Little League® Diamond Leader Program FAQs

Created as part of the Susan Crown Exchange’s Million Coaches Challenge and in coordination with the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, the Little League Diamond Leader Training Program is a FREE educational resource that provides coaches with an understanding of the impact that mental, social, and emotional well-being has in youth sports through detailed information, interactive scenarios, and a variety of additional resources. Beneficial for all Little League coaches and volunteers to participate in, completion of the program will be required for all tournament coaches beginning with the 2023 tournament season*. To learn more about the program, and to take part in the program today, please visit LittleLeague.org/DiamondLeader.

* Tournament completion requirement is only for United States coaches for the 2023 season.

Little League Baseball and Softball is about more than just the plays that happen on the field, and as outlined by its mission statement, is more importantly about the life lessons learned through the game. The mental, social, and emotional well-being of children is paramount to Little League International and is vital to be able to provide additional resources to educate volunteer coaches and Little League families on how to help support these areas. Working as a partner with the Susan Crown Exchange’s Million Coaches Challenge and in coordination with the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, the Diamond Leader Program is just one of the ways Little League continues its commitment to providing support and resources to its coaches, volunteers, and most importantly – its players.

The goal of the Diamond Leader Program is to help educate Little League volunteer coaches so they can better serve the social and emotional well-being of our Little Leaguers using real-life scenarios that are being faced in local leagues all around the world each year.

Funded by the Susan Crown Exchange and supported by the Aspen Institute Project Play, the Million Coaches Challenge is an initiative with a goal of training one million coaches in youth development techniques by 2025. As just one of the many supporting organizations participating in the Million Coaches Challenge, Little League has committed its training and development surrounding social and emotional learning through the completion of the Little League Diamond Leader Program. Learn more about the Million Coaches Challenge by visiting MillionCoaches.org.

The Little League Diamond Leader Program is created to allow users to take in as much information as they’d like, with comprehensive learning opportunities spread throughout the full program. While completion of the course can be done in less than a half hour to fulfill the tournament requirements, it is strongly encouraged that every volunteer who takes part in the program spends as much time as needed to learn the areas of focus that are interesting to them while also saving the resources provided to assist in continued education throughout the year.

No, the program does not need to be completed in one session. We understand how busy our volunteers are and want to ensure that they have the best opportunity to learn the information provided and take time to look through the resources available through this program. If not completing in one session, it is strongly recommended that the volunteer sets a reminder to go back and finish the program.

Yes, upon completion the volunteer will be emailed a certificate of completion. It is encouraged that this is then shared with the League President to show the program has been completed, especially for those who plan to coach in the tournament season. Additionally, it is strongly encouraged that those who complete the program share their completion on social media using #LLDiamondLeader and #MillionCoachesChallenge, while tagging @LittleLeague on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

While there are countless benefits to participating in the Little League Diamond Leader Program, the biggest benefit is the education you will receive that will help provide children in your community with a positive, well-rounded experience on and off the field. Through the real-life scenarios discussed in the program, coaches will have a better understanding of the impact they have on their players, both on and off the field. Additionally, completion of the course will help move one step closer to the success of the Million Coaches Challenge, making each Little League volunteer an important part of history within the youth sports industry.

While the program is made specifically for coaches based on the scenarios that are discussed, any local league parent or volunteer is welcome and encouraged to register and complete the course in order to enhance their understanding of the social and emotional learning of youth athletes. The more volunteers who are aware of their impact on Little Leaguers in their community, the better the experience we can provide to our children.

Although it is important for all volunteers to take part in the Little League Diamond Leader Program, the journey through the Little League International Tournament can often times be a stressful time for players as the competition level grows throughout the summer, making it more and more important for our coaches to understand the impact they have on their players. Because of that, Little League International is requiring its tournament coaches* to complete the program in order to be eligible to participate in the tournament so they are able to support the mental, social, and emotional well-being of their players every step of the way.

* Tournament completion requirement is only for United States coaches for the 2023 season.

Any volunteer coach who does not complete the program, and display record of completion to their League President, will not be eligible to coach in the tournament. All coaches are highly encouraged to complete the Little League Diamond Leader program early during the regular season to ensure completion well before the start of tournament and help provide the best experience to all their regular-season players as well.

No. At this time the Little League Diamond Leader Program is a one-time course. However, volunteers are encouraged to save the resources provided to help further educate themselves and remind them of the information they learned during completion of the program. Little League International will also be continuing to evaluate and identify additional educational resources similar to this program to help support its volunteers, parents, and players.

Yes. Anyone interested in completing the Little League Diamond Leader Program can visit LittleLeague.org/DiamondLeader and fill out the registration form, which includes the League Name or League ID they are associated with.

Upon completion of the program, volunteers are strongly encouraged to share their completion certificate with their League President. It is the League President’s responsibility to ensure all tournament coaches have completed the program in order to confirm their eligibility for the tournament season. To support this, League Presidents will be able to track coaches from their league who completed the course via a report available in the Little League Data Center.

The best way to encourage your coaches to take the Little League Diamond Leader program is to participate in the program yourself to ensure you know first-hand the benefits that can be learned from its completion. Additionally, be sure to communicate early and often to all your coaches about the benefits of the program, as well as the requirement for any coach interested in participating in the tournament season in 2023. Finally, be sure to use the resources provided by Little League International throughout the year and share any of the information you receive from Little League through newsletters and on social media (@LittleLeague).

It is the League President’s responsibility to ensure all tournament coaches have completed the program in order to confirm their eligibility, however, the process in which they prefer to do that is up to each league.

The Little League Diamond Leader Program is available now for anyone to complete at LittleLeague.org/DiamondLeader. It is strongly recommended that coaches and volunteers complete the program early during the regular season to ensure completion well before the start of tournament and help provide the best experience to all their regular-season players as well.

While the only requirement is for tournament coaches/managers to complete the Little League Diamond Leader Program in 2023, it is highly encouraged that any volunteer and/or parent complete the program to help provide the best possible experience to the Little Leaguers in their community both on and off the field. As a free program provided to any volunteer or parent associated with a Little League program, this is one of the many great educational resources provided by Little League International.

District officials are encouraged to work directly with their respective leagues and their Boards of Directors to understand the level of participation in the Diamond Leader Program throughout the regular season. A report will be available through the Little League Data Center that lists the number of coaches from each league in your district that have completed the training. As tournament season approaches, and as part of the normal tournament preparations, it is increasingly important that District staff work with their League Presidents to understand how many of their tournament coaches have not yet completed the program and support their League Presidents in ensuring completion prior to the start of the tournament season.

As tournament season approaches, and as part of the normal tournament preparations, it is increasingly important that District staff work with their League Presidents to understand how many of their tournament coaches have not yet completed the program and support their League Presidents in ensuring completion prior to the start of the tournament season. NOTE: Approved temporary replacements will not be required to complete the program.

While not required, it is highly encouraged that district staff and all district volunteers complete the Diamond Leader Program to understand the benefits of the program and help ensure the best possible experience for players throughout the year, especially while hosting the District Tournaments.

While a list of completion does not need to be submitted, any coach/manager that is listed on the tournament affidavit is required to complete the Little League Diamond Leader Program prior to coaching in any tournament games. It is the responsibility of the League President, and thus the District Administrator, to ensure all listed coaches/managers complete the program prior to tournament play.

No. While volunteers are encouraged to complete the Little League Diamond Leader program early in the regular season, announcement of tournament teams, including the coaches/managers, cannot be made until the May 15 date as outlined in Little League’s Official Regulations, Playing Rules, and Operating Policies.

If a tournament coach/manager is found to have not completed the Little League Diamond Leader Program, they will be ruled ineligible for tournament participation. Reinstatement into the tournament following completion will be at the discretion of the Little League International Tournament Committee.