The Olympics are coming to Columbus in 2028, and if watching from the stands isn’t quite enough, you can actually volunteer to help make the Games happen.
LA28 is now accepting applications for its Games-time Volunteer Crew, with opportunities available in Columbus alongside the main Olympic footprint in Los Angeles. The program is looking for about 60,000 volunteers across the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Columbus is one of eight cities outside the Los Angeles area where volunteers will be needed.
There are eight broad volunteer categories to choose from: communications, driving, experience, medical, ceremonies, operations, sport and technology. You can select your top three areas of interest when you apply, although LA28 says it cannot guarantee that you’ll be placed in one of your preferred categories.
For people hoping to volunteer specifically in Columbus, the Experience, Operations and Sport categories are likely to be the most relevant. Those roles can include helping visitors find their way around, checking credentials, supporting accessibility, assisting with venue operations and helping with competition-related duties.
Some positions also require specialized experience. LA28 is specifically looking for people with skills in areas including medical care, driving, emergency response, language services, security and doping control.
You’ll need to be at least 18 years old when you apply, be proficient in English and be available for at least 10 non-consecutive shifts of roughly eight hours each during either the Olympic or Paralympic Games volunteer period. You do not have to be a California resident or even a U.S. citizen to apply.
And yes, that 10-shift commitment is worth keeping in mind. Volunteering for LA28 isn’t just signing up for a Saturday afternoon at a soccer match. You’ll need to be prepared to commit to a fairly substantial chunk of time.
Columbus is set to host nine Olympic soccer matches at Columbus Stadium, the home of the Columbus Crew. The schedule includes eight group-stage matches on July 10-11, July 13-14 and July 16, 2028, followed by a men’s quarterfinal on July 20.
That means Columbus will get a pretty substantial slice of the Olympic action. The soccer tournament actually begins on July 10, four days before the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles.
If your main goal is to work specifically at those Columbus soccer matches, there is one important catch: you can request Columbus as your preferred location, but LA28 says assignments are not guaranteed. The organization will match volunteers to locations based in part on where they can most easily get to, and applicants can indicate their preferred locations during the application process. Columbus is officially listed as its own LA28 volunteer zone.
Applications are open now through the official LA28 Volunteer Crew portal. The application takes about 30 minutes and does not have to be completed all at once. LA28 says applicants will receive updates about their application status on a rolling basis throughout 2027.
If you make it through the selection process, you’ll complete an assessment, accept a volunteer assignment, undergo a background check and complete training before the Games. Training can include both role-specific and venue-specific preparation.
And one last thing: this is volunteer work, so it’s unpaid. LA28 does not cover travel or lodging expenses for volunteers.
For Columbus residents who want to be a little closer to the action when the Olympic soccer tournament rolls into town, though, this is probably about as close as you can get without being the person actually playing on the field.
For more info, or to apply to become an LA28 Volunteer Crew member, head over to volunteer.la28.org.
The post Want To Volunteer At The 2028 Olympics In Columbus? Here’s How appeared first on Columbus Navigator.
