Elgin National Little League is a non-profit organization and is 100% volunteer run. There are no paid employees on the board or otherwise. All parents of children involved in Little League Baseball are strongly encouraged to volunteer. Each member of the Board of Directors has children and full-time jobs that demand our time, so we certainly understand the extra effort that it requires for you to show up and volunteer. We do not take your contribution lightly and we really couldn't do it without you.
As a parent volunteer, you have the opportunity to spend quality time with your child in a safe, fun-filled environment. Oftentimes, parent and child social lives parallel each other. Volunteering allows your life and your child's life to intersect on common ground, with shared interests and goals.
Who Can Volunteer?
Anyone can apply to become a volunteer. Whatever talents or skills you have, we can use them! Across the country volunteers are grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, retirees, community leaders, former Little Leaguers, friends, neighbors, and more. Any community member who wishes to become a volunteer may apply.
What Can I Volunteer To Do?
No experience is required to become a volunteer. Most of the volunteer opportunities require little or no training. ENLL will provide you with any necessary training (as well as support and encouragement). The best volunteers are those who are able to bring added enjoyment to the game simply be being themselves. What you see during Little League games is a mere fraction of what you can do as a volunteer.
Volunteer Opportunities
Manager
The manager, or head coach, will be in charge of scheduling and running practices, creating lineups, keeping the equipment, ensuring all safety rules are followed, ensuring all mandatory play rules are followed, ensuring pitch counts are tracked and logged, and communicating with their coaches, players, parents, and division Vice President. The role of manager is extensive but rewarding.
Coach
The coach will assist the manager as directed. This may include running practices (or portions of practices), being a base coach, recording pitch counts, keeping score, or any other way to help the manager and players.
Team Parent
The Team Parent coordinates treat tickets during the Spring season (in the lower divisions), gathers donations for the team raffle gift basket for bingo night, helps organize the team on picture day, and is a liaison between the manager/coaches and the parents.
Scorekeepers
Each team Minor league and above must keep score. This is typically handled by the manager or a coach, but can be done by a parent as well. This takes one more thing off the plate of the manager and coaches, and is greatly appreciated.
Grounds Crew
Grounds crew volunteers assist the Field & Facilities Manager preparing the field(s) for games. This involves (at a minimum) dragging the infield dirt, chalking the foul lines, chalking the batter's boxes, and raking the pitcher's mound. More work may be required based on the day's weather. Grounds crew are especially needed during tournaments where there is little time to prep fields between games.
Concessions
Volunteers in concessions are always needed. The concessions stand is one of the primary means of raising funds, but we can't be open without volunteers. We will train you before your shift to work the stand, so you can work your first shift with some confidence. We would like to encourage parents of younger children to come work concessions during games for the upper divisions. Many times the parents of competing athletes work the stand and miss much of their child's game. Come work when your child isn't playing and pay it forward!
Umpire
We use an umpire service for the vast majority of our games, but sometimes we need extra umpires. This is a great opportunity for high schoolers to give back and get some experience! Anyone that has an understanding of the rules can help out!
Advocate
Tell your friends and neighbors about Elgin National Little League! This is one of the most simple ways to help the league and it is MUCH appreciated. Mention Elgin National sponsorship opportunities to local business owners you know! Put us in touch and we can do the rest. Just be an advocate for Elgin National, it's all of our league!
Field Maintenance Days
A few times a year we will put out the call for a field maintenance day. All of our 9 fields and our several buildings are maintained by volunteers. Our Field & Facilities Manager works long hours during the season to keep our complex in phenomenal shape, but even he needs a hand sometimes. Typically a field maintenance, or "work day", will be on a Saturday or Sunday morning or early afternoon and will last a few hours. Come out and lend a hand, get the fields looking great four our kids, and earn some of that volunteer fee back!
Join the Board
The board of Elgin National Little League is made up of volunteers in our community that truly want to see this league be the best it can be for the children of our community. There are many board roles, which are all listed here. The board directs the league in all facets, from running concessions, managing the property, ordering uniforms, running this website, operating social media, presiding over the individual baseball and softball divisions, managing the equipment, ensuring everyone's safety and much, much more.
Contact our Volunteer Coordinator if you'd like more information about any of these opportunities or would like to volunteer: [email protected]Little League International Requirements
Little League International requires background checks for those adults who are closely interacting with our kids. Currently, Little League is required to have all board members, managers, coaches, and other volunteers or hired workers who provide regular service to the league or/and who have repetitive access to or contact with players or teams to have completed a background check before they perform services for the league.
How Else Can I Help?
Sponsors: We are looking for large corporate sponsors, small business sponsors, and anyone who is willing to invest in the future of our fields and players.
Donations: No amount is too big or too small. As a non-profit organization here solely for the children of our community, we would graciously accept a donation, in any amount, to help us fund this multi-year improvement plan.