As required by California law (California Assembly Bill 506, January 2022), any volunteer who have material exposure to children (e.g. coaches, umpires, team parents) must complete the following:
- Background check
- Live Scan fingerprinting by a certified agency
- Mandatory Reporter Training
- Child Abuse Prevention Training
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest Training
- Abuse Awareness Training
- Diamond Leader Training
These tasks must be completed before the volunteer is allowed to conduct any league activity where children are present. This applies to team head coaches, assistant coaches and umpires. Team admins are required to complete the background check process, but not the other trainings.
Other volunteer positions not directly interacting with kids are not required to complete these items.
1. All volunteers (annual): Background Checks
We will be performing annual background checks on volunteers to prevent those who would pose a danger to our children from associating with the program. If you intend to participate as a volunteer, it is mandatory that you completely fill out the Little League Volunteer Application on Sports Connect, and then authorize our partner JDP to conduct their background check process when you receive an email notification.
2. All volunteers (one time): Fingerprinting (must be completed specifically for Sunnyvale Metro Little League):
Fingerprints must be collected by a certified agency.
Note: The collection of fingerprints is tied to our league specifically. If your employment or another volunteer role requires fingerprinting, you cannot use fingerprints collected for Sunnyvale Metro Little League use and vice versa. You must have fingerprints collected for each respective situation. Fingerprinting is only required once for the volunteer's tenure with the league.
3a. All volunteers (one time): Mandatory Reporter Training
Per California law, all league volunteers must complete Mandatory Reporter Training. This training must be completed online HERE. This training is required only the FIRST YEAR a volunteer participates in the league, in subsequent years item 3b is required.
Once the volunteer has completed this training, they will receive an electronic certificate of completion. The volunteer must send a copy of this certificate to the league Safety Officer.
3b. All volunteers (annual): Little League required Child Abuse Prevention
Per Little League Regulations (new in 2024), an annual abuse prevention training is required. If this is your first year volunteering and/or you have not completed 3a (one-time CA requirement), you will need to complete both trainings this yyear, then only item 3b in subsequent years.
You can complete this training HERE. Register for an account if you don't already have one, then select the "Abuse Awareness Training" course. Once completed, you will receive an email with a link to the certificate indicating you have completed the course. The volunteer must send a copy of this certificate to the league Safety Officer.
4. Coaches only (one time): Concussion Training
Per AB-2007, youth sports organizations must adopt concussion recognition and treatment protocols, including training volunteers. This requirement is satisfied by completion of a free online training course HERE. Upon successful completion a certificate will be presented. The volunteer must send a copy of this certificate to the league Safety Officer.
5. Coaches only (one time): Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Training
Per AB-379, youth sports organizations must adopt sudden cardiac arrest prevention protocols, including training volunteers. This requirement is satisfied by completion of a free online training course HERE. Upon completion a certificate will be presented. The volunteer must send a copy of this certificate to the league Safety Officer.
Note: For items 3, 4, 5, if the volunteer has completed these items as part of another volunteer organization and can produce certifications of completion those can be submitted to fulfill the requirement subject to review by the league safety officer. This DOES NOT apply to fingerprinting, which must be completed specifically for Sunnyvale Metro Little League (State of California requirement).
It is the responsibility of each manager, coach or administrator who uses volunteers to verify with the Safety Officer that each such volunteer has passed the screening requirements.
6. Post-season coaches only (one time): Diamond Leader Training
This is a mandatory training for any manager or coach serving in this capacity in the postseason tournament, but is recommended for all coaches. This training can completed HERE. Once completed, an online certification will be issued. This certification must be sent to the league Safety Officer.
Little League International Resources
Little League provides numerous safety resources on their website, littleleague.org. Please take some time to look through these resources: