For any organized sports league to function smoothly, you need to have volunteers who are willing to donate their time to help with the regular functions of the league. I think many people take for granted how much board members and other volunteers do to make leagues happen for the kids.
If you stop and think for a moment how many things go on behind the scenes at a baseball league, you will realize that the board members and volunteers really do a lot to maintain and run the league. Here are some of the items for which the board is responsible:
- Making sure insurance is up to date
- Paying utility bills
- Hiring gardeners and other contractors to do work at the facility
- Community outreach for fundraising
- Ordering uniforms (Huge job)
- Ordering equipment like catchers gear, bases, rakes, chalk, etc.
- Organizing and holding tournaments
- Organizing and holding training clinics
- Keeping track of player fees
- Accounting of the books
- Security
- Ordering banners for Allstars and other awards
- Ordering trophies
- Scheduling games and playoffs
- Scheduling umpires
- Choosing managers and coaches
- Holding tryouts
- Holding player drafts
- Organizing and producing the yearbook
- Safety issues including background checks, accident reports, etc.
- Paying umpires, gardeners, and other workers
- Running a snack bar with all of the food ordering and employees
- Fixing small problems like plumbing, electrical, broken things, and changing light bulbs (Some board members do these themselves)
- Painting bleachers, shacks, buildings, fences, and other structures
- Maintaining field fences, dugouts, and other areas
- Tracking equipment loaned to teams
- Website maintenance
- Communications with district league personnel
- Organizing events like baseball night, silent auctions, and other fundraising
- Checking the fields to see if they are too wet to play
- Holding regular meetings during their evenings to discuss league business
- Dealing with parent and player behavioral problems
- Maintaining restrooms
- Holding league sign up days
- Creating areas for trophies areas for trophies and banners to be stored and displayed
- Hiring photography companies and organizing picture days
- Trash removal
- Hanging advertiser banners
As you can see, this is a huge list of duties that the league board members undertake and I think all of this goes unappreciated by many of the parents. Throughout the years, I have heard a lot of complaining from parents and I’ve done some complaining myself about how certain things have been run by the league. Some of this is justified, but like any other organization in which people want to affect change like government, school districts, etc., you have to get involved to bring about those changes.
I’ve never personally been on a league board, but over the years I have volunteered for different duties such as helping in the snack bar, cleaning, running tournaments, and other tasks. I have some good friends who have been board members for different leagues and I’ve come to really appreciate all of the time and effort they give to make these leagues run. I’m sure some of these people would rather be at home chilling in their backyards, but instead they are hosing out the dugouts or painting the backstops.
Even if you don’t have the time to be on the league board, there are many volunteer opportunities that you can be involved with. Check your league’s website or reach out to a board member to find out what you can do to help.
All of this time is given by people to make sure that their children and our children have a wonderful place to play, meet new friends, learn important lessons about teamwork, and have fun. Let’s make sure we appreciate them and remember this:
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