Little League International

Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in 1939 and alive all over the world today, Little League brings premier, first experiences in teamwork to millions of children in more than 80 countries. Driven by our purpose to positively impact youth and communities with a vision that as the world’s preeminent and most respected youth sports organization, we will inspire and shape future generations, Little League is the heartbeat of communities. The organization provides baseball and softball experiences for children ages 4-16; and, an adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges from 4 years old through adulthood.

Little League was first established when founder Carl E. Stotz had the innovative spark to create a baseball experience that was formatted for children to have fun, learn teamwork, and come together in their community to learn life lessons. In the more than 80 years since that first Little League season was played by 30 children supported by dedicated volunteers, including Mr. Stotz, the core values and mission of Little League International has only been strengthened.

Little League continues to live its mission in believing in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities. And, we are proud to still be headquartered in our founding city of Williamsport, PA, home of the iconic Little League Baseball World Series.

Driven by our core values of Teamwork, Community, Inclusion, Fun, and Integrity, Little League has five additional offices in the United States (Eastern, Central, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western) and four International locations (Canada, Europe & Africa, Latin America & Caribbean, and Asia Pacific), strategically located to support our region operations and facilities. The nearly 100 full-time staff at Little League International at these locations are dedicated to supporting our more than 1 million volunteers who bring the Little League program to life for millions of children in their communities.

In addition to providing first-class service to our volunteers and families, Little League International prides itself on its integrity and inclusion, bringing safety to the forefront of the youth baseball and softball experience. The organization supports nearly 6,500 local programs with the educational resources, strategic vision, and resources needed to grow our program from our youngest levels of Tee Ball and Coach Pitch to our teenage levels at the Junior and Senior League divisions of baseball and softball.

Each summer, the Little League season culminates with the most premier tournament play in all of youth sports. Local community teams compete in the Little League International Tournament, which crescendo to the seven Little League World Series events showcasing our core values. With more than 350 games broadcast on ESPN platforms, the Little League Baseball World Series (Williamsport, PA); the Little League Softball World Series (Greenville, NC); the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series (Livermore, CA); the Junior League Baseball World Series (Taylor, MI); the Junior League Softball World Series (Kirkland, WA); the Senior League Baseball World Series (Easley, SC); and, the Senior League Softball World Series (Lower Sussex, DE) provide unmatched experiences that lead to memories lasting a lifetime for children from around the world.

Alongside the baseball and softball leagues, the organization also runs the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum in Pennsylvania which houses an extremely rare, complete uniform worn by Babe Ruth – the only one on display in the world.

Since the first Little League game played in 1939, more than 40 million children have benefited from the life lessons learned on the Little League field to become accomplished citizens throughout the world, as public officials, professional athletes, award-winning artists, and a variety of influential members of society. Under the guidance of the Board of Directors, Little League International is committed to the continued focus on innovation and strategic growth to support increasing access to our program and to provide quality experiences for players, families, and volunteers – inspiring generations of Little Leaguers.