WBSC Europe Little League Webinar: fostering collaboration for Youth Development of Baseball and Softball in Europe

The event drew participation from 20 individuals representing nine countries, with the presence of Beata Kaszuba-Baker, Little League Regional Director for Europe-Africa, adding depth to the seminar.

The informative session provided an overview of Little League, shedding light on its organizational structure. Noteworthy examples were presented, illustrating how countries such as Czechia and France have harnessed the flexibility offered by Little League to tailor their respective Little League programs.

The recording of the webinar is available here on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.

Kristian Palvia, sharing his thoughts on the webinar, remarked, "All in all, I think it was a good starting point for further discussion and information on how Little League and the Federations in Europe can work together for the development of youth baseball and softball."

Key focal points of the webinar included elucidating opportunities available to European National Federations when integrating Little League resources into their existing baseball and softball programs. Little League, being the world's largest organized youth sports organization, offers resources, including online training tools for coaches, umpires, and administrators. Specific coaching resources such as the Diamond Leader Program and Tee Ball Practice Plans from Little League University were highlighted.

Little League® and the World Baseball Softball Confederation Europe (WBSC Europe) recently signed a five-year agreement to continue to their efforts around growing the game of baseball and softball throughout Europe.

This collaboration encourages participating countries to register all their youth teams, with an annual chartering fee capped at $150 per country, irrespective of the number of teams chartered. This partnership aims to bolster financial resources for WBSC Europe's youth development initiatives, with the understanding that the more teams that align with Little League, the greater the support for youth development through this innovative agreement.

The WBSC Europe Little League Webinar served as a platform for fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and outlining practical steps for the collective advancement of youth baseball and softball across Europe.

Cover photo by Glenn Gervot