GROUND RULES: In baseball, the rules do not specify the exact dimensions of the field, such as the length of the foul lines or the height of the fence. For this reason, both teams agree with the referees before the start of the game on the Ground Rules, which take local conditions into account.
Source: Wikipedia
The German Baseball and Softball Association (DBV), together with its national associations, is taking a clear position on diversity and anti-discrimination. In addition, the DBV’s cooperation partners have also committed themselves to these goals in their work with young talent. These include in particular the German Baseball Academy (DBA), which organises and supervises the youngest national team (U12) and the subsequent junior national team (U15) in the baseball sector.
Based on the dsj concept of junior ambassadors (see: http://www.dsj.de/), the DBV has launched the programme for “junior ambassadors in the anti-discrimination field”. “Junior Ambassadors take an attitude. They stand up for something that is important to them. You help to shape, become active and convince others of your point of view. Junior Ambassadors are young people who voluntarily take responsibility for social and (sports) political issues with which they identify. They represent the interests of children and young people and initiate their own projects in their sports clubs and associations” (see: Orientation Framework for Junior Ambassadors in German Sports Youth).
The program is supported by the DOSB’s Innovation Fund Sport Development 2019/2020. Implementation is the responsibility of the youth organisation of the DBV, the German Baseball and Softball Youth (DBJ).
Within the framework of the program, the junior ambassadors acquire knowledge and skills that enable them to position themselves on the topic of anti-discrimination, especially with regard to the age groups U12/U15, and to carry the message of diversity and fairness to the young athletes in the German Baseball and Softball Association. At the same time, the position of the association as a whole on the subject of anti-discrimination will also be consolidated within the structures (member associations and clubs).
“We are firmly convinced that the programme will enable us to communicate the topic of anti-discrimination “top-down” within the junior sport more effectively through the Junior Ambassadors. Through the “peer-to-peer” approach, i.e. learning and experiencing at eye level, the content and values of adolescents or young adults who are associated with baseball/softball and whose life reality is much closer to that of children and adolescents will be conveyed more credibly. We expect this to increase the effect and added value for the project. (Thomas Bieth, Chairman of the Board of the German Baseball and Softball Youth)
As ambassador, Julius Spann (pitcher of the German national baseball team) has agreed to support the junior ambassadors in their training and to continue to represent the topic as a multiplier.
In addition to full-time employees of the DBV (management and staff as well as coaches in junior competitive sports) and the presidium, volunteer representatives of the German baseball and softball youth as well as of member associations and clubs are involved in the programme.