Seb Coe has said that volunteers at London 2012 will make or break the Games. No pressure there then! A quarter of a million of us volunteered and after a rigorous recruitment process, people up and down the country are being offered volunteering jobs in and around the Games. The interview that I attended was in the summer over in Coventry at Warwick University. We were all given colour-coded London 2012 wristbands which marked the time-slot of the interview and, like the geek I am, I am still wearing my white band.

The interview lasted half an hour and was quite testing as you couldn’t just ramble about how wonderful you are but had to provide real examples of how you worked in a team or delegated responsibility or solved problems through creative thinking. As you might expect, I talked the head off the lovely lady interviewing me and as other white band interviewees walked past our open booth heading for home I was still talking about my favourite subject – me.

Despite my verbal incontinence it seems they were quite impressed as I have been offered a role in the Press Office at the Hockey Centre smack bang in the heart of the Olympic Park. It still astonishes me to think that for a few weeks in 2012 I will be walking through the Park, heading toward the hockey, knowing that as well as contributing either side of the Games in my paid role I can also contribute during the Games and maybe later at the Paralympics too – I am still hoping for an offer of a week’s volunteering then.

I am still not quite sure what the role will entail, maybe just making tea and coffee for the hockey hacks, but that doesn’t matter. If I can help the Press Office run smoothly maybe the Argentinian or Chinese or Aussie writers and broadcasters will write or record with big smiles on their faces because their jobs have been made so much easier by my work. All that will boost the profile of hockey at London 2012 and of our Games in general. I have to say that, despite the fact that all my holiday will go on this volunteering stint and that it will cost me a bomb to volunteer as there is no money for accommodation or transport to London, I am chuffed.

Having been to the Games at Atlanta, Athens and Beijing I have seen first hand the value of volunteers. Atlanta was a much-maligned Games but I really enjoyed it. Volunteers with smiling faces helped us through MARTA, Atlanta’s crowded underground system.

We were greeted at the hockey, the basketball or the rowing by helpful people. I think the athletes’ experience was slightly different – volunteer coach drivers from outside Atlanta were sometimes taking athletes to competitions and getting totally lost en route!

In Athens there were volunteers from the city, the nation and all over the world. Again, my memories are only positive. The sun shone, the transport system worked well and there were lots of smiles.

It seemed as though there were two volunteers for every spectator in Beijing. Fewer smiles maybe but great efficiency and helpfulness with volunteers at every turn on the city’s subway system and swift security checks at venues.

Having been a volunteer at many events in this country I am confident that we will welcome the world in style. As ever there will be a few ‘jobsworth’ types who will forget that the Games is not all about them and go overboard with pernicketiness. However, they will be greatly outnumbered by those who just want to make sure that all spectators go home either feeling proud to be British or impressed by our hospitality.

Being based at the Hockey Centre will obviously be great for me as I’ll be close to the action at my favourite sport. I am also looking forward to seeing some of the stars close up at Press Conferences. Players like Jamie Dwyer of Australia and Luciana Aymar of Argentina could be world names by the end of the Games or maybe the world will be talking about our own Ashley Jackson and Crista Cullen (pictured below). I’m also keen to see the ‘in your face’ blue and pink pitch close up. Nicknamed Smurf Turf the pitch itself is bright blue and the run off areas are Barbie pink. Teams will play with a bright yellow ball. I think few will say that the London 2012 hockey facility was dull.

The GB hopefuls are currently training at the pitch although the stands and surrounding facilities are still awaiting construction. The eight Leicester girls in the training group are excited about the pace of the pitch and are getting used to its brightness. Other such pitches are being developed at training facilities for visiting sides but playing so often on the pitch can only help GB.

Coming back to those Leicester girls, the difficult start to the season for the first team is being recovered with most players now back in action. Beckie Herbert is still focusing on getting selected for GB and may well not play for Leicester this season but Crista Cullen returned to action for brief spells on the pitch last week after rest and a persistent heel injury.

Having the stars back has helped Leicester rise from the bottom of the League to 6th place but much is down to the solid contribution of regulars like captain Vanessa Hawkins, Sarah Cockayne and Hannah Smith. Leicester has also recruited two high quality players in New Zealand international Liz Perry and England U21 player Josie Inverdale. Josie has also got stuck in helping to coach club juniors which is fantastic for us as a club and a great credit to her.

Finally, best of luck this coming weekend to two Leicester Hockey Club youngsters with in international future ahead of them. Jess and Lizzie Honarmand play in the Futures Cup for Midlands side Mercia Lynx at U16 and U18 level respectively. Lizzie has been playing with the first team this season and Jess is a fine prospect and we are hoping for great things from both of them.