Youth interest in organized sports, especially baseball, has been fading so rapidly in recent years that even big league officials have taken notice.
This, at least, is according to articles in the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Time, Forbes, The Atlantic and numerous other highly respected print and online journals.
They say it’s the game’s slow pace as compared to football, basketball and, of course, tech games that has caused today’s kids to turn away from the traditional recreational pursuits of their parents and grandparents.
And yet, there’s the Berlin Little League, which had more than 500 kids sign up for Little League baseball and softball this year. That’s astonishing, considering the hand-wringing going on about the apparent inability of youth sports organizers elsewhere to keep young ballplayers rounding the bases.
Obviously, Berlin is doing something differently. Since there’s no way to know how other areas are promoting the sport, we can only look at what Berlin does and hope other communities take note.
Berlin’s teams have the support of not just the community, but of the entire area. Everyone roots for them.
Berlin’s teams play baseball for the sheer joy of it.
The organization welcomes everyone and finds a place for everyone. It teaches, it encourages and its teams win. That’s a powerful draw for any kid.
Other jurisdictions might find the answer to their problems by looking at what makes Berlin Little League so successful. In the meantime, all we can say is let’s go play some baseball. We’re behind you all the way.
This, at least, is according to articles in the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Time, Forbes, The Atlantic and numerous other highly respected print and online journals.
They say it’s the game’s slow pace as compared to football, basketball and, of course, tech games that has caused today’s kids to turn away from the traditional recreational pursuits of their parents and grandparents.
And yet, there’s the Berlin Little League, which had more than 500 kids sign up for Little League baseball and softball this year. That’s astonishing, considering the hand-wringing going on about the apparent inability of youth sports organizers elsewhere to keep young ballplayers rounding the bases.
Obviously, Berlin is doing something differently. Since there’s no way to know how other areas are promoting the sport, we can only look at what Berlin does and hope other communities take note.
Berlin’s teams have the support of not just the community, but of the entire area. Everyone roots for them.
Berlin’s teams play baseball for the sheer joy of it.
The organization welcomes everyone and finds a place for everyone. It teaches, it encourages and its teams win. That’s a powerful draw for any kid.
Other jurisdictions might find the answer to their problems by looking at what makes Berlin Little League so successful. In the meantime, all we can say is let’s go play some baseball. We’re behind you all the way.