In a normal year thousands would be heading to or watching the Little League World Series and all its drama as teams from around the country and around the world advanced through regionals to eventually make it to the World Championships in Williamsport, Pa.
This year, no dice due to the Pandemic. So how has Little League, one of the most treasured experiences of youth and one of the most traditional events on the calendar, pivoting? We asked Liz DiLullo Brown, Little League Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer to bring us up to date on how the organization is handling such an unusual year. (We will also have Liz’s expanded thoughts on our podcast, which can be heard here)
Little League has become a solid business over the years…what are the best ways that you have been able to stay connected with brands?
Little League International has been very fortunate to have the support of great partners, including brands and other like-minded organizations, through our Official Little League Sponsors, Licensing, and Strategic Partnerships. Where these partnerships really prove to be beneficial is when we collaborate on opportunities that create connection and impact with our local leagues, volunteers, and families. Partnerships provide a mechanism for the organization to keep offsetting our operating expenses and provide strategic benefits to our local programs. For example, we maintain low Local League affiliation (or membership) fees, we provide free resources and support to our volunteers through Little League University, and we create new programs to enhance the Little League experience for everyone involved, such as the T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant, that provides families in need with the funds to support their registration fees, or Sports Connect, which offers specific technology for Little Leagues to manage their local league in their community.
Coming through this unprecedented time, what are a few of the best practices or lessons you have learned and will take away?
Direct communications have always been important, but one thing that we’ve seen and have put into practice is creating messaging that is succinct, directed, and beneficial to our volunteers, families, and fans. We have utilized digital media in new ways, with training webinars on Facebook Live, video messages from our President and CEO, Stephen D. Keener, and digital resources to keep our constituents informed in real time. All of this has been vital and will continue to be a staple in our toolbox moving forward.
Are there companies, or even properties, that you have seen do a good job of engagement without games being played?
This is an amazing time for creativity and innovation. The major sports properties have been extremely creative in connecting with their fans and using their resources to keep engagement high. It has been interesting to see groups like the Junior NBA hold their large-format events through the use of digital and social engagement, as well as USA Baseball sharing their community coaching clinics in a free, virtual format. We’re also excited to see Athletes Unlimited get their inaugural softball season started at the end of August. The NWSL also did an amazing job creating excitement and their ratings proved it.
Obviously, you can’t make up the opportunities that will be lost for kids, and families, that don’t get to take the journey this year to play in Williamsport. What is the message Little League is giving to those kids and families and how is it being shared?
Baseball and softball teach so many life lessons, and one of them is overcoming adversity. There has been no greater test than this year, and working together to stay positive, and healthy, will continue to help our Little Leaguers learn how to battle through these hard times, with better days on the horizon.
While we can understand and appreciate how much families are missing the Little League World Series tournaments, whether that’s in Williamsport, Easley (S.C.), Kirkland (Wash.), or others, our primary focus is for everyone to stay safe and healthy throughout this pandemic. We have heard of many tragic losses within the Little League family due to COVID-19, so we continue to encourage our leagues to follow the safety and health guidelines put forth from their local and state authorities, as well as the best practices that we have distributed, if and when they are able to return to the field.
In addition to that, we continue to encourage our families to stay positive and active. Earlier this spring, we launched a series of Little League Pep Talks, enlisting some notable Little League alumni and friends like Todd Frazier, Jennie Finch, Karl Ravech, Julie Foudy, and more, to share those messages of positivity. We’ve also shared our Backyard Tips and some other at-home skills and drills from our friends at DICK’S Sporting Goods, Easton, MLB, and others, to keep baseball and softball players active at home.
Are there best practices you have seen at the regional level to keep kids engaged during this time? What are some of those best practices that have worked well?
One of the activities that we’ve been encouraged to see is the adoption of our new Little League Sandlot Fun Days initiative. We began rolling out this loosely structured, player-led program earlier this year. As communities continue to try to find ways to bring their kids out to the Little League fields, we’ve seen hundreds of communities implement or begin planning Little League Sandlot Fun Days events, which provide those baseball and softball opportunities without the structure needed to have a typical regular season.
Have you started to come up with creative make good for brand partners going forward? Is that even an issue or is Little League such a stalwart brand that the support has been unwavering, even with no event this year and dollars being challenged across sports?
We are continuing to work with our Official Sponsors to help keep people excited about and engaged with Little League here in August since we won’t have the more than 300 live games broadcast that we typically do. We have developed a calendar of content filled with archival footage, highlights, training tips, photo memories, and more. We’re tying sponsors into this content with programming like home run highlights with T-Mobile, reliving some of our iconic images with a snapshot bracket showdown with social media voting, powered by DICK’S Sporting Goods. We have also worked with Lance to pivot from their coaching award to creating content for the “backyard coach.”
Lastly, what is the message you have given most to people about dealing with these tough times?
The beauty of the games of baseball and softball is that there’s always the next at-bat, the next play in the field, the next game, and the next season. Sure, a strike out or error or tough loss hurts in the moment, but in those moments are opportunities to learn and become a better person and a better teammate – no matter which team you are on at the time. Focusing on the positive now will help us all as we navigate the future, work through the pandemic, and as we hope for safer, healthier days. Together, we will all get through these difficult times as One Team. One Little League.
