Little League® Baseball and Softball strives to provide easy-to-use solutions to improve the volunteer experience. Last year, Little League introduced the Sports Connect and J.D. Palatine (JDP) integration to allow information collected during the registration and sign-up process on Sports Connect to seamlessly transfer to JDP and complete the volunteer application and background check request requirements.
On December 1, 2020, Sports Connect launched new features for the JDP Sports Connect Integration, including an easier view of the potential volunteer's application before accepting them as a volunteer. This new feature helps speed up the process for the league administrator who is overseeing the process.
If your league has not yet started the background checks process for the 2021 season, now is a great time to start! Check out our updated JDP Sports Connect League Administrator Tutorial that provides direction on how to fully utilize the new updates. You can also find additional information about the JDP Integration with Sports Connect at LittleLeague.org/JDPSC.
If your league is not currently using Sports Connect, Little League recommends utilizing the JDP QuickApp, which allows local league volunteers to complete their own volunteer application and background check on a secure site. Leagues must still verify that the information on the Little League Volunteer Application is correct by reviewing the potential volunteer's government-issued photo ID. The league must also review each completed background check.
If a potential volunteer has a charge on their background check, the local league must determine if this charge prohibits them from participating by Little League Regulation I (c) 8 & 9. If it does not, the league official conducting the background check must present this information to either the League President or league’s Board of Directors to determine if this individual is fit to participate in any manner in the league.
Complete information about the background check process, including resources for local league volunteers, is available at LittleLeague.org/ChildProtectionProgram. Leagues utilizing JDP to complete their background checks receive 125 free checks from Little League International and are fully compliant with Little League’s regulations. Leagues are reminded that they must also follow any state and local background check laws.
If you have any questions, please contact me, at: 570-326-1921, ext. 2211; or e-mail [email protected].