The degree of organization in Little League provides a level of competition which so closely resembles major league baseball that children will find themselves becoming immersed in the game. Moreover, for serious young baseball players LL is the environment which has fostered the talents of young ball players since 1939 and which has brought through future MLB players since Joey Jay became the first LL graduate to play in the Major Leagues way back in 1953.

The benefits of little league

Some of these should be obvious. An organized introduction to sport is essential for the health and wellbeing of your children. What might not be so obvious are the lasting impacts that participating in regular sport will have on your child’s confidence and mental wellbeing.

The Department of Health recommends that children get 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Put simply, Little League baseball provides parents with the opportunity to give their children exactly that. It is an easy way to get children active and interacting with other kids in a way which is safe, friendly and (most importantly) great fun. It is also a great way to teach them essential life skills and to do it without them even realizing they are in class!

How to get involved

Clubs and leagues

One of Little league’s major strengths is the fact that across America there are well organized leagues which all follow a universally accepted ethos and rule book. No matter which state you live in it is likely that the nearest team and league is not far away.

Little League Baseball (LLB) is the founding organization of the sport and is now responsible for the huge network of teams and leagues which cater for the nearly three million little league players worldwide.  They have details of all the leagues that operate nationwide and these are available on their website (www.littleleague.org). This is a great way to have a look at your options. You can then pick out a few local teams to get your child involved with and make enquiries with the team itself.

We recommend coming up with a short list getting in contact in advance. This will give you the chance to get a good feel of whether the team is right for your family. You could even try out a couple of different teams at the beginning of the season to make certain that your child is happy where they play.

Little League has a very well thought set of rules to encourage fair participation for children of all levels, so you should find that your kids will have little trouble adjusting to fit into the sport.

Baseball Camps

An alternative way to access baseball provided by LLB is the time honored baseball summer camp. Little League baseball camps have been in operation for almost as long as the league itself and they are a great way to help your child to get into the sport and to encourage them to gain some essential independence as they develop.

Sessions at baseball camps vary in length but typically the camp will last three to five days. The kids stay overnight giving them the chance to meet and interact with new friends while they learn the game (or hone the skills they may already have) under the guidance of competent coaches and counselors.

The camps are extremely modern and now offer youngsters cutting edge analysis of their technique.  The kids have access to professional style sports workouts and evaluations from pro scouts who will be able to provide each individual an insight into how their skills match up with other players across the country. At the end of the camp your child will come away with a personal webpage complete with a highlights video showing their best sessions at camp – how cool is that?

For more information on Little League baseball go to: http://www.littleleague.org