Many volunteers working on the preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Boston have found the experience “has been a baffling conga line of communication breakdowns and bottlenecks,” according to Silverman, Serres & Valencia of the BOSTON GLOBE. With kickoff now only days away, many of the 1,500 volunteers “find themselves confronting unexpected questions. What, exactly, have they signed up for? And were the months of delays and confusion worth it?” More than a dozen applicants “described a cascade of logistical letdowns: canceled training events, rejection emails sent in error, incorrect birthdates that delayed their accreditation, vague or missing role descriptions, a pickup site for uniforms in downtown Boston with an unmarked entrance and no staff to greet arrivals, and large group ‘tryouts’ where applicants were not given clear criteria for selection.” Scores of complaints “have poured in across online message boards” and through FIFA’s volunteer help portal. The disarray “mirrors broader challenges in Boston’s preparations.” Boston’s volunteer program is overseen by FIFA, though Boston 26 “has been involved.” FIFA said that it “expects to have approximately 1,500 volunteers” in the region through the final match on July 9. That is “roughly half” the number organizers initially sought. While organizers in Boston “struggled to get their volunteer program off the ground,” many of their counterparts “were already training thousands of recruits, opening high-profile volunteer hubs, and holding special events.” In Boston, a hub for volunteers “has yet to materialize” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/5).
THE CLAW CHOOSES WHO WILL GO: SeattleFWC26 VP/Communications Hana Tadesse said that the volunteer program in Seattle “received 35,000 applicants” for its 2,000 slots. In Seattle, Angela Lim noted for those applicants in Seattle, the road to secure a volunteer spot “took an application, interview -- and a bunch of waiting.” According to the FIFA website, after getting an offer, volunteers “were required to complete and pass a security background check before attending training sessions for their assigned positions.” Washington Youth Soccer operations coordinator Thomas Kismarton said that volunteers “indicated their top choice placements -- from ceremonies to ticketing and event transport” -- in the online application, and FIFA and Washington Youth Soccer “assigned roles based on each person’s strengths and interests” (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/3).
