SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Little League International says attendance in its baseball and softball leagues has increased this season, and team leaders are optimistic about another bump next year after the first full-scale Little League World Series since the pandemic.
After the number of participating teams fell 7% from 2020 to 2021, mainly due to COVID-19, the organization has seen a 17% rebound this season, the Little League spokesperson said Thursday. , Kevin Fountain, to the Associated Press.
Little League baseball and softball programs now reach about 2 million children in 80 countries, he said. The growth is part of a push by Major League Baseball to reach young fans by encouraging bat jumps and commit them to TIC Tacamong other initiatives.
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This year’s Little League World Series is the first since 2019 to include international teams. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, and only American teams competed last year.
Australia’s representative in the Williamsport area this week was the first LLWS team to come from Brisbane North Little League in Queensland. They were knocked out after two games but are still hoping to have made an impact Down Under.
“Hopefully what we’ve done here will encourage more and more boys and girls to play,” Australia coach Keith Land said. “At home, we already have our registrations for the next season, and the numbers in our region have just exploded. Everyone wants to play again because they read this story.
Youth baseball participation in the United States was constantly increasing pre-pandemic, according to annual surveys from 2013 to 2018 by the Sports Fitness & Industry Association. The Aspen Institute also reported a 3% increase in participation for 6-12 year olds between 2015 and 2018.
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The outbreak seems to have resumed, and not just in the United States
“I’m sure we’ll see an increase in registrations,” Canada manager Ulysses Yan said. “From what I hear back home, it’s all over the news, and people are following and loving it across the country. I just want to hopefully promote baseball in Canada.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, even a local American team making a trip to South Williamsport can stimulate interest.
Hollidaysburg, a town of about 6,000 just 124 miles from the Little League World Series venue, represented the mid-Atlantic region this year. It’s Hollidaysburg’s first team in LLWS history, and they won three games before being eliminated by Texas.
“We talk to a lot of different people who have younger kids and 1 and 2 year olds. Boys, girls – all kinds of different people who are excited to come and be a part of this and see that the dream is possible,” said Hollidaysburg manager Jim McGough. “We’re excited to come home when it’s all over and help the next group be able to make that dream come true as well.”
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Max Ralph is a Penn State journalism student.
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