Coaches Needed!!  Helpers Needed!!

Did you know that Flagstaff Little League is a 100% Volunteer Organization?  From league admin to assistant coaches and team helpers, none of this is possible without parents getting involved to make it happen for our kiddos.  Currently, we have all Majors & Juniors Division Manager (Head Coach) positions filled, but we need more volunteers to step forward as head coaches, assistant coaches, and team helpers for our AAA, AA, A, and TBall divisions.  If you enjoy being outside, and know the game of baseball, or are eager to learn, volunteering to coach or help out is sure to be one of the most rewarding experiences you might have.

We will have nearly 200 players registered for the TBall division alone and do you know the ideal number of players on a TBall team???  Eight (8)... not 9, 12, or 15… 8.  That’s 25 teams, 25 head coaches, 50-75 assistant coaches (for only the TBall division).  It is our league parents and volunteers that make this happen; no one else does this for us, YOU do it.  Please sign up to MAKE it happen.  Other family members, aunts, uncles, grandparents, family friends, older siblings are welcome to sign up to volunteer as well; you can add them to your account and sign them up.  You sign them up, Flagstaff Little League confirms they are of good character and after passing a background check, they are assigned to the appropriate team and our season takes off.

If you are not sure what to do as a coach or team helper, not to worry, we have you covered.  This year we have implemented a Coaching Instructor position on our Board of Directors.  The sole purpose of this position is to give our volunteers the support and information needed to be effective in their volunteer roles.  This will include dedicated coach training sessions prior to and during the season, and the Coaching Instructor will be available to provide guidance for any question or coaching concern you might have... as will ANY of our dedicated board members or Majors Division coaches… no one does this alone; we are Flagstaff Little League - one City, one League; we do this together.

Coaches will typically coordinate three days of baseball per week.  Our League Scheduler (vacant - we need someone to step into this role) and Coach Coordinator establish the game schedules, and then coaches select the days/times/locations to have practice between games.  Lower divisions such as TBall may see as few as 2 days of baseball per week while Majors & Juniors may see 3 to 4 days of baseball per week.  Our AAA, AA, and A Divisions typically have 3 days of baseball, but 4 days on occasion (more common for AAA).

TBall through AA are purely instructional, so coaches are focused on teaching the basics  of throwing, fielding, hitting, and the primary rules of the game.  AAA is semi-competitive and in this division, coaches are responsible for establishing a proper lineup, maintaining pitch count, and making sure all rules of play are adhered to.  But not to worry, help is always a text or phone call away and coaches are learning to "manage" the game in the AAA division, the same as players are learning to "play" the game.  In Majors, coaches must know how to manage all aspects of a competitive game while establishing high expectations for players, and teaching advanced baseball concepts and fine tuning mechanics. 

Coaches with limited experience are seldom selected to coach in the Majors division, so if you have hopes of coaching your child during their final Little League season in Majors, it is absolutely critical to get involved while your child is playing in the younger divisions; the coach selection process for Majors is HIGHLY competitive.

Sign up as a volunteer today!!

Already Registered but can’t commit to being a coach or team helper???

We’ve got you covered.

All parents (and any other friends or family who want to help) can help out Flagstaff Little League throughout the season.  That's right!  Each team will assign parents to different roles which include:

• Equipment Manager

• Field Prep (practices & games)

• GameChanger (scorebook)

• Scoreboard

• SnackShack

• Cleanup 

While the assistant coaches and head coach are busy coaching players, parents help out with these essential functions, especially on game days, to make everything run smoothly for our kiddos.

Coaches will reach out to parents the first week of practice and provide a signup sheet so that everyone can find a place to help out.

Typically, each team will play 12 to 18 games before tournaments start.  With potentially 8 places to help out each game, there are plenty of opportunities to support your team and Flagstaff Little League.

Equipment Manager:  The coaches lug the equipment to the field and begin setting up, but parents are needed to jump in and get hitting nets, tees, buckets, helmets, and catchers gear ready for practice and games, and quickly get these off the field when things wrap up so the next team can take the field.  If coaches are doing all of this, that is less time working with players, so parents play a big role in allowing coaches to maximize their time.

Field Prep:  If you are able-bodied, dragging the field, getting bases out of the equipment shed, watering the infield dirt, lining the batters boxes and foul lines, and scanning the playing field to make sure it is clear of debris or any foreign objects is a big help and allows the coaches to focus on making sure their players get warmed up properly - it allows coaches to coach.  Each coach and Flagstaff Little League will be providing mini-training sessions to ensure you are fully prepared so you are not left guessing… plus, it is easy and a good opportunity to get in some outdoor exercise!

GameChanger (scorebook):  Every game in the AAA, Majors, and Juniors Divisions is scored, and this requires an official scorebook to be kept as a record of the game and to track pitchcount.  Flagstaff Little League currently uses GameChanger (GC) to electronically capture every pitch, play, and inning for games played in our scored divisions.  Each game, a parent will be assigned to run GC.  To do this, download the GC app now, run a few practice games, and be ready when it is your turn.  If your team is without an experience scorekeeper, don’t worry!  Flagstaff Little League will provide several training opportunities throughout the season.  But a good strategy is to observe whomever is running GC the game before you are assigned to observe how it is done.  If someone really likes scoring the game, they are welcome to continue doing so each game, but there should be at least two people familiar with GC in case the other can’t make it to a game.  If you are in the AA division, you too can download GC and begin learning how to score games. Typically, the Home team is responsible for assigning the role of scorekeeper for each game.

Scoreboard:  Flagstaff Little League is in the process of having new scoreboards installed and every game played at a baseball diamond should have a fully lit scoreboard, and that means a parent (from the Home team) will be assigned to run the scoreboard.  Those running the scoreboard and GC become best friends!  Yay!

Snack Shack:  Still need a friend?  Next on the signup list will be the Snack Shack.  While not every field will have a snack shack, for those that do, it is a likely possibility that we will need parents to help run it during games.  It takes two+ to run the snack shack, plus it’s more fun that way.  If you really like being in the snack shack and want to run it frequently, just contact the league and we can make it official.  Otherwise, you can sign up on your team’s sign up list to help out during one of your team’s Home games.  More signups = more friends!  Yay Again!

Cleanup:  Win or lose, the field and stands need to be cleaned up.  While this may not be the most glamorous of the ways in which you can help out, it is necessary.  But in reality, you are just jumping in to help the people in the other roles get things put away and buttoned up, including putting bases away, dragging the field, and then sweeping the dugouts and tossing any trash in the nearest trashcan.  That’s it!

***So now you know what to expect.  When your team’s coach sends out the signup sheet to help out your team, you can’t say we didn’t tell you so.  But seriously, every helping hand is a big help to these coaches and to your team.  Please pitch in!***

Uhoh!  So you didn’t get enough during the regular season, or you were busy most game days, or just couldn’t find the time during the season… no problem!  We’ve still got you covered; anyone who didn’t find an opportunity to help during the regular season will be able to help out during tournament time (City Tournaments & All-Stars).  If you develop a knack for any of the helper roles, we absolutely need your help during tournaments.  Let us know and keep an eye out for the tournament volunteer signup sheets that will come out toward the end of the season... by this time you aren't just friends, you are best of friends.  BOOM!

From the Flagstaff Little League Board, we would like to sincerely thank you for helping out this season!

Let's hit 2026 out of the park!!