Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine to what degree intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors were perceived by volunteer soccer referees and their leaders to be motivating for volunteer soccer referees to remain volunteering. Methodology. The design of this study supported descriptive and ex post facto methods for survey research, along with an independent-samples t-test. The researcher selected 36 leaders of volunteer soccer referees, at an 80% response rate, and 393 volunteer soccer referees, at a 79% response rate. Findings. This study identified top motivation factors considered important for volunteer referee retention by volunteer soccer referees and their leaders. Leaders rated these factors at a 95% or greater value of importance: (a) I provide an environment for good working relations among my referees; (b) I am, or provide a good referee program administrator ; (c) I have a well-defined working policy for my referees; (d) I give referees recognition for their work; (e) I provide game assignments for advancement and assessment. Volunteer referees rated these factors at 88% or higher in value of importance: (a) I get satisfaction out of refereeing; (b) I get an environment with good working relations with other referees; (c) There is a well-defined referee working policy; (d) I have a good program administrator; (e) I am given reasonable responsibility for games that I referee. The factor considered as least important by volunteer referees and their leaders was: That I receive payment for refereeing, 8% by volunteer referees and12% by leaders. Conclusions. This study looked into factors that could help retain current referees and implicitly build a basis for an environment worthy of prospective volunteers. Volunteers want to remain volunteering because their current environment is offering opportunities to fulfill their progressive needs. Inversely, if the volunteer or employee does not see possible self-improvement, he or she might go to where those possibilities could exist. Recommendations. Further research is advised in a replication of this study in volunteer soccer referee motivation considering demographic factors of age, gender, and length of service. Further contemplation should be given to research considering mitigating factors of negative and positive behaviors of coaches and spectators in close proximity of a soccer game.