CSLL Volunteer Information

Central Springfield Little League (CSLL) is an all-volunteer organization. Everything required to provide a safe place for our children to learn the game of baseball is accomplished by volunteers. Obvious volunteers include: managers, coaches, umpires, team parents, and concession stand workers. However many more volunteers are needed to support a successful baseball season including: scorekeepers, field maintenance workers, safety officers, photographers, web designers, electricians, plumbers, painters, etc. Without volunteers CSLL could not exist.

You are CSLL and your effort defines CSLL's success. Everyone pays the same fees and CSLL expects everyone to contribute to a successful baseball season. Another CSLL baseball season that meets the expectations of every parent and child for safe, competitive, and fun baseball.

If you would like more information about volunteering just ask any CSLL "White Hat" board member when you visit Trailside Park or the Franconia Park field, or email us at execvp@csll.org.

Volunteer Jobs Include:

Board of Directors

The board of directors manages Central Springfield Little League (CSLL). They are responsible for the overall operation of the league and safety of CSLL events. The board of directors manages and administers every aspect of the league, including routine operations, selecting managers and coaches, and coordinating efforts with other leagues, District 9, Fairfax County Park Authority, etc. The CSLL board of directors is elected by CSLL at large elections held at the end of each spring season. Each board member is elected to serve one term beginning in October and ending in September. Members of the board of directors hold CSLL executive positions (President, Executive Vice president, Treasurer, Secretary, Chief Umpire, Player's Agent), division vice president positions (Senior, Juniors, Major, AAA, AA, A, T-ball), and other positions as necessary.

President:

The president is responsible for the overall operation of CSLL. He or she mediates and facilitates board of director meetings, works closely with the district administrator, city council, and Player's Agent. The president arbitrates all disputes and breaks all tie votes. He or she is also responsible for setting strategic direction for the league, and is the focal point of contact for all league issues.

Executive Vice president:

The executive vice president presides as president in his or her absence. The executive vice president works with all CSLL officers and committee members, and is ex-officio member of all committees. The executive vice president carries out duties and assignments as delegated by the President.

Treasurer:

The treasurer is responsible for all CSLL finances including preparation and posting of all ledger financials. He or she writes all checks, pays league bills, makes all bank deposits, and prepares necessary budget information.

Secretary:

The secretary is responsible for scheduling meetings, recording and distributing meeting minutes, scheduling CSLL events, and disseminating information to membership.

Chief Umpire:

The chief umpire is overall responsible for CSLL's compliance with the "rules of the game" in accordance with Little League and local guidance. He or she is responsible for coordinating all umpire activities including umpire training and umpire scheduling for all CSLL games (A-Ball through Jrs/Srs).

Player's agent:

The player's agent is responsible for ensuring eligibility (residency and age) of CSLL baseball players including tournament team eligibility. He or she records all player transactions, coordinates player placement on teams, and coordinates Jr/Sr and major/minor drafts. The player's agent acts as liaison between the players and the board and arbitrates all player disputes.

Division Vice Presidents

Division vice presidents are responsible for the coordination and operation of each division including the selection of managers and coaches, dissemination of information, and division compliance with CSLL guidance. Division vice presidents act as liaisons between the team managers and the board and ensures managers have sufficient resources and information to manage their teams.

Vice President for Seniors:

The vice president for seniors is responsible for the seniors division ages 15-16.

Vice President for Juniors:

The vice president for juniors is responsible for the juniors division ages 13-14.

Vice President for Majors:

The vice president for Majors is responsible for the majors division ages 10-12.

Vice President for AAA:

The vice president for AAA is responsible for the AAA division ages 9-12.

Vice President for AA:

The vice president for AA is responsible for the AA division ages 9-11.

Vice President for A (Machine Pitch):

The vice president for A-Ball (Pitching Machine) is responsible for the A-Ball division ages 7-8.

Vice President for T-Ball:

The vice president for T-Ball is responsible for the T-Ball division ages 4-6.

Scheduler:

The scheduler is responsible for scheduling all CSLL practices and games. He or she coordinates with county park authorities to acquire appropriate permits and ensures practices and games are scheduled in a fair and consistent manner for all teams.

Sponsors Coordinator:

The sponsors coordinator acts as a liaison between community/corporate sponsors and CSLL for solicitation of monetary and in-kind contributions. He or she procures donations by various means, collects donations, distributes mailings, and ensures sponsor plaques are provided to appropriate sponsors.

Safety Officer:

The safety officer is responsible for updating all CSLL safety products each year. He or she coordinates all safety activities and identifies safety-related issues to insure CSLL facilities are safe for players and families.

Field Maintenance Coordinator:

The field maintenance coordinator is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all CSLL fields. He or she schedules and coordinates maintenance days and oversees volunteer work, e.g. repair of fields, bases, fences, batting cages, and general landscaping.

Equipment Manager:

The equipment manager is responsible for maintaining CSLL player equipment inventory. He or she ensures all CSLL equipment is serviceable and in compliance with Little League and local regulations. He or she is responsible for identifying best value venders and ordering baseball equipment and supplies. He or she also manages equipment distribution and return.

Training Coordinator:

The training coordinator is responsible for scheduling and coordinating CSLL baseball-training events. He or she coordinates clinics, instruction, and training events for players, managers, coaches, and scorekeepers. He or she, when necessary, coordinates with county authorities for the use of school gyms and fields.

Information officer:

The information officer is responsible for managing CSLL information dissemination media. He or she updates, organizes, and maintains the CSLL website, Facebook page, and email newsletters/communications. He or she ensures information is current, accurate, and well organized; and coordinates with appropriate CSLL representatives to ensure a good information flow to membership is achieved.

Concessions Stand Coordinator:

The concessions stand coordinator is responsible for the operation of the CSLL concession stand. He or she coordinates the staffing of the concession stand with the Volunteer Coordinator and paid teens (if necessary) and ensures safety and health code standards are met.

Concessions Stand Inventory Manager:

The concessions stand inventory manager is responsible for the inventory and purchase of food, beverages, paper products, and cleaning supplies. He or she coordinates ordering, deliveries, and reception of concession stand inventory.

Volunteer Coordinator:

The volunteer coordinator organizes the volunteer efforts required to operate the league. He or she is responsible for documenting and updating volunteer position descriptions and tracking the staffing of each position. The volunteer coordinator also facilitates information dissemination and acts as a liaison between major volunteer tasks e.g. concessions stand and maintenance, and the Team Parent Coordinator ensuring each effort is properly supported.

Team Parent Coordinator:

The team parent coordinator facilitates information dissemination regarding volunteer and logistic requirements to each team parent. He or she coordinates and assists each team parent in organizing volunteers, e.g. concessions stand and maintenance workers, and planning logistical support, e.g. team signs, team pictures, and fundraising events. The team parent coordinator acts as a liaison between each team parent and the board, ensuring each team is properly supported.

Fundraising Coordinator:

The fundraising coordinator coordinates with the Team Parent Coordinator and organizes fundraising events, e.g. raffles, etc.

Spirit Wear Coordinator:

The spirit wear coordinator is responsible for identifying best value venders and ordering CSLL spirit wear. He or she coordinates with the Team Parent Coordinator to publicize and sell CSLL spirit wear.

Special Events Coordinator:

The special events coordinator organizes community events for the league, e.g. movie nights, Nationals games, barbeques, etc.

Sponsor Book / Yearbook producer:

The sponsor book / yearbook producer is responsible for overseeing the production and publishing of the CSLL sponsor book / yearbook. He or she coordinates with appropriate CSLL representatives to develop a product memorizing the CSLL season capturing the teams and sponsors that participated.

Fun Tournament Coordinator:

The fun tournament coordinator is responsible for organizing CSLL's participation in the District 9 post-season tournament. He or she coordinates with appropriate CSLL representatives to promote and establish CSLL tournament teams.

All Star Committee Chair:

The all-star committee chair oversees CSLL's all-star selection process and manages the committee (selected by the board of directors) charged with identifying all-star prospects. He or she coordinates with the player's agent to ensure eligibility (resident and age) of CSLL baseball players and ensures a fair and consistent selection process is achieved.

Adjunct Board Member:

An adjunct board member is a volunteer appointed by the CSLL President to serve in a specific position deemed necessary to CSLL. These positions are appointed at the discretion of the CSLL President.

League-wide Volunteers

Umpires

Umpires are responsible for ensuring each baseball game is fair and played in accordance with Little League and local rules. He or she, aside from calling ball or strike, safe or out, is 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. All umpires must complete pre-season training classes and pass the required in-house tests and training to become an umpire. The Chief Umpire provides a game schedule each week and solicits qualified umpires to cover each game.

General Maintenance/Field Maintenance:

CSLL facilities, i.e. Trailside Park and the Franconia Park field, are maintained by CSLL. CSLL has "adopted" Trailside Park and the Franconia Park field, and is responsible for making general repairs and conducting maintenance before, during, and after the baseball season. As such, many volunteers are needed to ensure safe and playable conditions are achieved and maintained. In addition to the general maintenance of our facilities specific repairs requiring unique skills e.g. electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc. are needed as well. Volunteers that have these skills are particularly valuable and critical in the overall upkeep of CSLL facilities. Work commonly required to maintain CSLL facilities include: Mowing, Raking, Filling holes, Trimming, General Plumbing, General Electrical, General Painting, and General Carpentry.

Team Volunteers

Manager

The manager is responsible for managing the team. He or she is responsible for the safety, training, performance, and conduct of the team. He or she, aided by coaches, conducts practices and develops both individual and team skills as well as mentors the players in sportsmanship and competitive ethics. The manager is responsible for organizing the team for games including determining batting orders, player positions, player rotations, and tracking pitch counts. The manager is responsible for player behavior and compliance with umpire rulings at games. Managers attend all CSLL assessments prior to the season and select their teams at the preseason draft (AA-Jr/Sr). He or she should make every attempt to continue to develop their knowledge of the game and seek to improve and find new drills to better teach the game to their teams. CSLL conducts coaching clinics to provide opportunities to share ideas and build both confidence and coaching skills. Managers are expected to be at practices and games, as well as provide administrative support including communicating batting and field practices times to the team and coordinating with their team parent for additional logistic support. Managers must report all issues requiring additional support or attention to their respective division vice president. Managers are selected by division vice presidents and approved by the board of directors.

Designated Coach:

The designated coach is responsible for assisting the manager including sharing the responsibility for the safety, training, performance, and conduct of the team. He or she assist the manager in conducting practices and developing both individual and team skills as well as mentoring the players in sportsmanship and competitive ethics. The designated coach must be capable of assuming the roll of manager in the absence of the manager. Designated coaches provide assistance to the manager as needed and is expected to be at all practices and games. Designated coaches are encouraged to attend, with their managers, all CSLL assessments prior to the season and assist in selecting their teams at the preseason draft (AA-Jr/Sr). He or she should make every attempt to continue to develop their knowledge of the game and seek to improve and find new drills to better teach the game to their teams. CSLL conducts coaching clinics to provide an opportunity to share ideas and build both confidence and coaching skills. The designated coach is selected by the manager and is subject to approval by the board of directors. Each team is authorized two designated coaches. By Little League rule only the manager and two coaches are allowed to participate (be in the dugout, on the field, or providing "coaching") in the each game.

Field Coaches:

The field coach is responsible for providing general assistance to the manager at field and batting practices as needed. He or she provides assistance to enhance the execution of the manager's training plan to provide optimal and safe use of facilities and time constraints. Field coaches should be at most practices to provide consistency and continuity to the team's training and development. Field coaches should be capable of assuming the roll of designated coach in the absence of a designated coach. Field coaches are selected by the manager and are not required or limited in number.

Team Parent

The team parent coordinates logistic and volunteer support. He or she coordinates with the Team Parent Coordinator to facilitate information dissemination regarding volunteer requirements, e.g. concessions stand and maintenance workers, and logistic requirements, e.g. team signs, team pictures, and fundraising events. The team parent coordinates with each player's family to fill volunteer needs and organize team parties, trophies, etc. He or she works with the manager to ensure the team's administrative and logistic needs are met.

Scorekeeper

The scorekeeper is responsible for keeping the official score of each game. He or she records each play in the official scorebook so that someone could reconstruct the game by only looking at the scorebook. The scorekeeper verifies pitch counts with the manager between each half-inning. The home team (A-Jrs/Srs) for each game must provide at least one scorekeeper. Two scorekeepers are encouraged providing someone to run the electronic scoreboard and assist in tracking the events of each play. The Scorekeeper is prohibited from cheering and must remain strictly objective and consistent with umpire rulings in all scores recorded. The scorekeeper is responsible for securing and returning the official scorebook to the boardroom (above the concessions stand) before and after each game.

Concessions

CSLL operates a concession stand at Trailside Park that is a significant source of income supporting CSLL operation as well as providing snacks and refreshments to CSLL patrons. The concession worker is responsible for preparing and cooking food, handling all food transactions (sales), and cleaning up at the end of the shift. A shift manager supervises shifts and the concession stand manager provides oversight and guidance for its operation. Teams are required to provide volunteers (5-6 per shift) to work in the concession stand.

Miscellaneous

Numerous volunteers are needed to accomplish various tasks everyday. Daily tasks accomplished by CSLL informal volunteers include helping in the following tasks: assisting managers and coaches prepare the field for play (home team) including chalking the fields, placing bases on the field, etc.; assisting managers and coaches clean up after each game (visiting team) including raking the field, returning bases to the storage room, and conducting a police call of the area; and assisting in a general police call of Trailside Park and emptying trash cans.