Nashville Sports Council Offers Unique Experience Through Music City Grand Prix Volunteer Program

Though the Nashville Sports Council may not be on everyone’s radar, they are involved in almost every major sporting event in Nashville, such as the Transperfect Music City Bowl, the SEC Basketball Tournament and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.

But the backbone for running these events are the volunteers who help them go smoothly, which is especially true for the Music City Grand Prix (MCGP) taking place Aug. 5-7 and covering the entirety of the Nissan Stadium campus.

Last year’s inaugural event was a massive weekend-long party downtown with multiple concerts, free events and of course the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix to finish

But because it was the first year and because it was something so different from what Nashville had previously hosted, the Nashville Sports Council and the people working the event had to learn on the run. Nashville has never hosted an IndyCar street race and ,for anyone who hasn’t experienced one before, it is a completely different animal compared to other sporting events.

“It was a process for sure. It definitely was some uncharted territory but it was a challenge we were really looking forward to taking on,” said Nashville Sports Council Events Coordinator Joseph Donaldson in an interview with The Sports Credential. “It’s been unique with it being a motorsport and motorsports being such a different event compared to what we’ve had in Nashville before.”

Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda crossing the finish line at the 2021 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Photo: Courtesy of the Music City Grand Prix.

Donaldson and Director or Events and Operations, Rachel Schuchert, are at the forefront of recruiting organizing and working with the countless volunteers that help make the events like the MCGP happen. Schuchert, who has been on the Nashville Sports Council for six years, and Donaldson, notching nearly four years, have worked in the volunteer recruitment process for all other events the Council has hosted.

This year will be a but different for the MCGP as the Sports Council has dropped the volunteer fee to help encourage more people to be a part of the behind the scenes of race weekend. The fee usually covers transportation, parking, meals and a t-shirt but now people  can be part of the experience free of charge.

The recruitment initiative for something like the MCGP isn’t as easy as sending out a few emails. The process begins months beforehand and involves a lot of time, research and commitment. For the inaugural IndyCar race in 2021, the Nashville Sports Council, along with Donaldson and Schuchert, met with IndyCar representatives to discuss the volunteer interest before opening volunteer registration three months prior.

Both Donaldson and Schuchert spend a lot of time not only recruiting, but also training and working with the volunteers.

“We spend all summer recruiting and making sure we get people signed up,” Schuchert explained. “It’s a long process making sure people know that this is a volunteer opportunity, and then we are boots on the ground all weekend of the event. Joseph is in charge of deploying volunteers. We’ll check them in, we’ll give them their uniforms and then we connect them with a zone captain.”

Photo: Courtesy of the Music City Grand Prix

Zone captains are volunteers who take on more responsibility to make sure everything moves smoothly in their respective area on the campus. The Sports Council relies heavily on these workers for safety, efficiency and overall work.

One of the biggest differences between volunteering for the MCGP and volunteering for one of the other Nashville Sports Council events is that the volunteers really get an opportunity to soak in the festivities, concerts and the race. Like the Music City Bowl and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, these volunteers will have time to really embrace the weekend instead of standing around, occupied with running around. There is still a lot of work and responsibilities, but it’s unlike any other event the Council hosts.

“The best way the grand prix is described is that it isn’t just a race but it’s a festival weekend,” Donaldson notes. “You can go see Tim McGraw on Saturday night (Aug. 6) if you volunteered. There are so many cool opportunities. You can come before and experience it or you can stay after your shift. That’s one of the cool parts–you get to experience the entire event, where as in other volunteer roles you’re on a tight schedule and you can’t really hang out afterwards.”

This year, Donaldson, Schuchert and their team will have a full year of experience under their belt and plan on making the jam packed weekend run more efficiently for both volunteers and patrons. By knowing what to expect, they can also plan to make sure everyone involved has the best experience possible.

“Last year there were a lot unknowns and we’ve never seen a motorsports event,” Donaldson recalls. “Knowing what we do this year and how our event looks, that’s one thing I’m super excited about. I think we can enhance the volunteer experience even more.”

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix can head to the volunteer website to sign up. All volunteers must be 16 years of age or older and register for a minimum of two shifts throughout the event week. All volunteers will receive parking, transportation, and meals during their shifts.

Volunteer positions include: Race Day Ambassadors, Access Control, Can-Do Team, and Zone Captains.

Steven Boero