Mr. Szymanski, a native of Kutno, Poland, played a pivotal role in the development and promotion of baseball and softball in his country.
In 1978, Mr. Szymanski was instrumental in the formation and registration of the Polish Baseball and Softball Federation, an organization that continues to operate today. He held various positions within the Federation, including the role of Secretary General.
One of Mr. Szymanski's achievements was the establishment of Poland's first Little League program in 1989. He organized a ceremony in Warsaw, where sitting United States President George H. W. Bush delivered Poland’s first Little League charter certificate.
"Waldemar was the greatest of friends to Little League," said Beata Kaszuba-Baker, Europe-Africa Little League Region Director. “He promoted the Little League program in Poland, and throughout Europe among the national federations. He was always so passionate about Little League and believed our program was the best program for youth development in the world.”
As Little League International was considering various locations for the construction of the European Leadership Training Center, Mr. Szymanski enthusiastically promoted bringing the project to Kutno, his hometown, and the birthplace of Polish baseball.
Kutno will be the home of the U-22 Women’s Softball European Championship from August 5 to 10, 2024
Cover photo by Little League
