MCLL in Africa

MCLL Advances Baseball in Africa

Longtime MCLL Board member and coach Ray Thomas first visited Africa in 2017 -- on a mission to promote baseball and specifically, Little League in Nigeria and Kenya. Thomas and coaches from the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy have traveled to the continent three times since then to counsel District Administrators, recruit and train coaches, provide much-needed equipment and apparel, and work to get players and families excited about Little League -- or as Thomas calls it, “Develop Little League culture.”

Ray believes both Nigeria and Kenya Little Leagues are more organized and closer to being able to field All-Star teams for the Europe-Africa Region. “In part due to our visits, more coaches have been recruited and trained, in particular, on how to prepare for the Little League All-Star season,” he said.

Winning the Europe-Africa Region is a realistic goal for these leagues, says Thomas. “It can be done with proper organization and fundraising for visas and travel. The latter remains a BIG challenge,” he said. Uganda, which borders Kenya, has twice won the Europe-Africa Region and advanced to the Little League World Series. “The bottom line is we are trying to help them grow their Little League programs through our collective experience.”

Covid paused the missions for the last few years, but the group plans another trip in 2023. Travel is funded by the U.S. embassies in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya.

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