What it Actually Takes to Reach Williamsport

The Little League World Series hosts twenty teams from across the United States and the world. Where do they start?

Hamilton, Ohio. West Chester, Pennsylvania. Henderson, Nevada. Seoul, South Korea. Léon, Nicaragua. Teams of 12-year-olds from these places and more came together for 12 days to compete for the coveted title of the best little league team on earth. But how do teams from such diverse backgrounds get there? The answer is, it depends on where you’re from. 

The Path is Different for Different Countries

Countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, and Mexico have permanent bids, where their national champions directly enter the tournament. There’s also rotating direct bids. For example, Cuba, Curaçao, Panama, and Puerto Rico have a system where two of these countries are selected automatically. The remaining international slots for the World Series are filled by champions of regional brackets, like Asia-Pacific, Europe and Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean (teams from rotating countries that do not get a direct bid must play through these tournaments). 

How the United States Compares

In the United States, teams must win a district tournament, a divisional tournament in larger states, and then the state tournament. After all that, they compete in a regional tournament to be one of the ten American teams sent to Williamsport. U.S. teams have the longest domestic path, but that also means they don’t have to deal with the headaches of international travel. Teams typically have to win ten to fourteen games in a row against better and better competition. And getting there isn’t even the end. These teams then compete against the best the world has to offer in their most difficult test yet at Williamsport. That means the season is five months long, and that only includes the actual games. These elite players train year round for the opportunity to play at the highest level the young world has to offer. 

Teams Face Heavy Challenges

As someone who played at the Babe Ruth World Series, the 14u equivalent tournament, I know a lot about how hard it is to continue to compete at a high level for such a long time. The tournaments feel neverending, and games blend together as you’re constantly on the move from one town to the next. The summer months are hot (especially at the World Series, hosted in Eagle Pass, Texas, where it was 105+ degrees everyday on turf), intense, and grueling. Being around the same players and coaches is trying for the very best of teams, and in new ways. You may be able to win, but can you do it over and over and over, sleeping away from home, eating on the go, constantly focused on keeping yourself mentally and physically prepared? It’s this period when the chemistry of a team and the leadership of its coaches is tested. I had it easier than these players, though, because I was two years older and my team wasn’t an amalgamation of the best players in an area, so we had months to bond, instead of just a few weeks like these teams.

This much baseball places a lot of strain on the kids and their families. And then they get to Williamsport, where cameras are thrust in their faces and their triumphs and sorrows are broadcast internationally to millions. The pressure ramps up drastically when players feel like they’re not only playing for themselves, but for their whole region or country. Every year I question the ethics of ESPN covering 11- and 12-year-old baseball games.

The Beauty of the World Series

But let’s look on the bright side: Players receive custom gloves, bats, helmets, and other gear, Little League International covers all housing, meals, and travel expenses (something I didn’t get at the Babe Ruth World Series), and players get a once-in-a -lifetime opportunity to play at the highest level possible, all while living and bonding with peers from diverse cultures united  under their love of baseball. My favorite part is how the tournament highlights teamwork, respect, and sportsmanship, setting an example for all youth sports.

The Little League World Series is a complicated, unique, refreshing change in the world of sports. Teams must jump through increasingly small hoops just to get there. This year, Curaçao took home the title. But the real question is, who will be next?