Been thinking about this for a while but the last few days have got me really questioning if I have the skills or the know how to continue doing what I do or at least the level I am doing. As a media officer, club photographer and director, my role is quite involved and it takes up a lot of my free time if not most of it but also weighs on my mind which after spending 2 days in hospital with what doctors think is stress related, it’s to time to look at what is going in in my life.
I think I live in a constant state of stress but not from football, thats another story but football is not helping. The problem is, the stuff I do is very personal and I’m not keen on letting stuff go especially after building a club digital identity off the pitch. It’s not easily noticeable either so it can look like you’ve done nothing for days where in reality you have done long hours.
I think a lot of the issues are the unknowns, especially around moving up a tier into the Cymru Premier. The step up is insane and adds a layer of pressure from day 1. Granted, this season is a bit unknown for many as the league goes through a rebrand and a step up in terms of professionalism but it’s still a lot and as a club who’s not been in and around the top flight for a while, you kind of feel in the dark on so many things.
I’m lucky in that through the TopBins mag and speaking to people at clubs, I’ve built a good network of people I know I can ask as well as some at the FAW should I need something. But often, it’s the time pressure that strikes hard.
So what’s the purpose of me posting this. I’m not looking for sympathy, likes or humble brag points but more to float an idea.
I know if I am feeling a little out of my depth at times and struggling to stay on top of things in the hours I have, there are many others who maybe are struggling as much if not more and so I wanted to float the idea of a volunteers support network. It can be as simple as offering some advice on media graphics, answering questions on topics you are not sure on or simply being someone to talk to and having someone listen.
Volunteering is extremely rewarding but it’s hard work and often doesn’t get the credit it deserves, especially at the level we’re in. The pressure on people to do a job that they are not paid for and often not 100% comfortable with is next level. It cannot be good for people to live under that cloud. What do you think of the idea?
Diolch