SJALL has seen great success over the past few years both on and off the baseball field. Our sign-ups are growing, our snack shack is the envy of other leagues, and our field is one of the best in the district. Our parent volunteers - Board Members, managers, coaches, umpires, team parents, etc. - are the people who help provide the small community feel that SJALL is known for and without whom we literally would be unable to function. We all would like to provide our kids with the best possible baseball experience and to foster a sense of community and volunteering is one of the most powerful ways to make this happen. Given our reliance on volunteering, we have provided below clarification about the volunteer requirements in place for being a member of the league, as well as the opportunities for volunteering that are available during the year.
Volunteer Requirement
Each family is required to:
• Sign up for and complete a total of at least seven (7) volunteer hours during the regular season AND
• Sign up for and complete TWO (2) Snack Shack shifts.
**Your first two (2) Snack Shack shift hours are IN ADDITION TO the 7 hour requirement. You may sign up for additional snack shack shifts to fulfill your seven (7) hour requirement.
Volunteer Requirement Check:
Each family must submit a check made out to San Jose American Little League in the amount of $350, postdated to June 1. The League will hold all checks until the family is confirmed to have fulfilled their volunteer obligation. Checks will be deposited if volunteer obligations are not completed by the end of the season and if one does not attend a scheduled shift or if you cancel your shift with less than 24 hours’ notice without finding a replacement.
Volunteer Requirement Exceptions:
The following Team Roles are exempt from the hourly requirement:
• All Team Mangers and Assistant Coaches (2 official Assistant Coaches per team) - No snack shack duties are required.
• Team Parent (1 per team) – Must also work at least two (2) Snack Shack shifts during the Spring season.
• Field Parent (1 per team) - Must also work at least one (1) Snack Shack shift during the Spring season and participating in at least one (1) Sunday Field Maintenance Day.
• Scorekeeper (1 per team) - Must also work at least one (1) Snack Shack shifts during the Spring season.
**Juniors, Seniors and Challenger are exempt from all volunteering.
Volunteering Opportunities
There are a wide variety of ways you can choose to get involved and compile your nine (9) volunteer hours including:
⁃ Working additional shifts in the Snack Shack – each family is required to work at least 1 shift as part of their (9) hour minimum requirement
⁃ Barbecuing for the Snack Shack
⁃ Helping out at the Hit-a-Thon / Picture Day
⁃ Opening Ceremonies
⁃ Closing Ceremonies
⁃ Field Maintenance Days
⁃ Umpiring
⁃ Other activities as needed throughout the season - Check your email frequently for additional sign-up opportunities!
Snack Shack
Each family/parent is required to sign up for and complete at least one (1) Snack Shack shift as part of their nine (9) hour minimum Volunteer Requirement. Each team will be assigned a week in which they are responsible for making sure all scheduled Snack Shack shifts are filled. A sign-up sheet with information regarding your team’s designated week will be sent out at the beginning of the season. If a team’s Snack Shack shifts are not (all) filled during their allocated week, the Team Parent is required to work the shifts themselves and/or recruit additional signups from their players’ families. Any parent who does not work a Snack Shack shift during their team’s allocated week, for whatever reason, must sign up for another shift sometime during the season.
Team Positions
The following team roles are available, each with varying volunteer hour requirements. Please note that each Team Volunteer Role requires a cleared background check for the current season before the season begins.
Team Manager (one per team) - This position is the head coach of a specific team within San Jose American Little League. The manager essentially runs the baseball side of the team. The manager is responsible for planning and running team practices, making out game-day lineups, and managing the team during games. This position is not as intimidating as it may seem, especially at the T-Ball and Farm A levels! You always have at least a couple of assistant coaches who are there to help you out and cover for you when you need to miss a practice or game due to other commitments. Please make sure to contact the appropriate board member if you are interested in being a team manager. This position requires a completed background check. No additional volunteer hours or Snack Shack shifts are required for Managers.
Assistant Coach (two per team) - The coach is an assistant to the manager and helps with all baseball aspects of the team. Coaches are vital parts of any team, and are often called upon to help run practices and games when the manager is not available. Note that in Minor AA and above only 2 official coaches are allowed on the field of play, but that doesn't stop additional "coaches" from helping out during practices (only the 2 official coaches receive volunteer credit). T-Ball and Farm A also have 2 “official” coaches who will receive volunteer credit for coaching. However, this does not preclude additional help from parents during practices and games. This position requires a completed background check. No additional volunteer hours or Snack Shack shifts are required for Assistant Coach.
Team Parent (one per team) - The Team Parent is the Manager's right-hand man or woman, and is a vital component of the team. Whereas the Manager typically runs the baseball part of the team, the Team Parent runs the administrative side. The Team Parent is responsible for organizing snack schedules, coordinating the team's turns in running the snack shack, planning mid-season and end-of-the-year team parties, and helping the Manager contact parents when practices or games are cancelled. Team Parents are paired up to open the Snack Shack for 1 week. The team parent, working with the League's Volunteer Coordinator, also helps ensure that their team's volunteer requirements are met. They are the liaison between the league and the parents of the team. They are asked to communicate various activities and messages to parents. This position requires a completed background check. Each Team Parent is required to work at least two (2) Snack Shack shifts during the Spring season.
Team Scorekeeper (one per team) - At the AA level and above, Scorekeepers are an important part of each game we play during the season. San Jose American Little League uses the online scorekeeping application called GameChanger. It can be used through an iOS device. This is a fun activity and keeps you occupied during the game. Furthermore, you are helping the coaches and the league measure how we are doing developing our players. Each Team Scorekeeper is required to work at least one (1) Snack Shack shift during the Spring season.
Field Parent (one per team) – Before games, fields must be prepped for the upcoming game. Duties include dragging the field, watering down the infield, chalking the lines, etc. The same is done once the games are completed. Each Field Parent is required to work at least one (1) Snack Shack shift during the Spring season and participating in at least one (1) Sunday Field Maintenance Day.
Opt Out Option
While we strongly encourage volunteer participation as this makes it possible for us to run the league and provides a greater sense of personal satisfaction and sense of community, we also realize that circumstances may prevent you from being able to do so. Therefore, if you're not able to volunteer for any of the above assignments, you may select to opt out by paying $350 as part of your registration fees.
Corporate Matching for Volunteer Service
SJALL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization & may be eligible for Volunteer Matching Grants from your employer. Volunteer hours for Coaching, Umpiring, Scorekeeping, Field prep, Fund-raising (Snack Shack) and more can be turned into donations to help SJALL. We are registered with Benevity, which many employers use to manage their donation programs. If San Jose American Little League isn’t listed with your employer, please contact us and we can provide the required information.
If you have any questions regarding the volunteer requirements, please reach out to SJALL’s Volunteer Coordinator, Ellen Mauldin ([email protected]).
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SJALL COMMUNITY!