KREMENETS, Ukraine – The annual Ukraine Little League (LL) Baseball Championship returned to Kremenets, Ternopil Oblast in 2019. The Volyn Lyceum hosted the 20th annual Country Championships on June 2-6 for players age 10 to 12.
Seven all-star teams competed for the right to represent Ukraine at the European Regional Championships in July in Kutno, Poland. A total of 84 players arrived to showcase their skills in the hopes of capturing the Ukraine Little League banner as champions. The Self Reliance (N.Y.) Federal Credit Union once again was the lead sponsor of this event for the children of Ukraine.
Twelve games were played to determine the winner. The Rivne LL all-star team captured a spot in the finals by going undefeated in one group. The other group was led by the Kyiv Baseball School LL, also undefeated.
With each team one game away from a trip to Kutno, the Rivne team jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead but the boys and girls from the Kyiv team rallied and easily won by a score of 11-3. This marked the first time that a Kyiv LL tea has won the LL title. The Kyiv LL team earned the right to represent Ukraine at the European Regionals.
This championship included 20 girls – the most ever in Ukraine LL history. In the final game, the starting catcher and pitcher for Rivne were both females. The LL philosophy is inclusive: every child is allowed to play and compete.
In addition to the many games, the program also included a pitching contest, cultural trips and the much-anticipated lottery full of prizes. Special thanks were given to the Eastern Region of LL, which kindly donated shirts, caps and other goodies for the happy children.
Every child played in every game. Each team visited different cultural sites in the Kremenets region. All boys and girls performed to the best of their ability.
The opening and closing ceremonies were led by Volodymyr Mishko, director of the Volyn Lyceum. The Ukrainian and U.S. national anthems were played as all stood proudly.
Joining the umpire and scoring crew were two U.S. Peace Corps volunteers – Lia McDonald and Corey Ridell. Both served with distinction and were excellent examples of what the United States is all about.
In July, our champions, Kyiv LL, arrived in Kutno with the hope of winning the European Regionals and earning a trip to Williamsport, Pa. The team lost to Netherlands and then defeated Austria to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament. There was still hope. The Kyiv LL then faced England in hopes of continuing, but that was not meant to be. England moved on.
The boys and girls who represented Ukraine in Poland have every reason to be proud of themselves. Each member of the team is a winner. There is much more to learn in order to improve the skills needed to get to the next level, that is to win the Regionals and earn the right to travel to the U.S.
Ukraine LL baseball championship
This writer returned to Ukraine in September to host the first ever Ukraine LL Baseball Championship for children age 8-10. The aim was to encourage schools and communities to teach the basic skills of baseball at an earlier age in Ukraine. In the U.S. there are LL programs starting at the ages of 4 or 5. Eight leagues were invited, including the Internat from Sloviansk near the war zone in eastern Ukraine. The dates were September 19-23 in Kremenets, Ternopil Oblast.
Five out of the eight invited Little League programs arrived in Kremenets to compete for this first championship for younger players. During the season most leagues in Ukraine used t-ball and coach pitch games for the younger players. It was refreshing to see younger arms pitch to batters in Kremenets. As these youngsters continue developing their pitching skills year after year, the results of the Ukraine National teams will improve dramatically in the future.
Opening ceremony at first Ukraine LL Baseball Championship for children ages 8-10 on September 20.
The final game pitted the Kropyvnytskyi LL against the Darnitsia LL. Both teams arrived with 14 players, and each player participated in the game. In the bottom of the 6th and final inning, with Darnitsia was leading 12-9 and two outs. On one side of the field there was the anticipation of the leading team running onto the field to celebrate a victory. The other side was quiet: two outs and no one on base, one strike away from defeat.
Sometimes you just can’t get that third out. I had my i-Pad out set to video to capture the third out. Well, the Kropyvnytskyi batter slammed a base hit to right field. I quickly erased the video. Next batter walked, another erasure. Another hit, a run and another erasure. A walk, a run and the score was 12-11.
Captain of the Kropyvnytsky team holding the Championship trophy September 23.
Now, with runners on second and third bases, with emotions high, the leading team was shaken. The i-Pad was ready as the Darnitsia pitcher uncorked a wild pitch, one run was scored, followed by the winning run as the pitcher dropped the throw from the catcher while he covered the plate. The Kropyvnytskyi LL had done the impossible: the team scored four runs with two outs. All 14 players rushed to home plate to hug the player who scored the winning run. What a great finish! Congratulations were due to both LL programs.
Ms. McDonald from West Virginia and Rachel Lods of California, both U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers, were part of the Ukraine LL staff as a scorer and an umpire. Their service and company were appreciated by both staff and players.
Special thanks were expressed to the California Association to Aid Ukraine as the major sponsor of this event.
Gratitude was also extended to the United Ukrainian America Relief Committee (UUARC) for their donation and to the many individuals who contributed equipment and gifts to the children.
Other baseball news from Ukraine
This past summer, Ukraine’s Ministry of Sports funded four national baseball teams and two national softball teams at various championships – the most ever.
Here are the results: U-12 baseball qualifier, third place; U-18 baseball qualifier, third place; U-23 baseball qualifier, seventh place; European Senior Pool 1, second place; U-16 softball, sixth place; and Women’s Softball European Championship, 18th place out of 23 countries.
It was great to see so many national teams traveling to represent Ukraine in European competitions. I do hope that all the players and coaches watched the better teams and that they will incorporate what they learned into future training sessions. The hope is to improve on these results in 2020.
Anyone interested in more information, offering suggestions, help etc., may contact Basil P. Tarasko, District Administrator Ukraine Little League, at [email protected].