The background check laws in your state require that all local Little League® programs complete additional action(s) beyond the requirements set forth by Little League's Regulation I (c) 8 and 9.
Simply processing background checks on the required volunteers is not enough. It is incumbent upon the League President and the Board of Directors to thoroughly assess the criminal history of each volunteer and make a responsible judgment on behalf of the children and fellow volunteers in the league when deciding to approve their participation in the league.
There has been an update to the 2019 Little League Regulation 1(c)9 regarding who can participate as a volunteer.
New this year, if an individual appears on the National Sex Offender Registry the league must immediately contact Samantha Mahaffey, Little League International's Security Manager, before assuming any role with the local league. This update has been put into effect to add another layer of protection for all Little Leaguers®.
• Little League Regulation 1(c)9 also states: A league shall not permit any person to participate in any manner, whose background check reveals a conviction for, guilty plea, no contest plea, or admission to any crime involving or against a minor. A local league must conduct a nationwide search that contains the applicable government sex offender registry data and nationwide criminal records that is comparable to J.D. Palatine, the preferred background check provider of Little League International.
Developing a Safety Plan for your league doesn't have to be difficult. It just takes a little time, research and implementation and before you know it you have reduced injuries in your park and saved your league money!
Benefits to creating and updating a Safety Plan:
Need help? Contact our Southeastern Region Safety Officer, Gary Kay at gkay100226@aol.com.
ASAP Newsletter | Little League and it's partner, Musco Lighting, have been producing the ASAP Newsletters for many years. ASAP Newsletters from 2011 forward are available on the Little League website. The Newsletters are full of safety tips, reminders, information on how all 50 states compare to each other with safety plan submissions, as well as "Common Sense From the Field" tips submitted from leagues across the country. West Duluth Little League Takes Concussion Testing to the Next Level |
Registration Form | The ASAP Plan contains 16 items, all listed on the Registration Form. The Registration Form must be submitted with your plan in order that Little League can identify the proper league. Item #15 is new for 2018: Submit an idea you implemented to help promote or improve your safety plan. The Plan and the Registration Form may be submitted to Little League through the Data Center. Note: If submitting your materials through the online system, the actual registration form as shown here, is not uploaded - it is part of the process.
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Facility Survey | You need to check your park to be sure it is safe to play in. Things change over time and need to be checked out. The best way to complete your facility survey is to download last year's Little League Facility Survey from the Data Center and then head out to the park to fill in the survey. You can then enter the information online through the Little League Data Center. Once it is entered into the Data Center, your information is saved and only needs to be updated annually. Note: you may complete the Facility Survey online without having to upload the actual forms below.
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Safety Plan | Create a Safety Manual for your Managers and Coaches. Give them a guideline to use in the case of injuries and emergencies. Your plan might include:
Basic Safety Plan - Simple Detailed Safety Plan - 2014 National Winner
Create a Safety Manual for your Concession Workers. Provide guidelines for safe food handling and storage.
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CDC: Heads Up Concussion Training and Information
SafeSport: Originally available only to U.S. Olympic governing bodies, SafeSport training is being made available to other organizations beginning spring of 2018. The site will provide training resources for organizations to keep athletes safe from abuse.
Lighting Survey: Have a qualified technician check lighting levels on the field. Musco Lighting may be able to help you check your lighting levels. Contact Rob Staples, rob.staples@musco.com, or Jeremy Jordan, jeremy.jordan@musco.com.
Equipment Check: Make sure your equipment is safe and not in need of replacement. Check helmets for cracks and missing padding, check catcher's gear, check bats for cracks/dents and correct size for the playing division. Throw out damaged equipment. Remember that Composite Bats are not legal unless they are on the Little League approved list.
Fundamentals Training for Managers and Coaches: Make sure they have the proper tools to teach the players! Contact your local high school to see if they will train your coaches. Use the videos at Little League University.
Safety Training for Managers, Coaches, Umpires, Concession Workers, etc.: Be sure everyone knows how to handle emergencies. Contact your local fire department, paramedics, police department, hospital, doctors for first aid, CPR, AED training.