UPLL Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the new league ages?
• Does my child have to go to try-outs?
• Can my child be on the same team as a friend/neighbor for car-pooling purposes?
• Can girls play in a boys division?
• Do I have to volunteer?
• Why do I need to complete a volunteer form?
• How are background check results handled?
• How does the snack bar work?
• When will I hear from a coach?
• How does the practice/game schedule work?
• Must I attend my player’s practices and games?
• What if I have a question or concern?
• How do I get more involved?
• What do I do if my game is rained out or I need to cancel?
• Does the league allow a parent to umpire a game in which their child is playing?
• Accident Reporting Procedures - What to Report?

What are the new league ages?
For baseball, it is the player’s age on April 30, 2008. For softball it is the player’s age on December 31, 2007. These guidelines were set forth by National Little League. T-ball players should be 5 by April 30, 2008.
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Does my child have to go to try-outs?
Yes, all players except t-ball are evaluated at try-outs to help the player agents divide the teams up as evenly as possible.
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Can my child be on the same team as a friend/neighbor for car-pooling purposes?
You can indicate your request on the coach/carpool section of the on-line registration. We do try to honor these requests as much as possible; however we cannot guarantee it due to our needs to adhere to team equality.

Requests cannot be accepted for Major Softball or Major Baseball as these teams are established through a draft system.
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Can girls play in a boys division?
Little League rules allow girls to play on a boy’s team. Please indicate this desire at registration.
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Do I have to Volunteer?
We are an all-volunteer organization and will ask each family to work in the snack stand. Without our snack bar proceeds, we would be unable to meet the financial needs of the league. In addition, we also ask each family to volunteer in another area. There are many ways to volunteer including Manager, Coach, Umpire, Team Parent, Special Events and Field Maintenance. Our league continues to grow but our volunteer base is shrinking. The majority of league activities and duties are done by the same 20 people year after year. As many of these volunteers move on as their children age out, recruiting new volunteers is critical to the league’s future success. Due to the lack of volunteer help, it has become necessary to occasionally hire outside help for tasks that were normally were done by volunteers. This is why we are requesting a volunteer commitment to support your child’s little league, or a $100 donation.
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Why do I need to complete a volunteer form?
It is Little League Regulation that we perform thorough background checks on all volunteers that have substantial contact with our children (Managers, Coaches and Team Parents). You can find this form on the “Registration” tab. We are required to conduct a nationwide background check containing all applicable government sex offender registry data. This year, Little League has contracted with ChoicePoint to conduct all background checks. The ChoicePoint background check goes beyond the minimums originally required to include a nationwide criminal and sex offender search. We make every effort possible to protect our children.
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How are background check results handled?
If there are any offenses on your report, you will receive a copy in the mail directly from ChoicePoint. Unfortunately, the state of PA does NOT cross check by birth date. Therefore, if there is someone with your name in PA with criminal offenses, these will show on the report you receive. We understand that such reports can be very surprising and upsetting. Please rest assured that these reports are only accessed on-line by our Risk Management Committee and we do not share information or keep hard copies. If we feel any offenses require further investigation, we will contact the volunteer. Again, please remember that we are doing this to protect all of our children not to cause embarrassment or concern. To learn more about ChoicePoint please visit their web-site at http://littleleague.choicepoint.com.
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How does the snack bar work?
Our snack stand is run entirely by volunteers. We offer hot dogs, drinks, pretzels, candy and the ever-popular slushees. The snack stand is the most popular spot in the complex. This year’s snack stand manager is Janice Thal and she has a lot of exciting plans for the season. We are an all-volunteer organization and will ask each family to work in the snack stand. Without our snack bar proceeds, we would be unable to meet the financial needs of the league.  The snack stand schedule is coordinated by the manager and your team parent. Typically this works out to only one or two shifts per player for the entire season. Think of how many times you visit the snack stand in a season. We feel that asking each family to work a shift or two per player is a very reasonable request and a typical requirement of most sports leagues. You can work with your team parent and other families on your team to find a shift most convenient for you. Training and instructions are provided and most people find that they have fun and the time flies by! No children under 14 are permitted in the snack bar for safety reasons, so please do not bring young children with you for your shift.
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When will I hear from a coach?
You should hear from your team’s manager after the manager’s meeting scheduled for the week of 3/10/08. Practices are typically started before Opening Day (April 5th, 2008) if weather allows.
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How does the practice/game schedule work?
Practices are organized at the team manager’s discretion, typically once per week for younger players and twice per week for older players. Practice nights are assigned during the Manager’s Meeting in early March. The game schedule is published just prior to Opening Day. There are usually one or two games per week on a rotating schedule. Games are played weeknights at 6:00 and Saturdays from 9:00-8:00. Games run through mid-June. Major divisions and tournament teams will play longer into the summer.
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Must I attend my player’s practices and games?
The best support you can be to your child’s Little League career is to experience it with them. Please attend, participate and volunteer as much as possible.
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What if I have a question or concern?
You should first ask your team manager, coach or team parent. Our phone is checked periodically at 610-666-7949. You will find e-mail addresses at our web-site www.up-littleleague.org. Most days, during the season a league official can be found at the fields.
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How do I get more involved?
The UPLL Board meets the first Wednesday of every month. Check the calendar on the web site for exact times and locations. We welcome input and ideas.
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What do I do if my game is rained out or I need to cancel?
Rescheduling games is the responsibility of team managers.  When a game is canceled the home team should notify the umpire.  If your game is on Penn Liberty, please contact the snack bar via Janice Thall's E-Mail so she can notify the volunteers. The league will attempt to reschedule games when all fields are canceled via a message on the web site, however, as the season progress it becomes more difficult as less field time is available.  The two managers should coordinate a new time.  Open fields can be found on the Schedules page by selecting "Open" as the division and clicking the filter button.  Once a field time has been coordinated contact Joe Orff via e-mail with the canceled game, new date, division, home team, away team and requested field.
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Does the league allow a parent to umpire a game in which their child is playing?
UPLL is an all volunteer league and that includes the umpires. The single largest source of bodies for our umpire pool is the parents of the children involved in the league. The Umpire in Chief does a sign-up sheet in advance to solicit volunteers for the upcoming week. In the event that no one signs up in advance, it is the Home Team’s responsibility to provide an umpire (UPLL Rule Book, Section 14.3). There is no problem with a parent umpiring a game in which his child is participating. We believe that people want to do a good job and they are doing the league a service by volunteering. Obviously, there are varying levels of expertise within our volunteer pool but the bottom line is that the children don’t get to play a game unless someone volunteers to umpire. Please contact Jay Loomis to volunteer.

Accident Reporting Procedures - What to Report?
An incident that causes any player, manager, coach, umpire, or volunteer to receive medical treatment, to receive first aid or if there is a concern that further medical evaluation may be required. The Injury Tracking form must be completed and reported to the league safety officer within 48 hours of incident.  The form should be filed in the Safety Officer’s mailbox located in the Snack Stand.  Please contact the Safety Officer if further information is required.

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