BFA News

August 29, 2020

WBSC Academy unveiled: Executive Board applauds new e-learning platform, a key tool to grow baseball & softball around the world

PULLY, Switzerland; 28 August 2020 -- The WBSC Executive Board (EB), meeting online for the second time in two months, gave their unanimous approval to the WBSC Academy, the international governing body's new e-learning platform, which was presented to EB members on Thursday.

 

The WBSC Academy, which is planned to be officially online by the end of October, will help facilitate Athletes, Coaches, Officials and National Federations to perform efficient self-learning of the various topics related to Baseball, Softball and Baseball5.

 

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: "With this new tool, users will have the possibility to consume knowledge on demand, which is becoming even more essential considering the circumstances the world currently finds itself in."

 

President Fraccari opened the EB meeting by informing the members that despite the complicated situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the WBSC is managing to keep the pace of work high and is advancing on many projects, which will set the organisation in good stead for the future.

 

"We are taking advantage of this forced pause from our normal activities to restructure our departments and operations with the goal to be more modern and agile to tackle the upcoming challenges of the new normal that is awaiting us," President Fraccari said. "This pandemic situation taught us that we can stay in even closer contact and create new synergies to move forward and collaborate better even without being physically together."

 

Two new Baseball and Softball Working Groups, which have been created to come up with new ideas and proposals on how to organise WBSC events in the future taking into consideration COVID-19 health and safety measures, were presented to the EB.

 

President Fraccari acknowledged that the global health situation is still difficult and serious but gave the example of the Mexican Prospect League, which is being played in a bubble and broadcast on www.gametime.sport, as a potential example for future WBSC events.