One of the first steps in growing the game globally is to introduce the game to those who have never previously been acquainted.

Major League Baseball’s First Pitch program is a grassroots initiative to create a compelling experience that inspires individuals to want to participate in baseball or softball regularly, growing not only participation but also a love for the game across the world.

Currently being implemented across three cities and in more than 300 schools in India, First Pitch has aims to increase participation in the country by taking advantage of the unsaturated baseball market, one that has a focus on bat-and-ball sports in particular through its affinity for cricket, and one with a massive population to pull from.

India

India’s First Pitch program operates in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, with the help of six coaches, three city managers and three city leaders. It takes place during the school season and throughout summer and winter holidays. The program creates participation in the sport through development opportunities, assistance in training local coaches, and market research. The pillars of market development in the country begin by increasing participation through First Pitch, then continuing to grow interest in the game with additional baseball content, and responding to demand with live events.

Mexico

In Mexico in 2017, First Pitch focused on former MLB experiences through a Mexico City tour. It travelled through 11 districts and had more than 350,000 attendees. In 2019, the First Pitch program in Mexico evolved into a school tour. The first move was to promote and push the game among kids, reaching more than 150,000 students and families across 10 states and 30 schools during the calendar year.

First Pitch clinics

As the program moves forward in Mexico, its next steps include delving into high schools and colleges, as well as exploring other private institutions. The implementation of MLB First Pitch clinics are also on tap for the future in Mexico. The clinics, wherever they are carried out, are designed specifically to attract new participants to the game, getting bats, gloves and balls into their hands while offering an opportunity to participate in an enjoyable activity.

The concept of MLB’s First Pitch clinics is also a way for everyone to benefit. Clinics are assets to the hosts, making baseball beneficial to all parties involved, including but not limited to schools, clubs, participants, education bureaus, the broader community and MLB. One goal of First Pitch is to eventually drive baseball into physical education curriculums, so as to automatically increase the youth population of participants in the game.

First Pitch’s current focus is at the elementary school level, with a vast amount of space and opportunity to increase new participants within the age group. Elementary students are prime candidates to participate. With more time available to them than might be as they get older, they're at a good age for character-building opportunities, they'll have an easier chance to form teams, and children and their parents are more likely to engage together.