Little League Volunteer Application - Laguna Hills Little League is a volunteer organization, and as such we require our families to volunteer in many ways that improve the experience that our children receive from their time in Little League. If you will be on the field (even during practices), in the dugout, volunteering at skills clinics, or in the concession stand, you will need to submit to a background check from the League Safety Officer. We background check every volunteer as a safety precaution.
Please sign up in sports connect and provide your name and email address to Chris Healey as soon as possible. [email protected]
Being a Manager/Head Coach requires time, patience, and a basic knowledge of the game (lower divisions) or solid understanding of the game/rules (upper divisions). You should be able to attend the majority of games and practices. You will plan and run practices (with the assistance of other parents/coaches), create gameday lineups, and be the primary contact between the league and the team. For lower divisions, the Manager is most often on the field with the players (e.g. directing players where to go and what to do, setting up the tee/batter, pitching to their players, etc.). For upper divisions, the Manager is most often calling out plays to the players and base coaching. As the Manager, you will be able to select your team's practice slot, and you can request/select players onto your team.
An Assistant Coach primarily helps the Manager coach the team and run the practices and games. For AA and above divisions, the Manager can recruit as many coaches to assist during practice as needed, but there may only be two rostered Assistant Coaches with the Manager in the dugout during a game. For Single A and below, we encourage several Assistant Coaches to be on the field to help direct and coach players during a game and one coach in the dugout for teams in offense to supervise players and enforce bat safety.
A Team Parent helps the Manager with communication and administrative matters relating to the team. This may include: picking up and distributing uniforms, setting up team calendar and sending practice/game day reminders and other team communications, coordinating volunteer schedules, organizing team social events, collecting/distributing Angels Day* ticket orders, and picking up/collecting/distributing Picture Day* order forms. The Team Parent will also ensure that all applicable trainings and background checks are completed for each volunteer at the beginning of the season. *Angels Day and Picture Day are only applicable for the Spring Season.
Aside from calling balls or strikes, safe or out, Umpires should be demanding good sportsmanship from all game participants. Umpires are also called upon to interpret rules and help settle minor disputes that may occur during games. Umpires are required in the competitive divisions (AA and above) and most games have one field umpire and one plate umpire. No prior experience necessary - training will be provided to new/inexperienced umpires every season.
SPRING SEASON - All teams in AA and above divisions in LHLL will be required to provide to LHLL’s Umpire in Chief (“UIC”) a “team” of volunteer umpires to umpire each of the AA and above division games.
FALL BALL - Teams will be required to provide umpires for their own games. Home team will provide the Plate umpire, and the Visitor team will provide the Base umpire.
LHLL will provide basic umpire equipment at each field for the plate umpire (mask, outside chest protector, shin guards, plate brush and ball/strike indicator). No special equipment is necessary for the base umpire, but should wear comfortable closed toe shoes.
The Home team will be required to provide the Official Scorekeeper for each Spring season game. A basic knowledge of the game is a prerequisite for this role. The following YouTube videos also provide a detailed tutorial for how to keep score.
YouTube video, part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtmtVHXQpD0
YouTube video, part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymuj9580qBQ
Beginning the Spring 2024 season, LHLL will allow the use of the GameChanger app as its official scorekeeping method. Since GameChanger also keeps pitch counts, no separate Pitch Counter will be required for any games that are scored via GameChanger. However, if score is unable to be kept via GameChanger for any reason, the Home team is responsible for keeping score via a manual scorebook and the Visitor team is responsible for recording pitch counts (using a manual pitch count sheet) and scoreboard operation. *Note: Since there is no official scorekeeping required for Fall Ball, the role of Scorekeeper is not required and does NOT exempt a family from the Snack Bar for the Fall season.
The Visitor team will be required to provide a Scoreboard Operator for each Spring season game. *Note: Since there is no official scorekeeping required for Fall Ball, the role of Scoreboard Operator is not required and does NOT exempt a family from the Snack Bar for the Fall season.
LHLL will be running the Snack Shack for baseball tournaments hosted by the city of Lake Forest throughout the year and will need volunteers to help. The Snack Bar generates revenue for the league which helps keep registration fees down amidst rising costs to run the program. There will be opportunities during the Spring and Fall seasons, as well as some opportunities "off season" during the summer and winter. Duties include taking/fulfilling orders, operating the register, food prep, and grilling burgers and hot dogs.
There will be opportunities to help at other one-off events, such as Fields Day, Opening Day, Player Evaluation Day and Picture Day. Additional volunteer opportunities may arise throughout the year as identified by the Board.