Being selected to umpire any of our Region or World Series Tournaments is an opportunity earned by highly performing umpires, many of whom have invested in years of training and development to enhance their knowledge, skills, and performance. Little League® seeks to train, develop, and select highly performing umpires to umpire each of its Region and World Series Tournaments each year.

Here are some steps you can take to be considered for selection to umpire a Region or World Series Tournament:

Step One: Be Active

• Umpires should be actively umpiring games as a volunteer umpire at a local league and/or district.

Step Two: Invest

• Selected umpires often invest earnestly in their training and continuous development to improve knowledge, skills, and performance. Some ways to do that include:
  • Sign up and be actively engaged on the Umpire Registry, the free, online hub for umpire-related communications and resources.
  • Attend the various in-person training events, including Outreach Clinics, Mechanics Clinics, and Umpire Academies. See the full calendar of events in the Umpire Registry.
  • Serve as an umpire at the district, sectional, and state level of the Little League International Tournament.

Step THREE: Take Feedback

• Make sure you are open to and actively encouraging feedback at training events and tournaments. This feedback tracks what you do well, what you need to work on, and how to work on those things to help achieve your goals as an umpire.

Step FOUR: Apply

• Umpires must be members of the Umpire Registry, where they can submit their request to umpire a Region or World Series Tournament each fall.
• Any eligible umpire must have an approved background check, which can be conducted through the Umpire Registry, as well as complete the annual Abuse Awareness Training (LittleLeague.org/AbuseAwareness).

Many umpires who are seeking to umpire a Little League (Majors) Division Region or World Series Tournament often take the steps outlined above in addition to attending an ID Camp held across the country each fall.

WHAT’S AN ID CAMP?

Umpires are eligible to register for an ID Camp once they have umpired a Region Tournament, in any division. Many umpires have found that umpiring any Region Tournament and attending an ID Camp, in addition to the steps listed above, have placed them in the best position to succeed when umpiring a Little League (Majors) Division Region or World Series Tournament. The Selection Committee strongly encourages umpires aspiring to umpire a Little League (Majors) Division Region or World Series Tournament to consider taking a similar path.

Although attending an ID Camp is not a requirement for selection, our Selection Committee will more strongly consider selecting those umpires that have progressed through the above path and those it witnesses in action, which can be done through these camps.

Selecting umpires to all our Region and World Series Tournaments is a task our Selection Committee does not take lightly. The goal is to maximize the experience for all participants, including players, managers, coaches, spectators, and umpires. The Selection Committee has a responsibility to accomplish this goal by leveraging the pathways discussed herein to put umpires in the best possible position to succeed.

The post How to Get Selected to Umpire at a Region or World Series Tournament appeared first on Little League.

The safety and well-being of all participants in the Little League® program continues to be paramount, and it is on all of us to do our part to provide a fun, memorable, and safe experience each year. With the requirement of all volunteers to complete Abuse Awareness training each year, we are proud to announce the launch of the new Little League Abuse Awareness Course.

This course, which serves as a replacement for the programs previously available through third-party organizations like USA Baseball, is custom to the Little League program and provides an easier learning experience for our volunteers. Required to be completed by all volunteers each year, this course is available as part of the training and education courses at LittleLeague.org/Training, making signing up for the course even easier for our volunteers.

Login To Training Portal Create An Account

If you have any questions, please review our FAQs on the Little League Help Center.

The post Abuse Awareness Training Course appeared first on Little League.

Special to Little League, from the Positive Coaching Alliance. 

Positive sports experiences give young people the opportunity to connect with others, develop both life and physical skills, and a chance to have fun. Sports, especially at more competitive levels, can also become intense and stressful at times for both the athletes participating and the parents/caregivers supporting them.

The role of a positive sports parent/caregiver is to help guide their athlete through these stressful experiences by providing support, empathy, and encouragement and acknowledging the impact that their own emotional state can have on their athlete. By intentionally taking care of their own mental and emotional well-being, sports parents/caregivers can better ensure a positive experience for their athletes. Parents/caregivers can do so by building self-care into their daily routines.

Self-care means making an effort to seek out resources and activities that foster health and well-being, manage stress, and increase energy⁽¹⁾. Self-care is different for everyone – parents/caregivers should explore what works best for them. It is most effective when it is part of a daily routine and only requires 5-10 minutes a day. Some of the benefits of focusing on self-care are^{(1) (2)}:

• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Better able to be present and support athletes
• Demonstrates the importance of self-care to athletes
• Helps identify and manage general challenges
• Become aware of personal vulnerabilities
• Achieve more balance in life

Strategies for Parent/Caregiver Self-Care

There are many ways that a sports parent/caregiver can practice self-care – and it should be unique to the individual. Below are common, proven strategies to practice self-care.

• Identify activities that recharge and reduce stress and build time in the day to intentionally act on them.
• Practice mindfulness by checking in with the body and mind to think about what is needed in the moment. Doing so regularly can help make it easier to step back and identify when you are feeling overwhelmed⁽³⁾.
• Use breathing exercises to reduce the physiological effects of stress and allow the body to relax.
• Seek out connections with family and friends. A sense of connection and belonging associated with a social support system can reduce stress and anxiety.
• Exercise regularly – research shows that regular participation in aerobic exercise can decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem⁽³⁾.
• Practice gratitude by finding moments or actions to appreciate throughout the day. Collect these thoughts in a journal at the end of the day or simply acknowledge them internally. Doing so helps decrease negative feelings and brings more positivity to the day.

While preventative self-care can help establish a positive experience for both parents/caregivers and athletes, the stress of competition can put it to the test. High stress can lead to poor sportsmanship and negative reactions that may negatively affect athletes. The following tips can help parents/caregivers maintain a positive, healthy sport environment for all involved in a moment of particular stress:

• Be respectful of others, yourself, and the game. Be mindful of tone of voice, body language, and those around you. Think about how you are showing up and interacting with the game, opponents, officials, other spectators and participants.
• Manage emotions by being in tune with and acknowledging your feelings and using a self-control routine when you feel unregulated (i.e. taking deep breaths, counting to ten silently, walking away for a second). Keep things in perspective and remember to have fun.
• Be positive by cheering for your team using encouraging sentiments and shifting your mindset to be positive about everyone – the other team included. Limit expressions of negativity and avoid shouting directions to team members. Practice patience and kindness.
• Partner with other parents/caregivers on your team to establish positive spectator expectations and interventions for when those expectations are not met.

1. http://www.temescalassociates.com/uploads/1/1/0/6/110631901/paper_self_care.pdf
2. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/mental-health/parent-self-care-tips
3. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/self-care-strategies-parents/  & https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/chawarska/news-article/self-care-strategies-for-parents-and-caregivers-part-2/

The post Tips for Sports Parent/Caregiver Self-Care appeared first on Little League.

Are you interested in umpiring a Little League® Baseball or Softball Region or World Series Tournament next season? Have you umpired a Region Tournament in any division of play? If the answer is yes to both questions, Little League International is excited to invite you to register for any one of our one-day Umpire ID Camps at a location near you!

What is an ID Camp?

ID Camps are used by our Selection Committee to help identify high performing, qualified umpires to be considered for selection to our various Region and World Series Tournaments each year.

ID Camps are held at five locations throughout the United States each fall, and the camp is a one-day event, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time). Umpires will attend either the Saturday session or the Sunday session at each site. The cost to attend an ID Camp is $30, which covers the cost of the camp and lunch, but umpires are responsible for all other travel and lodging arrangements.

Attending umpires will be evaluated as part of consideration for selection to any of our various Region and World Series Tournaments. Evaluation will assess the following points during drill work, simulations, and/or live games (if available):

1. Character, Conduct, and Alignment to our Organizational Identity and Cultural Blueprint
2. Strike Zone Accuracy
3. Play Positioning
4. Style and Form of Calls
5. Rules Knowledge and Application

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are seeking to umpire in a Little League (10-12) Division Region or World Series Tournament, our Selection Committee will more strongly consider selecting those umpires it witnesses in action, which can be done through these camps.

How do I qualify to attend an ID Camp?

Umpires qualify to attend an ID Camp based upon previously working a Region tournament. That is, provided an umpire has umpired a Region tournament in any year, he/she is invited to register for an ID Camp.

Umpires seeking to umpire any of the tournaments listed below must meet the following requirements:

Little League Baseball Region Tournament:

• Umpires must have previously umpired a baseball region tournament in any division in any year.

Little League Softball® Region Tournament:

• Umpires must have previously umpired a softball region tournament in any division in any year.

Little League Baseball World Series (Williamsport, Pennsylvania):

• Umpires must have previously umpired at a Little League Baseball Region Tournament in any year.

Little League Softball World Series (Greenville, North Carolina):

• Umpires must have previously umpired at a Little League Softball Region Tournament in any year.

How do I register for an ID Camp?

Registration is open to all umpires who qualify to attend an ID Camp as outlined above and must be submitted by August 31 through the Umpire Registry. To register, interested umpires will need to complete a brief online registration form, identifying their qualifications making them eligible to attend an ID Camp and identifying the date and location they will be attending. After receiving registration, our staff will verify each umpire’s qualifications to attend based upon the Region tournament(s) an umpire has umpired prior to September 1.

Clarifying Points About ID Camps:

• Umpires qualify to attend an ID Camp based on having umpired a Region Tournament before September 1 of that current year.  Those qualified to attend are welcome to register and do so at their own choosing. 

• If an umpire has not yet umpired a Region Tournament, he/she may still apply to be considered for selection to any Region or World Series Tournament.  To do so, all umpires must first be members of the Umpire Registry and then apply when tournament requests open later in the fall on the Umpire Registry. 

• ID Camps are not a prerequisite for selection to a Region or World Series Tournament but help to identify highly performing umpires. 
• ID Camps are simply another way to identify highly performing umpires to consider for selection to our Region and World Series Tournaments, yet they are not the only way to do so.  Attending clinics and academies are two examples of other ways to do so for all umpires interested in umpiring a Region or World Series Tournament.

Final Notes about Registering for an ID Camp:

• Registration is $30 for this one-day (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) event and can be done online via the Umpire Registry and Event Brite.
• Umpires only need to attend one, not both days, of their selected ID Camp. Umpires may only register for one date.
• Umpires must bring their own uniform and all equipment and should check weather conditions to be prepared for outdoor drills, simulations, and/or live games (if available).
• On-site check-in will be held from 8:30-9 a.m. the morning of the event.
• Only lunch will be provided to attending umpires, and all other meals, travel, and lodging expenses are the responsibility of each individual umpire.
• Each umpire is reminded that he/she should have an up-to-date background check completed through the Umpire Registry (or proof of a JDP check) in addition to having completed the Little League Abuse Awareness Training found at LittleLeague.org/AbuseAwareness. Attending umpires may be required to produce proof of background check status and Abuse Awareness Training certificate at any point prior to the event and should bring proof of such documentation with them to the on-site check-in the morning of the event.

The post Attending an ID Camp: Stepping Toward Umpiring a Little League® Region or World Series Tournament appeared first on Little League.

Here’s a Link to the first Article from the Coastal Press – https://www.coastalpoint.com/sports/senior-league-softball-world-series-just-weeks-away-in-21st-year/article_5350b990-2f6a-11ef-9de7-9bfeb1202dad.html

The post And the Media Coverage of the 2024 Senior League Softball Has Begun! appeared first on Little League.

Have on hand the following items to complete the process:

• Three or more documents to determine residency of the parent(s) or legal guardian (court-appointed) or a document to support school attendance/enrollment for each player named on the tournament affidavit.
• Verification of a valid birth certificate.
• Any waivers [i.e. II(d), IV(h), Charter Committee, etc.]

The post Steps for Completing the Little League® International Tournament Affidavit appeared first on Little League.

Focused on ensuring children have a positive, well-rounded experience on and off the field, this program is a FREE educational resource that provides coaches with an understanding of the impact that mental, social, and emotional well-being has in youth sports through detailed information, interactive scenarios, and a variety of additional resources. Over time, Little League® will continue to evaluate this course and look to provide additional opportunities for extended learning.

LEARN MORE

Through this course, which navigates Little League volunteers through real-life scenarios that are being faced in local leagues all around the world each year, coaches will have a better understanding of the impact they have on their players, both on and off the field. NOTE: Completion of this course is required for all tournament managers and coaches. After completing the program the first time, volunteers are strongly encouraged to go back to review all the content and resources available within the Diamond Leader course, however, they are only required to complete the program once and will only receive one certificate that will be valid for tournament coaching eligibility.

Login To Training Portal Create An Account

The post Diamond Leader Training Program appeared first on Little League.

Developed in coordination with the Little League® Resource Guide, and focused on providing league administrators with everything needed to operate a successful Little League Program, this course provides an overview of administrative responsibilities and best practices based on the seasonality of the local league.

Login To Training Portal Create An Account

The post Prepare: Resource Guide Companion Course appeared first on Little League.

Developed in coordination with the Little League® Resource Guide, and focused on providing league administrators with everything needed to operate a successful Little League Program, this course provides an overview of administrative responsibilities and best practices based on the seasonality of the local league.

Login To Training Portal Create An Account

The post Play: Resource Guide Companion Course appeared first on Little League.

This course will support inexperienced and experienced umpires in learning the basics of umpiring Little League Baseball® and Softball. Designed to introduce learners to the basics of umpiring, the course aims to encourage and equip prospective and current umpires to take the diamond. Learners will explore the building blocks of working the plate, where to stand when working the bases, what to call and how to call it, and be introduced to the Little League® “Rules to Know.” This course will build a solid foundation for all interested in umpiring and empower learners to be successful in their role as a Little League umpire.

Login To Training Portal Create An Account

The post Umpire Training Course appeared first on Little League.