Hi and welcome....
I'm afraid I have to respond to part of your question in a way that could sound a bit harsh or even insulting... But my real intent is to take you by the shoulders and give you a shake, in a manner of speaking. I hope you will take this as constructive criticism.
Why in the world would you give away your work free?
Are you worthless? Do you think it costs you nothing to shoot digitally?
Notice a lack of responses to your post that's been read 42 time? Perhaps that's because folks here on the Business Forum are mostly still shaking their heads and thinking. "Uh oh. Yet another prime example of what's wrong with being a photographer in this day and age. Too many people doing it for the fun of it and just giving it away, as if photography services had no value. $200 Cragslist wedding 'packages' to 'build up my portfolio', microstock agencies paying pennies per use, event photographers paying upfront 'bribes' to be 'allowed' to shoot on spec... Where will it all end?"
Let me put it another way... How would you feel if I, an independently wealthy person (I'm not... we're just pretending here), came to your place of employment and offered to your boss to do your job for free, just because I really enjoy the work and don't need any money? You indicate you are semi-retired now, but let's say I did this back when you were raising a young family or struggling to put your kids through college. I tell your boss not to worry, I'd absorb the costs of getting to and from the job, of having an appropriate wardrobe or any other expenses related to the work. I simply don't need any money, and I know how to do the job at least as well as you. What would your boss do? Hire me for free and lay you off? Would it matter to you if I eliminated your source of income and your family had to go without food and housing?
At the very least, charge something fair and reasonable. Then if you wish donate a portion of your profits in support of the Little League at years end.
In case you are interested, I charge $7 for a 4x6 (or 3.5x5, or 4x5), $10 for a 5x7 (or 6x9) and $20 for an 8x10 (or 8x12) at this sort of event. My downloads for personal use are $18 per image. A lot of sports league photographers offer special packages which differ from mine. But, my prices are pretty average and are actually not all that profitable in most cases, so I have several tricks up my sleeve to leverage the work for additional revenue, because - unlike you - this is my living. It's what puts food on my table and gas in my car and a roof over my head. My clients buy from me because my work has value to them, and I do what I can to not denigrate that. At the same time, I support them and their efforts and help out where ever I can, so long as my business is good enough to allow me to do so. It will only continue to be profitable enough if I charge fair and reasonable prices for my services.
You are going to have a number of expenses. It costs money to have an online gallery (I use Printroom.com, $99 a year). You have a $1000 camera that has a life of around 100,000 shutter actuations (I shoot, on average, about 1000 images at a typical event). Lenses, flashes, batteries and compact flash all have a limited lifespan too. And what about adding a lens some day to do an even better job for your clients? Or adding services like on-site printing so they can enjoy it even more.
Now I don't do sports league events, but I think from what I know about them that you will find that the bulk of the sales during the season are T&I shots (Team and Individual posed commemorative portraits). Action shots do not sell as well until season end because parents wait until late to see what shots you got throughout the season. Tournaments and playoffs are your best action shot sales opportunities. On-site sales can be a big part of the business, but costs a lot as you have to hire someone to handle the sales and printing while you do the shooting, plus need additional equipment.
An agreement should be signed between yourself and the organizer. It spells out both parties' responsibilities to the other, as I'm sure you know. In most cases, a photographer will want exclusivity, as much as they can get. This is because there will be others who try to edge into the game, if there's no agreement in place. Even on public property, an organizer can restrict who comes and shoots commercially at their events.
And, it's a fair exchange. There are a number of beneficial reasons for an organizer to sign such an agreement, too. Through you, they are offering a service to their "customers". The agreement insures that service will be available and consistent. Also, there can be safety considerations, which a photographer needs to adhere to. For example, the organizer may allow only the "pro" they hire to use flash, or to have access to certain areas. A crowd of parents with cameras at the wrong place could be a disaster in the making, or all them firing their flashes at once blinding the participants.
Your signature lists your "feeble gear assortment", giving me a bit of a clue how you feel about it. Actually, your kit is more than many people starting out have to work with at events. You'll need a flash and, probably, a monopod. Eventually you might want a second camera body to insure you aren't "out of action" at just the wrong time, or that you will be able to use one with a long lens, the other with a shorter one. For T&I shots, you might want more advanced lighting equipment, and/or backdrops. For on-site work, it can range from a laptop and an inkjet to a small computer network and dye-sub printers.
I don't use passwords on my event galleries. The are more of a hindrance and hassle to people wanting to browse the images and I've never had a single complaint in the three plus years I've been online with them.
Please think about it. What you offer as a photographer has value. Charge fair and reasonable prices. If, at the end of the year you have a bit of profit, no business needs that require some reinvestment, and plenty of income to live on from other sources... then you might choose to make a reasonable donation to the league to help them in coming years.
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