Volunteers Run Fairfax Little League
Fairfax Little League is an ALL volunteer organization. We rely solely on a devoted legion of adult volunteers to help ensure that the organization remains structured and runs smoothly. We are always looking for responsible and enthusiastic individuals to support and coordinate Little League, through its administration, events and activities. In order to have a successful season, all parents of children involved in Fairfax Little League need to volunteer. In addition to the key volunteer positions below, every parent will need to assist with field set-up before and clean-up after each practice and game. Our Managers and coaches devote an extraordinary amount of time to teaching and developing our players. At a minimum, we parents must return the favor by covering the field duties so that the fields remain safe and in the best playing condition possible.
Team Manager or Coach
Scorekeeper
Field Coordinator
Game Coordinator
Adult/Youth Umpire
Parent Umpire
Team Parent
Board Member/League Officer
Volunteer Position Descriptions:
Being a manager or coach requires time, patience, and basic knowledge of the game of baseball or softball. Each team has a manager and up to two rostered coaches. Team managers and coaches will also be required to attend off season meetings and instructional sessions, including Rules and Safety meetings and Coaching Clinics. Team managers and coaches, in conjunction with the website notices, will communicate with the parents/guardians of your players to inform them of any schedule changes, rainouts, 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.
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Scorekeeper
Every team needs capable scorekeepers to record each game accurately in the GameChanger app. The team manager will rely heavily upon the scorekeeper to record each game properly because the team manager is responsible for providing the team’s player statistics to the league. Each team needs more than one scorekeeper to ensure that there is at least one present at the start of and during every game. If you plan to attend almost every game, know how (or are willing to learn) how to record a game in the GameChanger app, please volunteer to be a team scorekeeper.
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Field Coordinator
Volunteers in this role are in charge of ensuring the field is ready for play before home games and ensuring the field has been dragged at the conclusion of away games. Getting a field ready for play includes dragging the field and painting batters boxes and foul lines.
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Game Coordinator
In the event that only youth umpires are assigned to a game (no certified volunteer adult umpire is present), it is the Home team’s responsibility to provide an adult game coordinator for the game. The game coordinator must be an adult other than the manager or coaches. The primary responsibility of the adult game coordinator is to oversee the conduct of all players, managers, coaches, umpires and spectators at the game to ensure the safety of all participants and help ensure the game is conducted with integrity and good sportsmanship. The game coordinator should attend the pre-game conference with the umpires and managers. The game coordinator should immediately notify the respective team manager of any action which may jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of the youth umpires or any player, coach or spectator. Game coordinators are trained by the Chief Umpire but the training is not as extensive as that of a volunteer adult or team parent umpire. If you plan to attend almost every game, and are willing to act as the game coordinator for your team when required, please volunteer to be a team game coordinator.
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Adult/Youth Umpire
Aside from calling ball or strike, safe or out, trained league umpires are responsible for teaching players good sportsmanship and the rules of the game. Trained League umpires are also called upon to interpret rules and help settle minor disputes that may occur during games. The league attempts to recruit and train enough volunteer adult and youth umpires to cover all AAA level and above games and when able cover AA and below games too. The Volunteer Adult umpire is critical to the operation of the league as this cadre of individuals becomes the foundation of a sound program. The Volunteer Adult umpires call the District All-Star games and may be eligible for State/Regional Tournaments as well as the Little League World Series upon recommendation of the Chief Umpire. This level will primarily work the Majors, Intermediate and 90’ level. This individual will not be considered a Team Parent Umpire but will be a certified Fairfax Little League umpire and will be eligible to join the Fairfax Baseball Officials Association. A game that has a certified volunteer adult umpire does not have a need for an Adult Game Coordinator. Before becoming a trained volunteer adult umpire, you will be required to participate in off season training sessions. Volunteer adults may also get started by working games with their children who are interested in becoming a youth umpire upon certification completion. Youth umpires are usually age 13 and older and will start on the Minor level. However, youth umpires age 12 may begin if working games with one of their qualified parents.
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Parent Umpire
Each Little League team, from Rookie through the Senior Division, is required to provide at least one adult, normally a parent, to serve as the designated team parent umpire. At A and below, the team parent umpires from each team are the sole officials on the field. At the AA level and above, if the League Certified Umpires are not available, a team umpire should be prepared to umpire. Training for Team Parent Umpires consists of one 2 hour classroom session and one 2 hour on-field session. These are usually conducted during the two weeks prior to the start of the spring season.
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Supports team manager with various tasks off the field including the dissemination of league information planning non-baseball events (e.g., end of season get-together).
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Board Member/League Officer
Fairfax Little League's Board of Directors, elected from and by the adult members of the league, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the league within the rules, regulations and policies of Little League. The board does not have the authority to alter, suspend or change any of the rules, regulations or policies of Little League. To receive credit as a volunteer as a Board Member/League Officer you must already be officially voted in and be acting as a Board Member/League Officer. Please contact your Division's President if you wish to volunteer to become a future League Officer/Board Member.
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