Little Leaguers® across the globe run out onto their local Little League® fields, ready to make a game-saving play or hit a walk-off home run. To give themselves an added boost of confidence, or a little bit of luck, many have a game-day ritual. During the 2025 season, Little League’s Official Sunscreen Partner, Banana Boat®, an Edgewell Personal Care brand, celebrated these on and off-field moments with their “Little League Rituals, Big League Fun” Contest and Sweepstakes, giving Little Leaguers and their families the chance to submit how they get ready for game day.
After more than 250 submissions, Banana Boat and Little League selected the top five rituals to be featured on the landing page for a fan vote. Receiving the most votes was East Mesa (Ariz.) Little Leaguer, Colton Bomar, who honors his late father every time he steps onto the diamond.
When Colton was five years old, his father passed away. Now, every season, Colton irons “JB #32” onto his sleeve, which is his father’s initials and jersey number from his days as a youth athlete. Over the years, Colton has added to his gameday ritual and now writes “dad” on the side of his cleats and throws a kiss up to heaven before taking the batter’s box.
As the winners of the contest, Colton, plus Little Leaguers from East Mesa LL and Skyline LL (Mesa, Ariz.) got to participate in the grand prize – a clinic hosted by Miguel Montero, former two-time MLB All-Star (2011, ’14) and 2016 MLB World Series champion MLB World Series Champion. It was a night of fun on the field, and lifelong memories were made. In addition to the top prize, the four runner-up leagues received a $1,000 grant on behalf of Banana Boat. The leagues that received the grant are:
- Mount Hood Little League (Portland, Oregon)
- Southeast Portland Little League (Portland, Oregon)
- Conway Little League (Orlando, Florida)
- Upper Providence Little League (Oaks, Pennsylvania)
As a nonprofit, mission-based organization, for more than 75 years, Little League Baseball and Softball has partnered with major corporations on a national level to help fill needs felt by families and communities, keep the costs for our local Little Leagues to a minimum, offer unparalleled benefits to those member leagues, support the social impact initiatives of the organization and its local communities, and provide the necessary funding and resources to support local leagues at the grassroots level. Sponsors help Little League International give back to their community leagues to help volunteers provide memorable experiences for children in their community, provide training resources for coaches, offset expenses for educational initiatives, offer grant programs for leagues in need, assist in supporting tournament costs, and provide opportunities and knowledge in fundraising, operations, nutrition, and safety. In short, sponsors provide access and opportunities so that local leagues may offer the best programs possible, helping ensure that players and volunteers can have a fun and rewarding Little League experience while supporting their community.
To learn more about what Banana Boat can offer to local leagues, as well as what all of Little League’s Official Sponsors can provide, visit LittleLeague.org/Sponsors.
About Banana Boat®
As a trusted leader in sun protection, Banana Boat has been protecting the fun since 1976. Banana Boat believes the best moments are spent outdoors under the sun – which is why the brand stands committed to developing reliable suncare products that last as long as the fun does. Banana Boat’s dedication to safety and high-quality sunscreen means guaranteed sun protection that you can trust every day. Whether spray, lotion or stick, Banana Boat products easy-to-apply products are designed with one idea in mind: to help you and your family enjoy every moment outdoors. For more information, visit bananaboat.com, and follow Banana Boat on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok.