The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current, September 05, 2022, Page 13, Image 13

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    September 5, 2022
SPORTS
Little League participation
on the rise post-COVID-19
By Max Ralph
The Associated Press
S
OUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Little League
International said 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.
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.
This year’s Little League World Series (LLWS) was the
first since 2019 to include international teams. The 2020
tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19, and only
American teams competed last year.
Australia’s representative in the Williamsport area in
August was the first LLWS team to come from Brisbane
North Little League in Queensland. They were eliminated
after two games but still hope to have made an impact
Down Under.
“Hopefully what we’ve done here will encourage more
and more boys and girls to play,” Australia manager Keith
Land said. “Back home, we’ve already had our sign-ons for
the next season, and numbers in our region have just
blown up. Everyone wants to play again because they’ve
read this story.”
Youth baseball participation in the U.S. was steadily
increasing pre-pandemic, according to annual surveys
from 2013 to 2018 by the Sports Fitness & Industry
Association. The Aspen Institute also reported a 3%
increase in participation among 6- to 12-year-olds
between 2015 and 2018.
The surge appears to have resumed, and not just in the
U.S.
“I’m sure we’ll see a spike in registrations,” Canada
manager Ulysses Yan said. “From what I hear back home,
it’s all over the news, and people are following and loving
it across the country. Just want to hopefully promote
NWSL’s first free agency period
opens with controversy
By Anne M. Peterson
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13
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LITTLE LEAGUERS. Honolulu’s Esaiah Wong slides into home
plate ahead of a tag by Curacao catcher Emery Hansen during the Little
League World Series Championship baseball game in South Williamsport,
Pennsylvania, on August 28, 2022. Participation in Little League baseball
and softball was up this season. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)
baseball in Canada.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, even a local American team
making a trip to South Williamsport boosted interest.
Hollidaysburg, a town of about 6,000 just 124 miles
away from the Little League World Series complex,
represented the Mid-Atlantic Region this year. It was the
first team from Hollidaysburg in LLWS history, and it
won three games before getting knocked out by Texas.
“We’re talking to a lot of different people that have
younger kids and kids that are 1 and 2 years old. Boys,
girls — all sorts of different people that are excited to come
and be a part of this and see that the dream is possible,”
Hollidaysburg manager Jim McGough said. “We’re
excited to get home when everything’s finished and help
the next group to be able to have this dream as well.”
Editor’s note: The Honolulu team from Hawai‘i won the Little
League World Series Championship game, defeating Curacao 13-3 on
August 28, 2022. Writer Max Ralph is a Penn State journalism student.
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AP Sports Writer
T
he National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
opened its first free agency period last month amid
a dispute over which players are qualified.
Players with expiring contracts and at least six years of
service are eligible for free agency for the first time under
the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The NWSL
put out a list of 26 free agents, including national team
players Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn.
Teams are allowed to negotiate with available players
but cannot officially sign them until November 15.
But the NWSL Players’ Association (NWSLPA) said the
list should include players with an option year on their
current contracts — adding an additional 22 players.
The league said those players aren’t free agents until
teams exercise their options, while the NWSLPA says any
player who has six years of service with a standard player
agreement should qualify.
“As someone who’s been in this league since Day 1, it is
extremely disappointing that the league is trying to
obstruct our right to free agency,” Angel City forward
Jasmyne Spencer said in a statement. “Free agency was
one of the most important issues that we fought for when
negotiating the CBA. Players should have free autonomy
over their careers.”
The dispute will be worked out in arbitration this
month.
“In my first four months as commissioner, we have
worked closely with the NWSLPA to resolve disagree-
ments where possible and have had many instances
where we have found solutions. However, we have always
known that will not always be the outcome, particularly in
a first-ever collective bargaining agreement between the
parties, and that’s why labor agreements typically have
neutral arbitrators to determine interpretation disputes.
We look forward to the resolution of this open question in a
respectful manner,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman
said.
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