Being a Team Manager or Coach
Being a manager or coach requires time, patience, and basic knowledge of the game of baseball/softball. You may be required to attend meetings, instructional sessions, or seminars. You will communicate with the parents/guardians of your players to inform them of any schedule changes, rain outs, and Little League events and activities.
As a manager or coach, you have more interaction with young people than anyone else in Little League. Therefore, it is important that you understand the goals and virtues of the Little League program in order to effectively communicate them to your players. To gain a better understanding of what those goals and virtues are, visit our home page or speak with your league's president.
Coaches will need to complete Concussion Training. Please go to the following link for more information: https://www.cdc.gov/heads-up/training/youth-sports.html
Helping with Field Maintenance
In some cases, your local Little League is required to maintain the fields that your child plays on. As a part of the field maintenance crew, your skills and abilities may be used to mow grass, line fields, rake dirt, and execute minor repairs on fences, benches and bleachers.
Helping at Registration
Volunteers may be needed to make and distribute posters and flyers advertising the beginning of registration. You can pass these out to local schools and youth organizations, and distribute them throughout neighborhoods. Announcements can be placed in local newspapers and on local radio stations. They should have the time, date and location of local registration, and they should inform parents of any specific documents that will be needed.
Volunteers are also needed at the time of registration. You will be responsible for organizing lines, handing out forms, answering questions, making sure that forms are filled out completely and correctly, and collecting participation fees.
Note: As stated in the Little League official rule book, at no time should payment of any fee be a prerequisite for participation in any level of the Little League program. It is recommended that parents who are unable to pay a participation fee be encouraged to contribute volunteer time to the league.
Being an Umpire
Aside from calling ball or strike, safe or out, umpires are responsible for teaching players good sportsmanship and the rules of the game. Umpires are also called upon to interpret rules and help settle minor disputes that may occur during games.
Most Little League games have one home plate umpire and a minimum of one field umpire. Before becoming a home plate umpire you may be required to participate in training sessions and seminars.
While home plate umpires are scheduled well in advance, field umpires are often determined minutes before the game begins. As you arrive at your child's game, your coach or the home plate umpire may ask you to be the field umpire. When you agree, your main responsibilities are to call plays on the bases, determine if balls are fair or foul, and assist the home plate umpire with other calls.
Selling Concessions
Because all Little League playing facilities are different, the responsibilities of a concession stand volunteer vary by league. The job may simply involve standing behind a counter and filling orders, or it may require that you buy, prepare, transport and/or store various concessions.
Starting a Fundraising Committee
Although all leagues may not have a need for such an organization, it may be a good idea to start a fundraising committee to help provide such things as uniforms, equipment, awards, team snacks/drinks, and team trips/parties. This may require planning and attending meetings, organizing and participating in fundraising events, and managing and distributing funds. While an unlimited number of fundraisers using adults are permitted, only one fundraiser using players, in or out of uniform, is permitted per year.