Quito Little League Parent handbook - LeagueAthletics.com
QUITO LITTLE LEAGUE PARENT & PLAYER HANDBOOK Quito Little League (QLL) is a non-profit organization that is chartered by the National Little League organization out of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Little League’s official web site address is www.littleleague.org. District 12 is our local Little League organization overseeing the leagues in our area. QLL’s official website is www.quitoll.org. Please visit the web site often for important information, schedules, standings, news and notes from the league. QUITO LITTLE LEAGUE MISSION
Quito Little League endorses the National Little League philosophy, and has made only slight modifications to some of the rules in an attempt to enhance the playing experience for our children. Quito Little League is an organization of volunteers dedicated to serving youth sports programs. It is a program for kids. The commitment is to provide a Little League Baseball Program with qualified leadership. Safety, training, participation, fun, sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play and commitment to volunteerism are our goals. The experiences players have in Little League will last a lifetime. Little League provides an opportunity to teach youngsters teamwork, perseverance, integrity, and good sportsmanship— qualities they can draw upon as adults. Quito Little League is based upon the following principles:
• Creation of a fun, safe and competitive environment • Identification of coaches with baseball knowledge and who are instructive encouraging and supportive • Continuous development of players and coaches • Creating an equal opportunity for all children to participate • Encouraging a variety of baseball experiences at all levels • Providing a means for families to share in the operations of the League • Increasing and improving community participation BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Members of the Quito Little League Board preside over the needs of the league for a term of one year. Each board member volunteers their personal time to ensure fields are maintained, uniforms are purchased, vendors are managed, communications are published, registration is taken care of, rules are established, teams are created, managers and coaches are selected, and sponsorships are secured. The board formally meets throughout the year on the second Tuesday of the month, and informally in subcommittees as needed. For a list of our current Board members, visit our website at http://www.QuitoLL.org BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEETINGS
Board meetings are open to the public and all interested parents are welcome to attend and offer comments and suggestions; simply email [email protected] to be put on the agenda. Members of the Board are also managers, coaches and parents too. This may result in a majority of the Board not being able to make scheduled meetings during the season due to conflicts with team games and other volunteer activities. Therefore, the schedule is tentative and subject to change at any time. An updated schedule will be posted on our web site. ELIGIBILITY
Quito Little League is open to all children between the ages of 4 and 18 as of August 31st of each year. The league is open to players who live or attend school within the established physical boundaries, subject to adherence to
established rules and required parental support. The league boundary map can be found on our website. LEAGUE DIVISIONS
Approximately 300 area youth, ages 4 to 14, will participate in the program during the season. The entire program is supervised and administered by adult volunteers. Quito Little League's Division Age Guidelines: Please note that the AA, AAA, and Majors teams are chosen via the draft following player evaluations. Most divisions, beginning with Single-A, will be two year stops for each player. LEAGUE SEASON FORMAT SPRING SEASON
Spring Season play consists of pre-season practice, regular season play and practice, end of season tournaments, and All-Stars. Pre-season practice – Your child’s team manager will hold practices prior to the start of regular season play. Each manager will have a practice schedule and will contact you with the place and time. You should assist your child in maintaining regular practice attendance. Please see the calendar for the beginning of League practice. Regular season play – During the regular season, each team will usually play two games per week (except for Challenger, Mini-T, T-ball and A-ball). Practices will also be scheduled during the week at the discretion of the manager. Post-season –The League Champion in AA, AAA and Majors divisions will be determined in a series of playoff games after the regular season is completed.
Tournaments – The Majors and AAA divisions will participate in postseason tournament play. The winner of the post-season tournaments will represent QLL in the District 12 Tournament of Champions. All-Stars - Upon the conclusion of the regular Little League season, an AllStar team is named for each of the 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12-year-old age groups and the Juniors Division. These teams represent QLL in post season tournament play running from roughly June 10 through July 15 and possibly later depending upon the age group. All- Stars is recognition of the best players in the league and the players are expected to fulfill the obligations associated with this honor, which include attending all mandated practices and tournament games. Much more content will be posted during the Spring season which will outline the selection process for each level, provide guidelines, and provide the details of the commitment players and their families are expected to make to All-Stars. FALL BALL SEASON
The Fall Ball League is a non-competitive league that stresses training and player development. All Juniors and Little League players (ages 6 and up) are invited to participate. The Fall Ball season begins the end of August and runs to early November. A separate registration will be announced in May and additional sign-ups will be held through July. Fall Ball participation requires a separate registration fee. UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT
Each player will receive a uniform jersey and hat from the league at the start of the season. Parents should be prepared to purchase the following items to complete their child’s uniform requirement: • • • • • •
Baseball pants (color determined by your child’s coach) Baseball belt (color determined by your child’s coach) Baseball socks (color determined by your child’s coach) Baseball undershirt (color determined by your child’s coach) Slider shorts (for AA and up) Protective cup (for A-ball and up)
• Baseball cleats • Baseball glove The league provides each team manager with division appropriate equipment including: • Baseball bats • Baseball helmets • Catcher’s gear, including catcher’s glove Players are also permitted to use their own Little League approved bats and batting helmets if they prefer. Although batting helmets are provided by the league, we highly recommend parents provide their child’s own batting helmet. A list of approved bats can be found on www.LittleLeague.org. SAFETY
QLL is committed to providing our children a safe environment to learn and play. As a chartered member of Little League, we are part of the Little League ASAP program. ASAP stands for “A Safety Awareness Program”. We submit our safety plan to Little League annually for approval. Our plan includes first aid information, emergency phone numbers, emergency procedures, and accident forms, among many other things. Each coach and team is given a copy of this document. A copy of the Safety Plan will also be posted on our web site. QLL also recognizes the importance of using appropriate equipment and gear in order to provide our players the safest environment. We should all work together in this effort. If you notice any conditions or equipment that you feel is unsafe, please notify your child’s coach or safety coordinator immediately or contact the league’s Safety Officer. We do our best, but are always relieved when someone points out something our volunteers may have missed. All local Little Leagues are now required to conduct background checks on all Managers, Coaches, Board of Directors, members and any other persons or volunteers who provide regular service to the league and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with, players or teams.
A note regarding Social Security Numbers – Little League International (LLI) requires that ALL volunteers have a background check before they are allowed to participate. This is not an option and our league charter and insurance is dependent upon it. LLI sends a report to each District Administrator on the status of each league’s background checks, calculating the number of checks we should have based on our league size. If we don’t meet our requirement we are in danger of losing our charter and insurance. In order to perform the background check we must have your SSN, so please be aware that all volunteers are required to provide it, no exceptions. This information is kept by the Safety Officer in a secure location and is shredded at the end of the season (unless other arrangements are made). Parents not willing to provide their SSN will not be able to volunteer and will therefore be required to pay the $350 volunteer buyout fee. Thank you for your understanding. SPONSORS
Sponsorships help pay expenses of the league. We cannot thank our sponsors enough for the opportunities they present the league. Please patronize them often! A listing of our sponsors is on our website along with our Sponsorship program. We are always looking for sponsorship support whether from our individual families or business sponsors. If you are interested, please contact us. FUNDRAISING
QLL is a non-profit organization. That means we must find a way to gather income for operating expenses. As with most Little League Organizations, registration fees only cover part of the costs of running a program, maintaining investments and making overall improvements to the league. Thus, we rely on fundraising, sponsorships, and events to help meet our goals. Fundraising / sponsorship accounts for 35% of our operating budget and is an essential part of our league, however it creates a challenge not only because of the many ‘asks’ that are made of families, but because it consumes a tremendous amount of resources to execute (planning the event, acquiring
donations, recruiting people to participate, etc) as well as adding calendar events to a family’s already full calendar. We will continue to offer ‘optional’ activities that are fun, convenient and benefit the league such as Dining Out Nights, SF Giants Little League Day, and Merchant Events. We hope to plan a ‘Parent Social’ (without the fundraising strings attached!) for everyone to enjoy. VOLUNTEERS
QLL is an all-volunteer organization. We have no paid employees; we receive no money from any federal, state, or local agencies. All our funding comes from registration, fundraising, concession sales and sponsorships, and all of it goes back into our league in the form of equipment, uniforms, field upgrades, facility improvements and training programs. Our greatest asset is the energy and enthusiasm that individuals bring to our league and our activities. • Last year we had over 100 coaches, 50 scorekeepers and umpires. • Concession stand volunteers stocked, maintained and sold food and drinks during all the games. • Volunteers cleaned, prepped, raked, and lined fields throughout the season • They created our merchandise, yearbook and website • Volunteers oversaw all fundraising activities, sponsorships, and events • They managed all equipment and uniforms (maintenance/coordinating/ordering) • Board members managed registrations, business issues and tournaments. As you can see there is a lot that goes into running this program. Changes occur each year as we strive to become more organized, consistent and improve our facilities. We have a very dedicated group of people who put much time and energy into the league. This group changes each year as their children progress through the program so it is critical that new volunteers step up to keep things running smoothly. Volunteering can be a fun, rewarding experience especially when children are the beneficiaries.
More helping hands certainly lighten the load and help in making it an enjoyable experience for everyone. Family Volunteer Requirement There was significant survey feedback related to the topic of volunteers, volunteering, and the need to get more families involved. To insure the success of QLL, we will require that each family perform service in the league. We understand how difficult it may be as many of you have several children, dual careers and other priorities. There are a couple of ways you can meet the volunteering requirement: • Volunteer 14 hours minimum per family (many opportunities listed below) • Pay $500 per child to opt-out of volunteer requirement Team Volunteers: Manager, Coach, Umpire (AA and up), Scorekeeper (AA and up), Team Parent, Team Home Run Festival Coordinator, Team Yearbook Coordinator, Field Set-up / Take-down, Team Safety Coordinator. There will also be opportunities to volunteer for special events / activities such as field days, opening day, parent social events, etc. Snack Shack - Every family is required to serve two shifts in the snack shack during their team’s assigned week. Manager’s families are exempt from this requirement. Failure to meet your snack shack requirement will result in a $50 fee for each occurrence. HR Festival - Each TEAM is required to provide volunteers for the HR Festival, a total of six hours per team. This can be done with 3 volunteers for one 2-hour shift per volunteer, or 6 volunteers for a one hour shift per volunteer as determined by the team HR Festival Coordinator. VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
Team Managers and Coaches – They are the most visible group of volunteers because of their direct and sustained contact with the players. Two games plus one or two practices per week consume a great deal of time. However, these
parents with the available time will find that managing or coaching is a very rewarding way to contribute to QLL. ALL managers and coaches must attend mandatory coaching and first aid clinic(s) regardless of years of experience. The Team Manager is responsible for running the team including practices and games, must learn division playing rules, instruct players in proper baseball skills and involve parents with the team and league activities. The manager works with coaches, team scorekeepers and team parent to assign job responsibilities according to the needs of the team. Must attend all try-outs for their division and team draft or assignment meeting in January. In the event that you are not approved as a manager / coach, you will be asked to fulfill a different volunteer job from the remaining jobs available or pay the $350 buy-out. Umpires - Umpiring is an opportunity for involvement in the AA and up divisions for parents with less time or erratic schedules. Umpires are scheduled according to their available time. Extensive prior knowledge of baseball is not necessary in order to umpire; training sessions are conducted during the preseason. Team Field Set-up / Take-down – Field preparation is an important activity for all divisions. Having reliable volunteers is a tremendous help for the Managers and Coaches, enabling them to focus on the children rather than the fields. Depending on the division, volunteers arrive at the field 15 – 30 minutes before practices and 30 to 60 minutes before games. Team Scorekeeper – Scorekeeping in the AA and up divisions is another opportunity for parents with less time or erratic schedules. Scorekeepers are scheduled according to their available time. Previous knowledge / experience is not required, training sessions are conducted during the preseason. Team Parent – Team parents play a critical volunteer role in supporting QLL and the team to which their player is assigned by organizing the families for a successful season Areas of responsibility include:
1. Prepare and distribute a team roster and contact information to parents 2. Picking up team uniforms from the uniform coordinator and distributing to the players. 3. Coordinate Opening Day festivities such as dissemination of information about the day's events (parade, photos, etc). 4. Collect and distribute team and player picture information on Opening Day. Distribute photos later to parents. 5. Prepare and distribute a snack schedule by the first game. Every family is required to participate by providing a snack and a drink for all players on the team on a rotating basis. Each family can expect to provide team snacks/drinks at least 2x during the season. Snacks/drinks are only provided after games and not required for every team practice. 6. Prepare the Snack Shack parent schedule for their assigned week. As explained above, each parent should expect to work the snack shack at least twice during the season plus possible additional times during the playoffs. 7. Disseminate of any QLL event information to the team’s parents. 8. Coordinate of the End of Season Team Party and thank you gifts for team manager & coaches Team Home Run Festival Coordinator – The HR Festival Coordinator communicates with parents to promote the festivities and encourage participation, distributes HR Derby pledge envelopes, arranges the required team festival volunteers, coordinates the teams turn at the HR Derby and collects pledge envelopes. Team Yearbook Coordinator – This volunteer is responsible for gathering photos during the season and preparing the team yearbook page. This is a great job for working parents as you can coordinate your activities electronically.
Team Safety Coordinator – As the team Safety Coordinator you are responsible for ensuring your team has adequate first aid supplies, takes care of player injuries and reporting injuries to the Safety Officer. Board of Directors – Elections are held annually for the Board of Directors. Please contact any Director if you are interested in participating on the Board. There are several vacancies every season as many current Board member’s children will be too old to play in the league. Please Help! SNACK SHACK
One of the responsibilities of each Little League parent is to support the Snack Shack. The Snack Shack is one of QLL’s revenue sources and is entirely dependent on volunteers for its success. SNACK SHACK VOLUNTEER DUTY
Each team will be asked to staff the Snack Shack for a specified period. This is usually from three to four days during the entire season. This staffing will be coordinated through each team parent. Each family will be asked to work 2 shifts of 3 hours each. Failure to work your shifts as required will result in a $100 fine. It is your obligation to work or find a replacement if you are unable to work your designated shift. A listing of approved replacement workers is available in the shack. Note that Team Manager’s families are exempt from this requirement. No person under the age of 16 may work in the Snack Shack. MEAL DEAL
In addition to the wide variety of choices offered by the Snack Shack, you have the opportunity to take advantage of several ‘Deals’. On your assigned team snack day, consider these options: Team Meal Deal - $35, your team will receive 12 hot dogs, 12 chips and 12 drinks. A 2- hour notification is required.
Token Deals - $10, you will receive 12 $1 tokens. SNACK CARDS
These $20 punch-cards are kept in the snack shack for use by your family. They are very convenient! LEAGUE EVENTS FIELD DAY
Field Day is an annual event to prepare the fields for the new season and make the fields as safe as possible for the players. This will include leveling the fields, filling in pot holes, working on the bull pens, fixing the pitchers mounds, working on the home plate areas, etc... All field modifications will be coordinated through the Field Manager. The activities will begin at 8 a.m. and will continue throughout the day until everything is completed. The more helping hands at Field Day, the faster the tasks can be completed. OPENING DAY CEREMONY
To officially kick-off the Spring season we have an Opening Day parade and ceremony at the QLL fields. It is a very festive and fun event and everyone should plan to attend. All team players are required to attend in full uniform. TEAM PHOTOS
The League provides team and individual pictures to each player. Additional pictures are available as an optional expense. Please show up for the team photo even if you choose not to purchase additional pictures. Team Parents will distribute picture packets and have the time and place for pictures to be taken. Parents, please have your child at the site no later than fifteen minutes prior to your scheduled time. Having players arrive early helps prevent delays. Remember, if you are scheduled to have your pictures taken at 9:30, and you show up at the ballpark at 9:30, you are already late. Regular season games start the following week. HOME RUN FESTIVAL
Mid-May we have our annual Home Run Festival. This is a really fun weekend which starts off on Friday night with a Mom’s Softball Game. Saturday is the festival and consists of carnival games, inflatable slides, dunk dank, fun food and other activities. Also on this day is the Home Run Derby where each player will be given a chance to become the age group home run champion. The Derby is a fundraiser and players are encouraged to solicit pledges. On Sunday we will have a Manager/Coach softball tournament complete with BBQ. Make plans to attend! CODE OF CONDUCT PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT
QLL has implemented the following Sport Player Code of Conduct. Parents should go over this with their child. Little League should be a fun and rewarding time for players, coaches, umpires, and fans. I therefore agree: • I will always give my best effort and try my best to attend all practices and games • I will support my teammates at all times, when they do well and especially when they do not do well. I will treat my teammates, as I would like to be treated. • I will take good care of my uniform and our team’s equipment. • I will help my coaches when asked. • I will always remain on the field until my parent or guardian arrives to pick me up. • I will practice good sportsmanship, and treat my coaches, umpires, teammates and other players with respect. • I will know and adhere to the Little League Pledge: Little League Pledge – The pledge will be recited by players before each game: I trust in God
I love my country And will respect its laws I will play fair And strive to win But win or lose I will always do my best PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT:
QLL has implemented the following Sport Parent Code of Conduct for the important message it holds about the proper role of parents in supporting their child in sports. Parents should read and understand this prior to their children participating in our league. I therefore agree: • I will not force my child to participate in sports. • I will remember that children participate to have fun and that the game is for youth, not adults. • I will inform the coach of any physical disability or ailment that may affect the safety of my child or the safety of others. • I will learn the rules of the game and the policies of the league. • I (and my guests) will be a positive role model for my child and encourage sportsmanship by showing respect and courtesy, and by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, officials and spectators at every game, practice or other sporting event. • I (and my guests) will not engage in any kind of unsportsmanlike conduct with any official, coach, player, or parent such as booing and taunting; refusing to shake hands; or using profane language or gestures. • I will not encourage any behaviors or practices that would endanger the health and well-being of the athletes. • I will teach my child to play by the rules and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence. • I will demand that my child treat other players, coaches, officials and spectators with respect regardless of race, creed, color, sex or ability.
• I will teach my child that doing one’s best is more important than winning, so that my child will never feel defeated by the outcome of a game or his/her performance. • I will praise my child for competing fairly and trying hard, and make my child feel like a winner every time. • I will never ridicule or yell at my child or other participant for making a mistake or losing a competition. • I will emphasize skill development and practices and how they benefit my child over winning. • I will promote the emotional and physical well-being of the athletes ahead of any personal desire I may have for my child to win. • I will respect the officials and their authority during games and will never question, discuss, or confront coaches at the game field, and will take time to speak with coaches at an agreed upon time and place if necessary. • I will demand a sports environment for my child that is free from drugs, tobacco, and alcohol and I will refrain from their use at all sports events. • I will refrain from coaching my child or other players during games and practices, unless I am one of the official coaches of the team. DISCIPLINE POLICY
This section highlights certain rules and regulations concerning member conduct and discipline. Members include players, parents, managers, coaches, any other volunteer or League official. It is a guide for the discipline of violations of the Code of Conduct. The objective of the disciplinary actions is to maintain objectivity in disciplining members. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
Smoking – Anyone smoking on any QLL field or any fields or school grounds where QLL events are occurring will be asked to put it out. Should the person continue to smoke or be seen smoking during the same day, they will be ejected from the grounds.
Physical abuse – Physical abuse by any league member toward any other league member or spectator will not be tolerated. The offender’s penalty shall be immediate removal from the area including both playing and practice fields. A subsequent hearing of the Board of Directors will be held to determine disciplinary action. Use of profanity – Members shall not use profanity directed to or overheard by other members or spectators. Such misconduct when confirmed by the Board of Directors will result in the following penalties for the offender: First offense – Written warning from QLL Second offense – One week suspension from all league activities Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors Umpire abuse – Umpire abuse is defined as repeated or uncontrolled questioning of an umpire’s ruling or repeated heckling of the umpire during play. The umpire shall remove the offender from the game and report the incident to the Board of Directors. Such misconduct will result in the following penalties: First offense – Any member or spectator ejected from a game must leave the field and take no further part in that game. They may not sit in the stands or in any area adjacent to the field or stands. Any manager, coach or player ejected from a game is suspended for the next played game. (Little League Rule 4.07 effective 2001) Second offense – One-week suspension from all league activities in addition to application of Rule 4.07. Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors. Equipment abuse – Umpires are instructed to immediately remove any member who throws a helmet, glove, baseball, bat or other potentially dangerous item in an apparent act of frustration or protest. In addition, the following penalties apply when the matter is brought to the attention of the Board of Directors:
First offense – Any member ejected from a game must leave the field and take no further part in the game. They may not sit in the stands or in any area adjacent to the field or stands. Any manager, coach or player ejected from a game is suspended for the next played game. (Little League Rule 4.07 effective 2001) Second offense – One week suspension from all league activities in addition to application of Rule 4.07. Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors. Rule abuse – Any league member knowingly breaking a Little League rule or QLL Local Rule is subject to the following: First offense – Suspension from the next played game. Second offense – One week suspension from all league activities including the next two (2) played games, and review in person at the next scheduled Board of Directors meeting. Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors. Other conduct issues – Any other complaints of misconduct by members or spectators, which are brought to the attention of the Board of Directors, will be subject to a hearing with the Board of Directors. SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION
Membership may be terminated by resignation or by action of the QLL Board of Directors. The Board of Directors, by a two-thirds vote of the Directors shall have the authority to discipline, suspend or terminate the membership of any member. The hearing will take place when the conduct of the member is found by the Board of Directors to have been detrimental to the best interests of the league or any of its members. The member involved will be notified of the meeting, informed of the general nature of the charges and be given an opportunity to
appear at the meeting to answer the charges. In the case of a player member, the Board of Directors shall notify the player’s team manager. As an advisor, the manager may appear with the player before the Board of Directors. The Board will have full power to discipline, suspend or revoke the player’s participation. QLL will notify the parents of a player member of any conduct issue before the Board of Directors and of any Board hearing for review of that issue. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Our goal is to resolve issues at the lowest level possible, and as quickly as possible. Resolution of issues related to managers, coaches, players, and parents must begin at the team level. Resolution of issues related to league level decisions must begin with the responsible QLL board member. Listening to and trying to understanding the concerns of others are the most important parts of the resolution process, and is expected of everyone at QLL. We ask that each parent respect, support and cooperate with your child’s team coach. Our coaches are parents as well, and put in an incredible amount of personal time in addition to their full-time jobs to help ensure all teams excel in the highest quality technique and game experience. If at any time during the season you are not able to effectively communicate with your coach or if there is an issue that requires attention, we ask that you contact your Division Representative and/or the Player Agent. Conflicts that cannot be resolved by the Division Representative and/or the Player Agent will be brought to the attention of the President. We are happy to have you as part of the Quito Little League community. Thank you for helping to make this a great place for our players and families....
Quito Little League endorses the National Little League philosophy, and has made only slight modifications to some of the rules in an attempt to enhance the playing experience for our children. Quito Little League is an organization of volunteers dedicated to serving youth sports programs. It is a program for kids. The commitment is to provide a Little League Baseball Program with qualified leadership. Safety, training, participation, fun, sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play and commitment to volunteerism are our goals. The experiences players have in Little League will last a lifetime. Little League provides an opportunity to teach youngsters teamwork, perseverance, integrity, and good sportsmanship— qualities they can draw upon as adults. Quito Little League is based upon the following principles:
• Creation of a fun, safe and competitive environment • Identification of coaches with baseball knowledge and who are instructive encouraging and supportive • Continuous development of players and coaches • Creating an equal opportunity for all children to participate • Encouraging a variety of baseball experiences at all levels • Providing a means for families to share in the operations of the League • Increasing and improving community participation BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Members of the Quito Little League Board preside over the needs of the league for a term of one year. Each board member volunteers their personal time to ensure fields are maintained, uniforms are purchased, vendors are managed, communications are published, registration is taken care of, rules are established, teams are created, managers and coaches are selected, and sponsorships are secured. The board formally meets throughout the year on the second Tuesday of the month, and informally in subcommittees as needed. For a list of our current Board members, visit our website at http://www.QuitoLL.org BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEETINGS
Board meetings are open to the public and all interested parents are welcome to attend and offer comments and suggestions; simply email [email protected] to be put on the agenda. Members of the Board are also managers, coaches and parents too. This may result in a majority of the Board not being able to make scheduled meetings during the season due to conflicts with team games and other volunteer activities. Therefore, the schedule is tentative and subject to change at any time. An updated schedule will be posted on our web site. ELIGIBILITY
Quito Little League is open to all children between the ages of 4 and 18 as of August 31st of each year. The league is open to players who live or attend school within the established physical boundaries, subject to adherence to
established rules and required parental support. The league boundary map can be found on our website. LEAGUE DIVISIONS
Approximately 300 area youth, ages 4 to 14, will participate in the program during the season. The entire program is supervised and administered by adult volunteers. Quito Little League's Division Age Guidelines: Please note that the AA, AAA, and Majors teams are chosen via the draft following player evaluations. Most divisions, beginning with Single-A, will be two year stops for each player. LEAGUE SEASON FORMAT SPRING SEASON
Spring Season play consists of pre-season practice, regular season play and practice, end of season tournaments, and All-Stars. Pre-season practice – Your child’s team manager will hold practices prior to the start of regular season play. Each manager will have a practice schedule and will contact you with the place and time. You should assist your child in maintaining regular practice attendance. Please see the calendar for the beginning of League practice. Regular season play – During the regular season, each team will usually play two games per week (except for Challenger, Mini-T, T-ball and A-ball). Practices will also be scheduled during the week at the discretion of the manager. Post-season –The League Champion in AA, AAA and Majors divisions will be determined in a series of playoff games after the regular season is completed.
Tournaments – The Majors and AAA divisions will participate in postseason tournament play. The winner of the post-season tournaments will represent QLL in the District 12 Tournament of Champions. All-Stars - Upon the conclusion of the regular Little League season, an AllStar team is named for each of the 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12-year-old age groups and the Juniors Division. These teams represent QLL in post season tournament play running from roughly June 10 through July 15 and possibly later depending upon the age group. All- Stars is recognition of the best players in the league and the players are expected to fulfill the obligations associated with this honor, which include attending all mandated practices and tournament games. Much more content will be posted during the Spring season which will outline the selection process for each level, provide guidelines, and provide the details of the commitment players and their families are expected to make to All-Stars. FALL BALL SEASON
The Fall Ball League is a non-competitive league that stresses training and player development. All Juniors and Little League players (ages 6 and up) are invited to participate. The Fall Ball season begins the end of August and runs to early November. A separate registration will be announced in May and additional sign-ups will be held through July. Fall Ball participation requires a separate registration fee. UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT
Each player will receive a uniform jersey and hat from the league at the start of the season. Parents should be prepared to purchase the following items to complete their child’s uniform requirement: • • • • • •
Baseball pants (color determined by your child’s coach) Baseball belt (color determined by your child’s coach) Baseball socks (color determined by your child’s coach) Baseball undershirt (color determined by your child’s coach) Slider shorts (for AA and up) Protective cup (for A-ball and up)
• Baseball cleats • Baseball glove The league provides each team manager with division appropriate equipment including: • Baseball bats • Baseball helmets • Catcher’s gear, including catcher’s glove Players are also permitted to use their own Little League approved bats and batting helmets if they prefer. Although batting helmets are provided by the league, we highly recommend parents provide their child’s own batting helmet. A list of approved bats can be found on www.LittleLeague.org. SAFETY
QLL is committed to providing our children a safe environment to learn and play. As a chartered member of Little League, we are part of the Little League ASAP program. ASAP stands for “A Safety Awareness Program”. We submit our safety plan to Little League annually for approval. Our plan includes first aid information, emergency phone numbers, emergency procedures, and accident forms, among many other things. Each coach and team is given a copy of this document. A copy of the Safety Plan will also be posted on our web site. QLL also recognizes the importance of using appropriate equipment and gear in order to provide our players the safest environment. We should all work together in this effort. If you notice any conditions or equipment that you feel is unsafe, please notify your child’s coach or safety coordinator immediately or contact the league’s Safety Officer. We do our best, but are always relieved when someone points out something our volunteers may have missed. All local Little Leagues are now required to conduct background checks on all Managers, Coaches, Board of Directors, members and any other persons or volunteers who provide regular service to the league and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with, players or teams.
A note regarding Social Security Numbers – Little League International (LLI) requires that ALL volunteers have a background check before they are allowed to participate. This is not an option and our league charter and insurance is dependent upon it. LLI sends a report to each District Administrator on the status of each league’s background checks, calculating the number of checks we should have based on our league size. If we don’t meet our requirement we are in danger of losing our charter and insurance. In order to perform the background check we must have your SSN, so please be aware that all volunteers are required to provide it, no exceptions. This information is kept by the Safety Officer in a secure location and is shredded at the end of the season (unless other arrangements are made). Parents not willing to provide their SSN will not be able to volunteer and will therefore be required to pay the $350 volunteer buyout fee. Thank you for your understanding. SPONSORS
Sponsorships help pay expenses of the league. We cannot thank our sponsors enough for the opportunities they present the league. Please patronize them often! A listing of our sponsors is on our website along with our Sponsorship program. We are always looking for sponsorship support whether from our individual families or business sponsors. If you are interested, please contact us. FUNDRAISING
QLL is a non-profit organization. That means we must find a way to gather income for operating expenses. As with most Little League Organizations, registration fees only cover part of the costs of running a program, maintaining investments and making overall improvements to the league. Thus, we rely on fundraising, sponsorships, and events to help meet our goals. Fundraising / sponsorship accounts for 35% of our operating budget and is an essential part of our league, however it creates a challenge not only because of the many ‘asks’ that are made of families, but because it consumes a tremendous amount of resources to execute (planning the event, acquiring
donations, recruiting people to participate, etc) as well as adding calendar events to a family’s already full calendar. We will continue to offer ‘optional’ activities that are fun, convenient and benefit the league such as Dining Out Nights, SF Giants Little League Day, and Merchant Events. We hope to plan a ‘Parent Social’ (without the fundraising strings attached!) for everyone to enjoy. VOLUNTEERS
QLL is an all-volunteer organization. We have no paid employees; we receive no money from any federal, state, or local agencies. All our funding comes from registration, fundraising, concession sales and sponsorships, and all of it goes back into our league in the form of equipment, uniforms, field upgrades, facility improvements and training programs. Our greatest asset is the energy and enthusiasm that individuals bring to our league and our activities. • Last year we had over 100 coaches, 50 scorekeepers and umpires. • Concession stand volunteers stocked, maintained and sold food and drinks during all the games. • Volunteers cleaned, prepped, raked, and lined fields throughout the season • They created our merchandise, yearbook and website • Volunteers oversaw all fundraising activities, sponsorships, and events • They managed all equipment and uniforms (maintenance/coordinating/ordering) • Board members managed registrations, business issues and tournaments. As you can see there is a lot that goes into running this program. Changes occur each year as we strive to become more organized, consistent and improve our facilities. We have a very dedicated group of people who put much time and energy into the league. This group changes each year as their children progress through the program so it is critical that new volunteers step up to keep things running smoothly. Volunteering can be a fun, rewarding experience especially when children are the beneficiaries.
More helping hands certainly lighten the load and help in making it an enjoyable experience for everyone. Family Volunteer Requirement There was significant survey feedback related to the topic of volunteers, volunteering, and the need to get more families involved. To insure the success of QLL, we will require that each family perform service in the league. We understand how difficult it may be as many of you have several children, dual careers and other priorities. There are a couple of ways you can meet the volunteering requirement: • Volunteer 14 hours minimum per family (many opportunities listed below) • Pay $500 per child to opt-out of volunteer requirement Team Volunteers: Manager, Coach, Umpire (AA and up), Scorekeeper (AA and up), Team Parent, Team Home Run Festival Coordinator, Team Yearbook Coordinator, Field Set-up / Take-down, Team Safety Coordinator. There will also be opportunities to volunteer for special events / activities such as field days, opening day, parent social events, etc. Snack Shack - Every family is required to serve two shifts in the snack shack during their team’s assigned week. Manager’s families are exempt from this requirement. Failure to meet your snack shack requirement will result in a $50 fee for each occurrence. HR Festival - Each TEAM is required to provide volunteers for the HR Festival, a total of six hours per team. This can be done with 3 volunteers for one 2-hour shift per volunteer, or 6 volunteers for a one hour shift per volunteer as determined by the team HR Festival Coordinator. VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
Team Managers and Coaches – They are the most visible group of volunteers because of their direct and sustained contact with the players. Two games plus one or two practices per week consume a great deal of time. However, these
parents with the available time will find that managing or coaching is a very rewarding way to contribute to QLL. ALL managers and coaches must attend mandatory coaching and first aid clinic(s) regardless of years of experience. The Team Manager is responsible for running the team including practices and games, must learn division playing rules, instruct players in proper baseball skills and involve parents with the team and league activities. The manager works with coaches, team scorekeepers and team parent to assign job responsibilities according to the needs of the team. Must attend all try-outs for their division and team draft or assignment meeting in January. In the event that you are not approved as a manager / coach, you will be asked to fulfill a different volunteer job from the remaining jobs available or pay the $350 buy-out. Umpires - Umpiring is an opportunity for involvement in the AA and up divisions for parents with less time or erratic schedules. Umpires are scheduled according to their available time. Extensive prior knowledge of baseball is not necessary in order to umpire; training sessions are conducted during the preseason. Team Field Set-up / Take-down – Field preparation is an important activity for all divisions. Having reliable volunteers is a tremendous help for the Managers and Coaches, enabling them to focus on the children rather than the fields. Depending on the division, volunteers arrive at the field 15 – 30 minutes before practices and 30 to 60 minutes before games. Team Scorekeeper – Scorekeeping in the AA and up divisions is another opportunity for parents with less time or erratic schedules. Scorekeepers are scheduled according to their available time. Previous knowledge / experience is not required, training sessions are conducted during the preseason. Team Parent – Team parents play a critical volunteer role in supporting QLL and the team to which their player is assigned by organizing the families for a successful season Areas of responsibility include:
1. Prepare and distribute a team roster and contact information to parents 2. Picking up team uniforms from the uniform coordinator and distributing to the players. 3. Coordinate Opening Day festivities such as dissemination of information about the day's events (parade, photos, etc). 4. Collect and distribute team and player picture information on Opening Day. Distribute photos later to parents. 5. Prepare and distribute a snack schedule by the first game. Every family is required to participate by providing a snack and a drink for all players on the team on a rotating basis. Each family can expect to provide team snacks/drinks at least 2x during the season. Snacks/drinks are only provided after games and not required for every team practice. 6. Prepare the Snack Shack parent schedule for their assigned week. As explained above, each parent should expect to work the snack shack at least twice during the season plus possible additional times during the playoffs. 7. Disseminate of any QLL event information to the team’s parents. 8. Coordinate of the End of Season Team Party and thank you gifts for team manager & coaches Team Home Run Festival Coordinator – The HR Festival Coordinator communicates with parents to promote the festivities and encourage participation, distributes HR Derby pledge envelopes, arranges the required team festival volunteers, coordinates the teams turn at the HR Derby and collects pledge envelopes. Team Yearbook Coordinator – This volunteer is responsible for gathering photos during the season and preparing the team yearbook page. This is a great job for working parents as you can coordinate your activities electronically.
Team Safety Coordinator – As the team Safety Coordinator you are responsible for ensuring your team has adequate first aid supplies, takes care of player injuries and reporting injuries to the Safety Officer. Board of Directors – Elections are held annually for the Board of Directors. Please contact any Director if you are interested in participating on the Board. There are several vacancies every season as many current Board member’s children will be too old to play in the league. Please Help! SNACK SHACK
One of the responsibilities of each Little League parent is to support the Snack Shack. The Snack Shack is one of QLL’s revenue sources and is entirely dependent on volunteers for its success. SNACK SHACK VOLUNTEER DUTY
Each team will be asked to staff the Snack Shack for a specified period. This is usually from three to four days during the entire season. This staffing will be coordinated through each team parent. Each family will be asked to work 2 shifts of 3 hours each. Failure to work your shifts as required will result in a $100 fine. It is your obligation to work or find a replacement if you are unable to work your designated shift. A listing of approved replacement workers is available in the shack. Note that Team Manager’s families are exempt from this requirement. No person under the age of 16 may work in the Snack Shack. MEAL DEAL
In addition to the wide variety of choices offered by the Snack Shack, you have the opportunity to take advantage of several ‘Deals’. On your assigned team snack day, consider these options: Team Meal Deal - $35, your team will receive 12 hot dogs, 12 chips and 12 drinks. A 2- hour notification is required.
Token Deals - $10, you will receive 12 $1 tokens. SNACK CARDS
These $20 punch-cards are kept in the snack shack for use by your family. They are very convenient! LEAGUE EVENTS FIELD DAY
Field Day is an annual event to prepare the fields for the new season and make the fields as safe as possible for the players. This will include leveling the fields, filling in pot holes, working on the bull pens, fixing the pitchers mounds, working on the home plate areas, etc... All field modifications will be coordinated through the Field Manager. The activities will begin at 8 a.m. and will continue throughout the day until everything is completed. The more helping hands at Field Day, the faster the tasks can be completed. OPENING DAY CEREMONY
To officially kick-off the Spring season we have an Opening Day parade and ceremony at the QLL fields. It is a very festive and fun event and everyone should plan to attend. All team players are required to attend in full uniform. TEAM PHOTOS
The League provides team and individual pictures to each player. Additional pictures are available as an optional expense. Please show up for the team photo even if you choose not to purchase additional pictures. Team Parents will distribute picture packets and have the time and place for pictures to be taken. Parents, please have your child at the site no later than fifteen minutes prior to your scheduled time. Having players arrive early helps prevent delays. Remember, if you are scheduled to have your pictures taken at 9:30, and you show up at the ballpark at 9:30, you are already late. Regular season games start the following week. HOME RUN FESTIVAL
Mid-May we have our annual Home Run Festival. This is a really fun weekend which starts off on Friday night with a Mom’s Softball Game. Saturday is the festival and consists of carnival games, inflatable slides, dunk dank, fun food and other activities. Also on this day is the Home Run Derby where each player will be given a chance to become the age group home run champion. The Derby is a fundraiser and players are encouraged to solicit pledges. On Sunday we will have a Manager/Coach softball tournament complete with BBQ. Make plans to attend! CODE OF CONDUCT PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT
QLL has implemented the following Sport Player Code of Conduct. Parents should go over this with their child. Little League should be a fun and rewarding time for players, coaches, umpires, and fans. I therefore agree: • I will always give my best effort and try my best to attend all practices and games • I will support my teammates at all times, when they do well and especially when they do not do well. I will treat my teammates, as I would like to be treated. • I will take good care of my uniform and our team’s equipment. • I will help my coaches when asked. • I will always remain on the field until my parent or guardian arrives to pick me up. • I will practice good sportsmanship, and treat my coaches, umpires, teammates and other players with respect. • I will know and adhere to the Little League Pledge: Little League Pledge – The pledge will be recited by players before each game: I trust in God
I love my country And will respect its laws I will play fair And strive to win But win or lose I will always do my best PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT:
QLL has implemented the following Sport Parent Code of Conduct for the important message it holds about the proper role of parents in supporting their child in sports. Parents should read and understand this prior to their children participating in our league. I therefore agree: • I will not force my child to participate in sports. • I will remember that children participate to have fun and that the game is for youth, not adults. • I will inform the coach of any physical disability or ailment that may affect the safety of my child or the safety of others. • I will learn the rules of the game and the policies of the league. • I (and my guests) will be a positive role model for my child and encourage sportsmanship by showing respect and courtesy, and by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, officials and spectators at every game, practice or other sporting event. • I (and my guests) will not engage in any kind of unsportsmanlike conduct with any official, coach, player, or parent such as booing and taunting; refusing to shake hands; or using profane language or gestures. • I will not encourage any behaviors or practices that would endanger the health and well-being of the athletes. • I will teach my child to play by the rules and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence. • I will demand that my child treat other players, coaches, officials and spectators with respect regardless of race, creed, color, sex or ability.
• I will teach my child that doing one’s best is more important than winning, so that my child will never feel defeated by the outcome of a game or his/her performance. • I will praise my child for competing fairly and trying hard, and make my child feel like a winner every time. • I will never ridicule or yell at my child or other participant for making a mistake or losing a competition. • I will emphasize skill development and practices and how they benefit my child over winning. • I will promote the emotional and physical well-being of the athletes ahead of any personal desire I may have for my child to win. • I will respect the officials and their authority during games and will never question, discuss, or confront coaches at the game field, and will take time to speak with coaches at an agreed upon time and place if necessary. • I will demand a sports environment for my child that is free from drugs, tobacco, and alcohol and I will refrain from their use at all sports events. • I will refrain from coaching my child or other players during games and practices, unless I am one of the official coaches of the team. DISCIPLINE POLICY
This section highlights certain rules and regulations concerning member conduct and discipline. Members include players, parents, managers, coaches, any other volunteer or League official. It is a guide for the discipline of violations of the Code of Conduct. The objective of the disciplinary actions is to maintain objectivity in disciplining members. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
Smoking – Anyone smoking on any QLL field or any fields or school grounds where QLL events are occurring will be asked to put it out. Should the person continue to smoke or be seen smoking during the same day, they will be ejected from the grounds.
Physical abuse – Physical abuse by any league member toward any other league member or spectator will not be tolerated. The offender’s penalty shall be immediate removal from the area including both playing and practice fields. A subsequent hearing of the Board of Directors will be held to determine disciplinary action. Use of profanity – Members shall not use profanity directed to or overheard by other members or spectators. Such misconduct when confirmed by the Board of Directors will result in the following penalties for the offender: First offense – Written warning from QLL Second offense – One week suspension from all league activities Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors Umpire abuse – Umpire abuse is defined as repeated or uncontrolled questioning of an umpire’s ruling or repeated heckling of the umpire during play. The umpire shall remove the offender from the game and report the incident to the Board of Directors. Such misconduct will result in the following penalties: First offense – Any member or spectator ejected from a game must leave the field and take no further part in that game. They may not sit in the stands or in any area adjacent to the field or stands. Any manager, coach or player ejected from a game is suspended for the next played game. (Little League Rule 4.07 effective 2001) Second offense – One-week suspension from all league activities in addition to application of Rule 4.07. Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors. Equipment abuse – Umpires are instructed to immediately remove any member who throws a helmet, glove, baseball, bat or other potentially dangerous item in an apparent act of frustration or protest. In addition, the following penalties apply when the matter is brought to the attention of the Board of Directors:
First offense – Any member ejected from a game must leave the field and take no further part in the game. They may not sit in the stands or in any area adjacent to the field or stands. Any manager, coach or player ejected from a game is suspended for the next played game. (Little League Rule 4.07 effective 2001) Second offense – One week suspension from all league activities in addition to application of Rule 4.07. Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors. Rule abuse – Any league member knowingly breaking a Little League rule or QLL Local Rule is subject to the following: First offense – Suspension from the next played game. Second offense – One week suspension from all league activities including the next two (2) played games, and review in person at the next scheduled Board of Directors meeting. Third offense – Subsequent hearing for discipline with the Board of Directors. Other conduct issues – Any other complaints of misconduct by members or spectators, which are brought to the attention of the Board of Directors, will be subject to a hearing with the Board of Directors. SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION
Membership may be terminated by resignation or by action of the QLL Board of Directors. The Board of Directors, by a two-thirds vote of the Directors shall have the authority to discipline, suspend or terminate the membership of any member. The hearing will take place when the conduct of the member is found by the Board of Directors to have been detrimental to the best interests of the league or any of its members. The member involved will be notified of the meeting, informed of the general nature of the charges and be given an opportunity to
appear at the meeting to answer the charges. In the case of a player member, the Board of Directors shall notify the player’s team manager. As an advisor, the manager may appear with the player before the Board of Directors. The Board will have full power to discipline, suspend or revoke the player’s participation. QLL will notify the parents of a player member of any conduct issue before the Board of Directors and of any Board hearing for review of that issue. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Our goal is to resolve issues at the lowest level possible, and as quickly as possible. Resolution of issues related to managers, coaches, players, and parents must begin at the team level. Resolution of issues related to league level decisions must begin with the responsible QLL board member. Listening to and trying to understanding the concerns of others are the most important parts of the resolution process, and is expected of everyone at QLL. We ask that each parent respect, support and cooperate with your child’s team coach. Our coaches are parents as well, and put in an incredible amount of personal time in addition to their full-time jobs to help ensure all teams excel in the highest quality technique and game experience. If at any time during the season you are not able to effectively communicate with your coach or if there is an issue that requires attention, we ask that you contact your Division Representative and/or the Player Agent. Conflicts that cannot be resolved by the Division Representative and/or the Player Agent will be brought to the attention of the President. We are happy to have you as part of the Quito Little League community. Thank you for helping to make this a great place for our players and families....
