Manager's Notebook

This is the guide for how to manage a Kirkland National Little League team. Bookmark it so you can reference it from the field if needed.

If you have any questions not covered here, please contact either vp.baseball@kirklandnational.com or vp.softball@kirklandnational.com

Maps & Rainout Links

As soon as you are assigned a team

  1. Have a welcome meeting with your parents to explain logistics, set the tone for the culture of your team, and give them a chance to ask questions. Some topics to cover during this meeting include:
    1. What they need to buy and in what colors (pants, belt, socks, cleats, and a glove). Risan is a good choice if they need an idea of where to go: Risan Athletics.
    2. Call Risan Athletics ahead of time and let them know what pant, belt, and sock color you choose to go with your uniform, and they will have them ready for your team and provide a 10% discount.
    3. Team Culture – set the tone in your words to emphasize teaching life skills through baseball and softball, player development and opportunity, and ensuring the kids have a great time and want to play again next year.
    4. What forms they need to fill out:
      1. Expected parent code of conduct – ask them to fill out this form and hand it in to you.
      2. A filled out medical release form at the first practice.
  2. Ask for parent volunteers. Talk about this at your welcome meeting.  Follow up on your request via email or GameChanger. Make sure they register ASAP to become a KNLL-approved volunteer: Registration – Kirkland National Little League.
    Registration is a three-step process - have them follow the steps here.  In particular, they should watch their email after they fill out the online form for an invitation to submit a background check.  You need to recruit volunteers for these roles:

    1. Coaches
    2. Umpires
    3. Scorekeepers
    4. Team parent (to help organize Little League at T-Mobile Park day, hoodie orders, etc
    5. Snack shack volunteers
  3. Recruit volunteer umpires. This is one of the most important, most needed, and appreciated volunteer roles. We cannot have games without umpires. Please send names of volunteer umpires to uic.baseball@kirklandnational.com or uic.softball@kirklandnational.com.
  4. Review the mandatory safety information here: Manager or Coach – Kirkland National Little League.
  5. Collect signed medical release forms for each player at your first practice, and bring them to every practice and game for reference if an injury occurs.
  6. Check parent volunteers. Be sure that any parents helping out in any way – even to help out at your first practices – are on the Approved Volunteers List before they begin helping. You can follow up on volunteer status with the safety officer at safety@kirklandnational.com.

GameChanger Team Management FAQs

  1. Will all games be scored in GameChanger or in paper books?
    1. All games where score is kept (which is the upper divisions only) will be done in GameChanger.
  2. How can I get GameChanger training for my scorekeeper?
    1. We have training references in on the scorekeeping page.
  3. Do both teams need to keep score?
    1. If you are playing another Kirkland National team, no, only one team needs to keep score, and it should be the home team unless both teams and the umpire agree otherwise.
    2. If you are playing a team from another league, then your team must keep score so our league can track the game and the associated pitch counts.
  4. How do I update parent email addresses?
    1. If a parent needs to update their email address, you can change it for them in the app. Please also email lio@kirklandnational.com so we can update our email lists for announcements.
    2. In the app, you can edit the parent email addresses for a player but tapping on that player then tapping contacts.
    3. Note: if you remove an email address as a parent of a player, that email address will still have access to the team as a fan. You can manage the full list of everyone who can see your team in the Fans section under Team.  There you can remove email addresses and they will no longer have access to your team.

 

Field scheduling

  1. All game scheduling and entry into GameChanger is handled by the league - contact is scheduler.bb@kirklandnational.com
  2. Practices are also scheduled by the league, but managers enter their practices into GameChanger
    1. The Master Field Schedule is the source of truth for all field assignments
    2. To request a change to a practice, contact scheduler.bb@kirklandnational.com and wait for confirmation before changing your practice in GameChanger

Rainout procedures

  1. Check the rainout info – details here: https://www.kirklandnational.com/fields
    1. If the field is “open”
      1. The game or practice is on unless you get there and determine that playing on the field would either be unsafe or could damage the field due to conditions worsening since the field was determined to be open
    2. If the field is “marginal”
      1. You can go to the field before the scheduled time and determine if playing on the field would either be unsafe or could damage the field
      2. Do not do any work to the field such as pushing water around, digging trenches, etc
      3. If you are unsure, contact:
        1. Email: rainout@kirklandnational.com
        2. Text:
          1. Fields Manager: (425) 466-0947
          2. VP Softball: (206) 817-6709
          3. VP Baseball: (516) 884-2996‬
    3. If the field is “closed”
      1. The game / practice is canceled
    4. If a practice is rained out
      1. Go into GameChanger and mark that practice as cancelled – this will notify your team and keep your calendar accurate
    5. If a game is rained out
      1. Notify scheduler.bb@kirklandnational.com that your game was rained out, and include team name, division, game location and, if possible, game tag number
      2. Notify the manager of the other team
      3. The scheduler will let you know if/when your game can be rescheduled

Before each game

  1. Read the rules for your division
    1. Be sure to follow our minimum play time rules for games (bench time and infield time)
      1. See section 2 here
  2. For baseball: keep careful count of pitch counts and required days of rest
    1. If you have players on your team that play on other teams, pitches they through for that other team count too – it’s about kids not injuring their arms – work with those parents to make sure you know their kid’s pitch counts so you can plan accordingly
  3. For upper divisions:
    1. Ensure you have a scorekeeper ready to keep score in GameChanger
      1. The home team supplies the official scorekeeper, unless a change is decided and agreed upon by managers and umpire before the game begins
      2. Training for scorekeeping in GameChanger can be found here
    2. Make sure you have an umpire registered in Arbiter for the game
      1. Contact uic.baseball@kirklandnational.com or uic.softball@kirklandnational.com for help
  4. At the field on game day
    1. Make sure the field is lined and prepared for play
      1. For baseball: Managers (or a field volunteers for the team) need to unlock the mound and place it at the right distance
    2. Ensure before the game all helmets, every bat, and catcher’s masks are outside the dugout along the fence for inspection
      1. Gear that doesn’t pass inspection or bats that aren’t legal (ie: USSSA bats, dented bats, etc.) will need to be removed from the dugout for the duration of the game.
    3. Fill out lineup cards for your scorekeeper to enter in GameChange, for the opposing scorekeeper if there is one, and give a copy to the umpire at the plate meeting.

During the game

  1. Make sure you have a coach for the dugout at all times (there always has to be an adult in the dugout)
    1. A player with a helmet can be first base coach if necessary
  2. Scoreboards are for AAA and above games only
    1. Have a scorekeeper, or a scorekeeper’s helper, download the DAK Score app:
      1. Apple App Store: DAK Score on the App Store (apple.com)
      2. Google Play Store: DAK Score - Apps on Google Play
    2. Once you open the app you’ll see a list of the scoreboards if you are close enough to the snack shack
      1. If you have reception issues, please email lio@kirklandnational.com

After every game

  1. Ensure the scorekeeper for the game marked the game as complete in GameChanger
  2. Managers (or their team’s fields person) are responsible for removing mound from the field and chaining it back to the fence
  3. Ensure the dugout is clean

Lock box / shed / batting cage codes

Contacts who can share the code with you:

  1. Fields Manager: (425) 466-0947
  2. VP Softball: (206) 817-6709
  3. VP Baseball: (516) 884-2996‬

Using elementary school fields for practice

  1. Kirkland National teams are permitted to practice on Elementary Schools starting at 4:30pm, which is the earliest parking lot entry and practice/game set-up can begin
  2. All time on-site is to occur in the time permitted, from set-up, to practices/games, to tear-down
  3. KNLL permitted use is of the fields only
    1. Use of District play equipment, blacktops, under covered areas, etc. is strictly not allowed
    2. Most campuses have District on-site programs and those programs have unobstructed access, scheduled or spontaneous, to all non-field areas of campuses when fields are occupied by permitted user

Field permits

You may be asked to provide the permit the league has for the use of a field. Below you'll find links to these permits that you can show upon request.

Finn Hill Middle School

Kamiakin Middle School

Juanita Elementary

Juanita Beach Field 1 and 2

Juanita Beach March + April

Robert Frost Elementary

John Muir Elementary

Helen Keller Elementary

Thoreau Elementary

Carl Sandburg Elementary