Volunteer Opportunities

LVBA is a completely volunteer-run organization. We rely on the generosity of our community to ensure that recreation basketball is available to our kids. 

That is worth saying plainly, because it explains how this league actually works: if a role goes unfilled, that part of the program simply does not happen. There is no staff to fall back on. Every season LVBA exists because enough families decided to commit their time and energy to help our program succeed. The roles below are where we need that help, at every level of commitment — from running a team all season to working a one or two-hour shift one weekend in March.

Board Members

The board handles the administrative side of the league — all of the work that happens before anyone steps on a court. Board members schedule games and assign referees, coordinate registration and player placement, secure and schedule gym time with the schools, order uniforms and equipment, manage the league's finances, communicate with families, and organize March Madness weekend. For most positions it amounts to a few hours a month across the season, heaviest in the fall and early winter when registration and scheduling come together. No prior board experience is needed.

This is our most urgent need. Our current board members are stepping down at the end of this season, and without new volunteers to take their place, this program cannot continue. If you want the kids of Bryam, Netcong, and Stanhope to have basketball next winter, we need you now. There is no application process: just reach out at lvprecreationbasketball@gmail.com and let us know you are interested. The outgoing board will work alongside the incoming group to hand everything off.

Coaches

Coaches own everything that happens with their team. That includes participating in team selection, managing the roster and communicating with families, maintaining the team's equipment through the season, and running both practices and games. Head coaches build the practice plan and manage the bench; assistant coaches run drill stations, work with players who need extra reps, and cover practices and games when the head coach cannot make it.

The time commitment: two to three hours of pre-season work, including coaching training and the pre-season coaching meeting (for head-coaches only). Up to two one-hour practice sessions per week from December through mid-March, plus an average of one game per week once games begin in January. Practices are weekday evenings; games are mostly Friday nights and Saturdays.

You do not need to have played competitively. We provide practice plans, drills, and guidance, and we pair first-time head coaches with experienced ones, if possible. Patience and showing up consistently matter far more than a basketball resume.

Interested in coaching? Just check the box when you register. Any parent/guardian who wants to coach can request it right on their child's registration form — there is no separate application to track down. Coaches are assigned to their own child's team, so the time you give is time you also spend with your child.  If you are on the fence, request it: we would rather have too many volunteers to place than not enough teams to field.

Snack Stand

The snack stand runs for one event only: Lenape's March Madness weekend (a Friday night and Saturday event only). We need volunteers to work the stand across the weekend — selling food and drinks, taking orders and running the register, keeping items stocked, and helping with setup and cleanup. It is a major fundraiser for the league and helps keep registration fees low for every family.

This is the easiest way to contribute if you cannot commit to a full season. Shifts are short, no experience is required, and someone is always there to show you how everything works. Most volunteers work a shift and then go right back to watching their own child play.

Other Volunteer Roles

Plenty of jobs take an hour here and there rather than a whole season. If you want to help but cannot take on a team or a board seat, one of these will fit.

• Scorekeepers and clock operators. Every game needs someone at the scorer's table running the book and the clock. It is a single game's commitment, you are sitting and watching basketball the whole time, and we can teach you in only a few minutes. Coaches will coordinate with team parents at each game to find a volunteer(s).
• Fundraising and sponsorship. Help with league fundraising efforts and outreach to local businesses interested in sponsoring the program.
• Behind the scenes. Website and social media, team communications, and photography. If you have a skill and a few hours, we will find a good use for it.
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What Board Members and Coaches Have to Complete

Before working with our players, all board members and coaches must complete a background check and a required training course. Both are free — LVBA covers the cost, so volunteering never costs you anything out of pocket. The training is completed online at your own pace and takes roughly 60 minutes; it covers player safety, concussion awareness, and appropriate conduct with youth athletes. Plan to finish both before the season starts and renew as required. We will send you the links and walk you through it once you sign up — nobody is left to figure it out alone. Training and background checks have to be completed prior to November 10th to ensure coach assignments can be arranged and we can determine the number of teams we can have in each division.

Ready to Help?

Tell us what you are interested in and we will take it from there — coaching can be requested right on your child's registration form, and every other role starts with a quick email. Email lvprecreationbasketball@gmail.com.