood of mistakes: When roles are divided and clearly defined, there’s less chance of confusion. Weight loaders focus on one task, Equipment Handlers focus on another, and each team can execute their responsibilities with fewer errors.
Key Traits for an Effective Equipment Handler
Attention to detail: Measuring distances and ensuring equipment is set up to exact specifications is critical. These small details make a big difference in maintaining fairness across the competition.
Physical capability: While this role is less intense than weight loading, it still requires some heavy lifting and physical stamina. Equipment like yokes, stones, or platforms are heavy and often cumbersome to move around.
Ability to work under pressure: Equipment Handlers often need to work quickly, especially between events. The ability to stay organized and get things done in a time crunch is essential.
Coordinating with Other Teams
Equipment Handlers will work closely with weight loaders and other volunteers to keep the event running smoothly. Their job is to make sure the equipment is in place before athletes arrive on the floor and removed or rearranged once the event is finished. This coordination is key to ensuring the next event is set up while the current one is still in progress, helping the entire event flow efficiently.
Why Multiple Teams Matter
By separating the roles of weight loaders and equipment handlers, you’re not only ensuring your volunteers don’t get overworked, but you’re also streamlining the entire event process. With each team focusing on their specific tasks, the likelihood of mistakes and delays drops significantly, and the event as a whole becomes more organized and efficient.
Expediter: Keeping Athletes on Track and Competitions on Time
The Expediter is an optional role for smaller shows but becomes absolutely imperative for larger strongman competitions. This volunteer (or team of volunteers) ensures that athletes are in the right place at the right time, keeping the competition running smoothly and on schedule. While it might seem like a minor role, having an expediter is often the difference between a chaotic event and one that runs like a well-oiled machine.
Why the Expediter is Essential for Large Competitions
When dealing with large groups of athletes, ensuring that everyone is where they need to be can become a logistical nightmare without proper coordination. The expediter’s role is to communicate with athletes, letting them know when they’re up to compete and guiding them to the appropriate location on the competition floor or warm-up area. This is especially crucial for larger competitions where timelines are strict and delays can throw off the entire event.
Key Responsibilities of the Expediter
Alerting Athletes: The expediter makes sure that athletes know when their turn is coming up, helping them transition smoothly from the warm-up area to the competition floor.
Managing Athlete Flow: They ensure that athletes are positioned and ready to go when it’s their time to compete. This keeps the event running on schedule and prevents any unnecessary downtime.
Coordination with Other Volunteers: Using tools like radios or communication apps, expediters can coordinate with volunteers on the competition floor and in the warm-up area. This makes sure athletes are always aware of where they need to be and when.
Using Radios to Stay Organized
For larger events, radios are a game-changer. Volunteers on the competition floor can radio to those in the warm-up area, letting them know who’s up next, which event is starting, or if there are any delays. This not only keeps athletes informed but also helps with the flow of communication between different teams of volunteers, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Holding Athletes Accountable to the Schedule
If your competition runs on a strict timeline, it's vital that athletes are aware of where they need to be and when. A good expediter makes this possible. They help prevent unnecessary delays by giving athletes clear, timely information about their next event, leaving no room for confusion. When athletes are prepared and in place, the competition flows seamlessly, keeping the entire schedule intact.
When to Use an Expediter
While an expediter might not be necessary for smaller shows with fewer athletes, they are essential for larger or more complex competitions. If your event has multiple divisions, multiple lanes, or a tight schedule, an expediter can make all the difference in keeping things organized. Additionally, if athletes are expected to adhere to a timeline (for example, being disqualified for missing their start time), an expediter ensures that athletes are informed and ready, so no one is unfairly penalized.
Medical and Volunteer Care: Ensuring Safety and Comfort for Everyone
In any strongman competition, especially in high-intensity environments, injuries are bound to happen. Having trained medical personnel on-site to respond quickly is one of the most valuable services you can provide to your athletes. Additionally, ensuring that your volunteers are well-fed, hydrated, and able to take breaks is equally crucial for the smooth operation of your event. Taking care of your people—both athletes and volunteers—creates a safer, more enjoyable environment and demonstrates professionalism.
Medical Support: Keeping Athletes Safe
Strongman events often involve heavy lifting, explosive movements, and plenty of potential for injury. Whether it’s a muscle strain, a joint issue, or something more serious, injuries can happen quickly. That’s why having trained medical personnel on-site is critical for ensuring athlete safety.
EMT Services: Many events arrange to have EMTs or paramedics on-site, and some EMT services might even be willing to sponsor your event by donating their time and expertise. This is a great value-add for both athletes and spectators, as it shows a commitment to safety.
First Responders: If you can’t secure a full EMT team, consider hiring retired or active first responders. Be prepared to pay them for their time, as well as to cover the cost of any supplies they might use or need to replenish during the event. Having a trained first responder available to act quickly could prevent minor injuries from becoming more serious and provide peace of mind for everyone involved.
Volunteer Care: Looking After Your Crew
Volunteers are the backbone of your event, and taking care of them is just as important as keeping athletes safe. With events often running for several hours or even an entire day—especially in the hot summer months—it’s essential to make sure your volunteers are hydrated, fed, and able to take breaks as needed.
Hydration and Snacks: Provide plenty of water stations and quick, easy-to-grab snacks to keep your volunteers energized. Even something simple like protein bars, fruit, or sandwiches can make a huge difference in their ability to perform their duties effectively. Dehydration or hunger can lead to fatigue, mistakes, and even heat-related illness, so it’s critical to stay ahead of those problems.
Facilitating Breaks: No one should be working non-stop. Make sure you have enough volunteers so that people can take breaks throughout the day without leaving their roles understaffed. Especially for physically demanding tasks like weight loading, it’s important to rotate people out regularly to prevent burnout.
Volunteer Coordinator: Assign a volunteer care coordinator whose sole job is to look after your team. This person can ensure that volunteers are staying hydrated, eating, and getting the breaks they need, while also monitoring their overall well-being. They should also be able to step in and cover a task briefly if someone needs a quick break.
Outdoor Events and Heat Management
Many strongman events take place outside during the summer months, which adds another layer of complexity. Heat can quickly become a problem, both for athletes and volunteers. Ensuring proper hydration and shade (or cooling stations) is essential to prevent heat-related illnesses.
Water and Shade: If your event is outdoors, set up shaded areas where volunteers and athletes can take a break from the sun. Providing cooling towels or even misting stations could be a great way to help people cool off between events.
Sun Protection: Encourage volunteers to wear hats, use sunscreen, and stay protected from the sun. Consider providing some of these items as part of their volunteer kit.
Keeping Everyone Organized: The Key to a Smooth Event
Managing volunteers for a strongman competition can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t have a good system in place. One of the best ways to keep things running smoothly is by tracking all your volunteers in a detailed spreadsheet. This helps you stay organized, keep in touch with your team, and ensure everyone knows their role and responsibilities during the event. Having everything laid out in one place means fewer last-minute surprises and more control over the flow of your competition.
Why You Need a Volunteer Spreadsheet
A well-organized spreadsheet helps you:
Track important details about each volunteer
Communicate with them effectively
Assign roles that match their skills or needs
Ensure you're not scrambling on event day trying to figure out who's available or what's missing
By maintaining a clear record of your volunteers' information, you can easily manage their participation, keep the event organized, and ensure no detail falls through the cracks.
What Your Volunteer Spreadsheet Should Include
Your spreadsheet should have the following key columns to capture all the necessary details:
Basic Demographic and Contact Info:
Name
Email address
Phone number
Emergency contact (in case something happens on the day of the event)
T-shirt Size:
This helps you prepare and distribute volunteer shirts ahead of time without scrambling to find the right size on the day of the event. It’s also a small but important way of showing appreciation for their help.
Contact Date and RSVP Status:
Record when you reached out to each volunteer, as well as their RSVP status (whether they confirmed participation or declined). This helps you keep track of who’s confirmed and who may need a follow-up.
Notes on Participation or Accommodations:
Some volunteers may have specific requests or accommodations they need to fulfill their role. Whether it's dietary restrictions, physical limitations, or preferred roles, keeping this information handy ensures everyone is well taken care of and put in positions where they can succeed.
Role Assignment:
Use this column to track the role each volunteer will be performing on the day of the event, such as time keeper, judge, clipboard manager, etc.
Get My Volunteer Tracking Spreadsheet
To make things even easier for you, I’ve created a customizable volunteer tracking spreadsheet that I use for all my events. It includes all the columns mentioned above and is ready for you to personalize with your own event details.
Conclusion: Strong Volunteers, Strong Event
At the end of the day, the success of your strongman competition isn’t just about the athletes—it’s about the team of volunteers working behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly. Each role, from the weight loader to the scorekeeper, plays a crucial part in the event's overall flow. Taking the time to properly select, train, and care for your volunteers ensures that your competition is not only well-organized but also enjoyable for everyone involved.
Remember, keeping your volunteers hydrated, informed, and supported goes a long way in maintaining a positive and professional atmosphere. When volunteers feel valued and prepared, they’re more likely to return and recommend your event to others. By focusing on the details and making sure every role is filled with capable, committed individuals, you’re setting your competition up for success.
Use the strategies and tools provided in this guide—including the volunteer tracking spreadsheet—to ensure you’re ready to handle everything on competition day. With a strong volunteer team by your side, you’ll be able to focus on what really matters: delivering a top-notch strongman event.