Please see below a list of Frequently Asked Questions. If you still need help or want to speak with us, please email Sue Kauffman, Engel Family Field Coordinator, suek.mlsd@gmail.com or Stefanie Waszut, Bell Middle School Coordinator, stefaniew.mlsd@gmail.com and Jerry Dunnam, Competitive Division Coordinator, Jerryd.mlsd@gmail.com
Our mission is to ensure that every participant, whether a player, buddy, coach, parent or volunteer walks away saying they had a great day.
There are many ways to help. We rely on volunteers to register as buddies and coaches for each season at both fields. We rely on volunteer groups to man the Snack Shack, Merchandise Table, Announcer’s Table and serve as umpires each game day at Engel Family Field. The SDSU Rotaract Club usually serves these functions at Bell Middle School but groups are always welcome. We need team sponsors each year and you can donate at any time.
Buddies are volunteers who assist our athletes with playing baseball. MLSD players have a wide range of needs and abilities, begin as young as five years old and can play well into their 40s. Buddies are there for four reasons:
- Protect the players – safety first
- Assist the players, but assist only as needed, allowing them the opportunity to play as much as possible
- Provide encouragement
- Be a friend
Anyone who is ten years of age or older may volunteer to be a buddy. Siblings to a player may be a buddy as young as eight years old. Adults are welcome and appreciated.
The time commitment each game day is one and a half hours. Full-time buddies are expected to attend most games each season and should miss no more than three games. Floater buddies may miss more than three games each season. We strive to have one full-time buddy per player on each team so they can be paired for the entire season. Floater buddies fill in for a player when a full-time buddy is unavailable.
Absolutely not. You do not need any particular athletic skills. All you need is compassion, enthusiasm and energy.
Yes. Buddies receive a buddy certificate at the end of each season for 20 hours (coaches are free to complete certificates each week if a buddy requires weekly credit).
Anyone who is 18 years or older may volunteer as a coach.
The time commitment of a coach is a one and a half hours + each game day (they are requested to show up 30 minutes prior to the start of each game to gather the players and buddies before the game and complete line-up cards for the announcer). Coaches are required to attend a pre-season coaches meeting and must contact all players and buddies prior to the season to welcome them to the team. Each week, coaches should send email and/or text reminders to the team with any weekly announcements such as game time, picture day, etc.
Yes. We rely on volunteer groups to man the Snack Shack, Merchandise Table, Announcer’s Table and serve as umpires each game day at Engel Family Field (the SDSU Rotaract Club serves these functions at Bell Middle School). These groups include youth service groups like NCL and TVIA, adult service groups like Optimist and Rotary Clubs, and companies that create employee team-bonding experiences.
If your group is interested in volunteering at Engel Family Field, please email suek.mlsd@gmail.com to know of your interest. At Bell Middle School, please email stefaniew.mlsd@gmail.com to know of your interest. They will be able to supply you with the specific volunteer requirements.
Games must be completed within 55 minutes and are two innings. Each player bats and scores each inning.
The Competitive Division plays only at Engel Family Field on Sundays and consists of players who have passed a skills assessment test. These games don’t have buddies and don’t have the same time limits. Games follow closely the rules of Major League Baseball and require all participants to be able to stay in their positions on the field, get off the field when called out, and follow more detailed instructions from coaches.