Little League® programs are always looking for responsible and enthusiastic individuals to support and coordinate local Little League events and activities. Volunteers should have a keen interest in the safety, well-being, and overall development of children.
Anyone can apply to become a volunteer. Across the country, volunteers are parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, retirees, community leaders, former Little Leaguers®, friends, neighbors, and more. Any community member who wishes to become a volunteer may apply.
All parents of children involved in Little League Baseball® and Little League Softball® are strongly encouraged to volunteer. Parents who volunteer have the opportunity to spend quality time with their child in a safe, fun-filled environment. Often, the social lives of parents and their child parallel each other. Volunteering allows your life and your child’s life to intersect on common ground, with shared interests and goals, where both can meet new friends.
On rare occasions, Little League, through District Administrators and local Board of Directors, may deny individuals the privilege of volunteering for reasons, past or present, which may be detrimental to the positive development of young people, other volunteers, and/or Little League International. When applying to become a volunteer, individuals give the local Little League organization permission to conduct all necessary background checks.
No experience is required to become a volunteer. Most of the volunteer opportunities require little or no training. Local leagues will provide any necessary training (as well as support and encouragement), and Little League University is the go-to resource for everything a volunteer needs to know. The best volunteers are those who are able to bring added enjoyment to the game simply be being themselves.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS
All local Little Leagues are required to conduct background checks on managers, coaches, board of directors members and any other persons, volunteers or hired workers, who provide regular service to the league and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with, players or teams. Individuals are also required to complete and submit a Little League Volunteer Application to their local league, as well completion of the Little League Abuse Awareness Training Course for all volunteers, before they may begin volunteering. The Abuse Awareness Training Course is required to be completed by all volunteers each year. No additional requirements are in place by Little League to become a volunteer.
Local leagues may put into place additional application requirements, such as an application to be a manager or coach that lists skills, background, and desire to become a Little League manager or coach. It may also put into place criteria to become a manager or coach. These are optional requirements, but Little League does recommend that local leagues review each candidate to ensure it is appointing the best individuals to represent its league.
The local league will determine what volunteer positions are needed. This may include, in addition to managers, coaches and umpires; team parents, concession workers, field maintenance assistance, event assistance, committee members and more.
Little League Regulation I (c) outlines the volunteer guidelines, in which local leagues must:
- require that all of the following persons have annually submitted a fully completed “Little League Official Volunteer Application” to the local League President, prior to the applicant assuming his/her duties for the current season: managers, coaches, Board of Directors members and any other persons, volunteers or hired workers, who provide regular service to the league and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with, players or teams. The “Little League Official Volunteer Application” must be maintained by the president of the local league Board of Directors for all persons named above, for a minimum of at least two years after the volunteer is no longer in the league. When it comes time to dispose the records, they should be destroyed as they contain sensitive personal information. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in the suspension or revocation of tournament privileges and/or the local league’s charter by action of the Charter or Tournament committees in Williamsport.
- conduct an annual background check on all persons that are required to complete a “Little League Official Volunteer Application” prior to the applicant assuming his/her duties for the current season. The background check should be concurrent with the Little League International fiscal year, October 1 to September 30. The background check must, at a minimum, meet the standard of a nationwide criminal search, a national sex offender registry search, and a review of the U.S. Center for SafeSport Centralized Disciplinary Database and Little League International Ineligible List. Background checks conducted by JDP for local little leagues include all of the required database searches. Starting in 2025, background checks for all volunteers are required to be conducted through J.D. Palatine (JDP), as other providers will not be accepted.
Manager, Coach and Umpire Appointment Process is also outlined for local leagues:
- Interested applicants must complete and return fully completed a Little League Volunteer Application. If the league requires additional information, including a manager/coach application, this will need to be returned as well.
- The Little League Volunteer Application must include a copy of government issued picture identification (e.g. driver’s license, passport).
- Applicants will be reviewed by the President and he/she will submit his/her recommendations to the Board of Directors for review. This may require interview with the president, board of directors or committee.
- The Board of Directors will review and approve candidates for appointment by the League President.