A new era in baseball education: MLB First Pitch class kick-starts talent plan in Hainan

MLB signed a memo of understanding and cooperation with Haidian Foreign Language Academy and Boao Culture and Creativity Institute on Nov 15 during Boao Culture and Creativity Week. Both parties are planning detailed discussions and creative cooperation concerning the Chinese baseball talent development program.

On Nov 16, the first MLB First Pitch class began at the Hainan branch of Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Experiment School. Coaches from MLB Development Center conducted basic baseball training sessions and taught a baseball knowledge class to the school kids.

The aim of the MLB First Pitch class is to facilitate China's baseball education and to allow more Chinese teenagers to have professional baseball training. It will also help baseball enter the school sports education system in China and expand the Chinese baseball population.

With the support of Boao Culture and Creativity Institute, MLB baseball classes will enter more schools in Hainan. In the future, both parties will work together to bring more quality baseball events here, which boost baseball's popularity in Hainan, facilitate the development of better local talent development systems and build a stronger baseball industry ecosystem.

In terms of Hainan's baseball development, Tony Qi, managing director of MLB China, believes the establishment of Hainan Free Trade Port has given great support to the sports industry. Hainan has issued a five-year plan to develop a national sports tourism pilot zone this year. The province plans to achieve the goal through 10 measures, including building facilities and staging sports events. Hainan's climate is also favorable for baseball development. Through introducing more baseball training programs and sports events, Hainan can nurture a new model of combining tourism and baseball. Meanwhile, Hainan is trying to introduce baseball into its school sports system, which will further increase the baseball population in the province.