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PLAY BALL

Source: PLAY BALL / MLB

New Initiative Will Encourage Participation in All Forms of Baseball

Among All Ages, With a Special Focus on Youth

 MLB and USA Baseball recently announced the launch of their new youth initiative called PLAY BALL aimed to encourage more participation in all forms of the sport among all age groups, but especially youth.

Focus for the new program will primarily be on the various ways baseball can played outside of the traditional organized baseball leagues and tournaments, such as playing catch, stick ball, and Wiffle ball along with participation in skills competitions like “Pitch, Hit, & Run.” Players, parents, and coaches can also expect to be provided information and resources regarding proper play and instruction as part of the initiative.

“Play Ball is our largest effort to grow baseball and softball at the grassroots level, particularly among kids.  The program will emphasize not only organized baseball and softball activity, but also the many variations of the game that do not require 18 players, umpires or a diamond,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.

In conjunction with the the program, MLB and USA Baseball launched the PLAY BALL Mobile Coaching App, a free app for coaches at every level. The app will allow users to created customized practice palns, organize team data, utilize Pitch Smart recommendations and more. It also includes a Play Ball Drill Library outlining information for hundreds of drills and information regarding difficulty level, recommended duration, diagrams, and videos. Currently the app is available for download via Google Play and will be coming soon to the Apple App Store.

For more information about the initiative or MLB’s Pitch Smart and Play Sun Smart Programs, visit PlayBall.org.