Will Lintern
30 Nov 2023
The British Baseball Federation (BBF) has announced that T-Rex T-Ball will be the official format of baseball played by children aged 4-7 in Great Britain.
The BBF, the National Governing Body for baseball in Great Britain has unveiled a new structure for the development of youth baseball across the country.
T-Rex T-Ball, a dinosaur-themed kid's baseball programme developed by Will Lintern, a former national team player and coach, is specifically aimed at girls and boys aged four to seven who are new to the sport.
Will Lintern, Director of Game Development and Dinosaur Experience said “Our vision is to be the best baseball format for children, that catalyses the next generation of baseball players and a larger development pipeline for youth & adult clubs, and the National team. This partnership with the BBF will mean we can help clubs across the country ignite a passion for baseball in the hearts and minds of thousands of children and their parents”.
T-Rex T-Ball is a Dinosaur-themed kids’ baseball programme that started in southeast London in 2021. The sessions blend dinosaurs with a games-based approach to baseball, which resonates equally with parents and children with no prior baseball experience or exposure, and families that are dedicated baseball fans. The sessions are aimed at girls and boys aged 4-7 and focus on developing the skills of hitting, catching throwing and roaring like a dinosaur!
In early 2023 the BBF published its new development plan “Our Future”, which identified the importance of youth baseball as part of its long-term plan for British baseball. Lee Manning, the BBF’s Development Official, said “If we are to develop the sport, we need to ensure that we can identify and develop the potential stars of the future and provide a pathway into clubs and the national GB Baseball programme. T-Rex T-Ball offers our clubs the perfect way to introduce baseball to children at the earliest stage of that pathway and we are extremely excited to partner with an organisation set up by a former player and coach for Great Britain Baseball.”
In 2024 the first year of the partnership, T-Rex T-Ball will support 4-5 clubs in a pilot whilst refining and developing further resources to help scale the programme across the country in future years.
The BBF’s youth baseball structure also includes MLB First Pitch and Little League Minors for eight to ten year olds, Little League Majors for 10-12 year olds and the BBF’s own Super League for players aged 12-18. Anyone aged 14 and up can participate in the BBF Adult Leagues.
For more information on T-Rex T-Ball visit www.trextball.com or email trextball@gmail.com
Further information on the BBF can be found at www.britishbaseball.org.uk/our-future or email youth@britishbaseball.org.uk