Character.                         Courage.                         Loyalty.

Founded in 1939, Little League Baseball and Softball is the world's largest organized youth sports program, with millions of players and more than one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. During its 80 years of existence, Little League has more than 40 million honored graduates, including public officials, professional athletes, award-winning artists, and a variety of other influential members of society. Each year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that Little Leaguers display at our seven baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports.

Little League Baseball and Softball is the first organized youth sports program in the world, and was founded in 1939 by Carl E. Stotz, a resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. During the spring of 1939, a total of 30 players formed three teams, and Mr. Stotz along with a collection of volunteers from his neighborhood, embarked on the first season of Little League Baseball. Today, millions of children -- ages 4 to 16 -- on six different continents and scores of countries can attest that baseball, softball and Little League are synonymous.

Mr. Stotz was an avid fan of professional baseball, and along with his admiration for the skill and character of the players of the era, he recognized the intrinsic life lessons that can be gleaned from a sport that relies on individual accomplishment as a primary component of achieving team success. Baseball and softball embody the discipline of teamwork. They challenge players toward perfection of physical skills and bring into play the excitement of tactics and strategy. The very nature of the sports teach that while every player eventually strikes out or is on a losing team, there is always another chance for success in the next at-bat or game.