Volunteering (Formerly DIBS)

SGSA depends on its volunteers to support a quality softball program for all our youth athletes. The time, talent, and energy that each family contributes helps offset the cost of playing softball. In addition, roles related to supporting home-sponsored tournaments help generate revenue to provide various capital improvement projects at our Neil Johnson Softball Complex. Revenue from successful tournaments helps fund field improvements (we most recently approved adding scoreboard to the NW & NE fields), purchasing equipment, paying for off-season gym space, etc. As a major user of the softball complex, SGSA does its part to ensure that our softball players have a quality place to play. 

All SGSA families are required to volunteer 8 HOURS at a tournament hosted by Shakopee. (Max of 12 hours per family with 2+ players).

Failure to complete the volunteer hours requirement will result in a $500 fee (charged to your credit card card on file) and inability to play the following year till the outstanding invoice is paid.

These hours support SGSA by benefiting all players throughout our program and are part of your commitment when registering

There are three ways to fulfill the volunteer hours requirement:

1. Exempt Roles: Fulfilling a season-long, exempt-from-volunteering position called an "Exempt Role" (ex. Head Coach, SGSA Board position, etc.).
2. Claiming Volunteer Hours: Claiming volunteer opportunities that will be posted throughout the season (ex. Father's Day Tournament, 8U Monsta Nationals). It is your responsibility to seek out and plan for volunteer opportunities.
3. Buyout: Accepting the $500 fee charged in lieu of volunteering.

In order to provide a smoother and more efficient experience for our members, effective for the 2025 Spring Softball Season, SGSA moved from Sports Engine to Crossbar for website and registration management. This means there is a new process for signing up for volunteer hours (formerly called DIBS). While the platform is new for all, the overall approach to volunteer hours is not changing.

To view and sign-up for volunteer shifts, view this step-by-step guide from crossbar: https://help.crossbar.org/en/articles/8653147-signing-up-members-for-shifts

Log into your Shakopee Girls Softball Association Crossbar account, click Account, then Volunteer to see Shifts.

A common mistake is logging into the Crossbar logo instead of the Shakopee Girls Softball Association account. Ensure you log into the Shakopee Girls Softball Crossbar account.

Reach out to the volunteer coordinator with questions.

Katie Ressie

Volunteer Coordinator

katieressie@yahoo.com

Q: I completed my volunteer assignment and have not received credit yet. What do I do?

A: This could be for a couple of reasons.

1.) You did not sign your name next to the item on the volunteer sheet.

2.) The volunteer coordinator has not yet marked the items completed – please be patient as this could take up to approximately two weeks to complete.

Q: When I went to sign my name next to the item I claimed, there was someone else’s name listed.

A: Cross out that person’s name and write your name and phone number in its place. This does happen when the sheets are printed out and then someone cancels (up to 2 days notice) and then you claim the item. It is helpful if you send communication to the Volunteer Coordinator with details as to what day and time you fulfilled the position.

Q: I ended up working longer than scheduled because the shift after me didn't show up.

A: Note this clearly next to your time on the volunteer sign-in sheet AND send an email to the contact noted below. We will manually add credit for anything over 15 minutes.

Q: I signed up for a shift for tomorrow and I cannot work it. Should I just not show up?

A: You will need to find a replacement for the position you claimed. Once you find someone, have your replacement cross out your name on the sign-in sheet and write their name and phone number next to it. It is suggested to work with your team families to find a replacement.

Q: I know that volunteer hours can sometimes go fast, so I claimed a bunch of hours under my name and would now like to give them to my friends. Is this OK?

A: We do not allow families to claim multiple items and then give them to other families. We ask that you please only claim items that you will be fulfilling.

Q: I ended up helping out extra and had a total of 6 extra hours over my required amount. Can I use these hours for next year?

A: We do not carry hours over from season to season. We do however appreciate all the extra hours that many individuals do end up going above and beyond each year to make our volunteer run association run successfully.