Europe: Baseball5 takes the game to Northern Germany

Europe: Baseball5 takes the game to Northern Germany
03/11/2021
WBSC regional instructor Benjamin Kleiner introduced the game in the state of Hamburg-Schleswig-Holstein.

WBSC Regional instructor Benjamin Kleiner introduced northern Germany to Baseball5 during an event hosted by the Regional Federation of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein in Luetjensee, a town 40 miles north of Hamburg.

Kleiner introduced the five-on-five version of baseball/softball to 40 players representing six different clubs. After the first contact with the new discipline, the players were split into eight teams and started competing.

The goal of the initiative is to increase participation in baseball/softball through Baseball5.

The launch of an urban, five-on-five discipline has been a boost to baseball and softball development, particularly in Africa and Europe.

Baseball5 -- WBSC’s new youth-focused, mixed-gender, urban discipline -- is fully in line with the Agenda 2020+5 of the International Olympic Committee (IOC. Requiring only a ball to play, Baseball5 will make its Youth Olympic Games debut at Dakar 2026 in Senegal, Africa as the first ever mixed-gender team sport.

Cover photo by Jeanette Anneberg.