Little League® International believes in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger communities and individuals. Through our divisions of Little League Baseball®, Little League Softball®, and the Little League Challenger Division®, Little League provides opportunities for all children, ages 4 to 16, to have a meaningful experience in approximately 6,500 leagues throughout the United States and in more than 80 countries. Little League Baseball®
Little League Baseball® was founded in 1939, and is the world's first community-based, volunteer-operated youth sports program. The inaugural Little League® season was played in Williamsport, Pa., and since that fateful year, countless neighborhoods and tens of millions of children and volunteers have proudly been members of the program. Little League Softball®
Touting and appreciating the importance of providing a challenging and enjoyable youth sports experience for females, Little League Softball was founded in 1974. Structured similar to the baseball program, softball players are offered a variety of opportunities to participate and benefit from the Little League experience. The Little League Challenger Division® was founded in 1989, and is Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. Any individual with a physical or intellectual challenge may participate. If an individual can participate in the traditional Little League Baseball or Softball program with reasonable accommodations they should do so. The Little League Challenger Division accommodates players ages 4 to 18; or up to age 22 if still enrolled in school. The Senior League Challenger Division accommodates players ages 15 and above (no maximum age).
