Little League participation on the rise post-COVID-19

By MAX RALPH
Associated Press

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Little League International says participation in its baseball and softball leagues was up this season, and team managers are optimistic about another bump next year coming off the first full-scale Little League World Series since the pandemic. After the number of participating teams dropped 7% from 2020 to 2021, mostly because of COVID-19, the organization saw a 17% rebound this season, Little League spokesman Kevin Fountain told The Associated Press on Thursday. Little League’s baseball and softball programs now reach approximately 2 million children in 80 countries, he said. The growth comes amid a push by Major League Baseball to reach young fans by encouraging bat flips and engaging them on TikTok, among other initiatives.