The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has provided the latest info and procedures concerning its development programmes with the publication of the 2022-2024 edition, in English and Spanish.
The WBSC Development Programmes 2022-2024 focuses on two main areas: 1) athletes and sports development, and 2) management and promotion.
"Programmes that give priority to athlete development, training of coaches, educating sports administrators and general promotion of our sport are considered key initiatives to achieving our collective goals," wrote WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari in his opening message.
Athletes and sport development programmes include support grants for elite athletes, teams, coaches, umpires, scorers and technical commissioners. They also have technical courses for coaches, umpires and technical commissioners, and the support to develop a national coaching structure.
The WBSC provides the National Federations and Continental Associations with technical and financial assistance under their needs and respecting their athletes' different stages of development.
The management and promotion programmes include management, administration and sports promotion support.
The management and administration area focuses on grants to strengthen the National Federations' and Continental Associations' operational structure, training courses for sports administrators, grants to develop baseball/softball academies and playing facilities.
The sports promotion area focuses on school and community projects, provision of technical equipment and starter kits.
The manual aims to guide National Federations and Continental Associations through the details of the WBSC's development programmes and make them familiar with the procedures to access grants and the WBSC approval process of requests.
"I am confident that the new international development structure, along with the introduction of standardized request forms for each programme, will make the process more efficient and facilitate National Federations and Continental Associations in accessing development grants, which will help secure our sport's ongoing growth and future for years to come," President Fraccari wrote on a final note.
