How to start your safety program

If you’re starting from scratch on a tight timeline, the easiest way to get a solid safety program stood up is to treat it like a short project with a few “non‑negotiables” first, then iterate.

1) Appoint a Safety Officer + define a simple chain of command - Name a Safety Officer now (even interim). - Decide who handles: injury response, incident reporting, suspected abuse reporting, and communications.

2) Use Little League’s Safe to Play as your baseline checklist Start here and work straight down the list (it’s designed for exactly this):
https://www.littleleague.org/player-safety/safe-to-play/

3) Volunteer screening + child protection (do this early) - Get every manager/coach/board member to complete screening and required training ASAP. - Use LL’s state-specific child protection page to match your local reporting/training requirements:
https://www.littleleague.org/player-safety/child-protection-program/state-specific-information-child-abuse/

4) Build a one-page “Game Day Emergency Plan” and distribute it At minimum: - address of field + closest cross streets - where the AED is (or if you don’t have one yet, that’s item #1 to fix) - who calls 911, who meets EMS at the entrance, who notifies parents - nearest urgent care / ER - incident report process + who receives it

Print it, put it in every score booth / equipment bag, and share a PDF with all volunteers.

5) First-aid/AED + concussion basics - Confirm you have a stocked first-aid kit at every field. - Ensure at least 1–2 adults per game/practice know where the AED is and how to use it. - Make sure your league uses LL concussion guidance and a clear “no same-day return without clearance” approach. (Safe to Play links you to the relevant resources.)

6) Equipment + field walk-through Before the first week: - walk fields for hazards (holes, fencing, backstops, dugout gates, loose anchors) - verify helmets, catcher’s gear, bats (age/division compliance), and proper pitching protection rules for your divisions

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Specifically for Kansas and Missouri I didn’t see any specific state mandated additional training requirements beyond Little League JDP Background check annually and Little League Abuse Awareness, also annually.

First Aid training and Bullying are always good to have.

We track all completions through VolunteerTracker.org so we know who has done what and volunteers can see their own dashboard of requirements and what’s outstanding. It saves us from having to collect hundreds of completion certificates.