The World Children’s Baseball Fair – WCBF (世界少年棒球大會), a non-profit organization, was established in 1989 by World Home Run Kings Sadaharu Oh and Hank Aaron along with Dr. Akiko Agishi. The WCBF was established in the interest of fostering an environment of world understanding and cultural exchange through the celebration of baseball, which was an Olympic Medal Sport for the first time in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Recognizing that the sport of baseball promotes teamwork, good health, discipline and friendship, Mr. Oh and Mr. Aaron conceived the idea of the WCBF as a means of creating goodwill and fellowship among the children of the world.

The WCBF inaugural event was held in Los Angeles in 1990 at UCLA and Jackie Robinson Stadium. Today, over 4500 participants, 85 countries, from 5 continents have attended this global event!  This summer, the World Children’s Baseball Fair – North America, The World Children’s Baseball Foundation of Japan, and the City of Kaohsiung, in association with the International Baseball Federation, will host the 21st Annual World Children’s Baseball Fair in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from July 27th to August 4th, 2011. The event will include six baseball clinics, meeting local school kids and sharing in cultural exchange events, and of course interaction with all the WCBF participants from 20 countries/regions.

During the week-long event, the children will have the opportunity to learn the correct, BASIC SKILLS of baseball, with emphasis on fun and participation. This is a time for the children to enjoy and share their love of baseball. The clinics are run by coaches who are selected by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). Regardless of their levels of experience, the kids learn a lot! After the morning clinics, the children and chaperones participate in educational and recreational excursions and activities.

The children (with their chaperones) from all the countries are housed together and this enhances the opportunities for getting to know one another. Cultural and language barriers fade quickly! Every year the only sad occasion is when all these new friends have to say farewell. The kids, chaperones, local hosts, assistant coaches and everyone involved with the event form really tight bonds in this short time and so there are usually a few tears when the time comes to return back to their homes and families far away. But the connections have been made and these kids will forever be changed by this wonderful experience.

Participants can be 10 and 11 years old (at the time of the event), boy or girl, in good health, with good sense of sportsmanship. The participants should love baseball, but any experience level is fine – no special skills are required. (Travel dates will be (tentatively) departure from the USA on July 26, and returning on Aug 4.)

世界少年棒球大會是由日本及美國的全壘打王-王貞治及Hank Aaron兩位，希望將正確的棒球活動推展向全世界。在透過推展活動的同時，可使來自世界各地的孩子們發展良好的友誼及親善關係。在以此動機為出發點 下，1990年於美國洛杉磯開始了第一回的棒球大會。之後每年在日本、美國、加拿大及波多黎各等地不間斷舉行。世界各地的孩子們，透過棒球教室及交流賽， 甚至是超越語言及種族國境的障礙下，仍然得以推展友情並致力於國際親善關係。在各舉辦區得到許多相關人士及志工們的溫暖關心協助下，得以多次舉辦成功的棒 球大會，給了孩子們許多的感動。然而參加大會活動的參賽者裡，在海外也誕生了許多奧林匹克選手及世界棒球經典賽選手。日本國內也有許多參加過的人，現在以 專業棒球選手及高中棒球指導教練身分活躍著。由世界20個國家地區，約185名的青少年男女在高雄市政府及國際棒球聯盟 (IBAF)選出教練指導下參加棒球教室活動。並將國際交流賽中出場的日本隊及臺灣的10隊在高雄市及臺北市舉行交流對戰。希望透過此活動可以對臺灣及高 雄市文化能有更深遠的了解，並希望可與當地居民以親善為目的來舉行各種交流活動。 (7/27-8/4於高雄澄清湖棒球場舉辦第21屆2011年世界少年棒球大會)

For more information: http://www.wcbf.org