Carlos Pagan began his lifelong journey with the Little League® program in 1958, when he joined the local league located on the Army Base that his family was living on in Germany at the time. After moving back to Puerto Rico, Pagan played for two more years before he graduated from the program and put on his coach’s cap at just 14-years-old. Years later, in 1976, he coached a team all the way to the Little League Baseball® World Series (LLBWS), traveling to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with his Puerto Nuevo-Canales (San Juan) Little Leaguers® to compete for the title and make lifelong memories.
In addition to his role as manager, Pagan spent years serving in different positions from League President to District Administrator, and in 1993 was appointed as the Country Director for Puerto Rico. For his excellent work and commitment to the thousands of Little Leaguers throughout Latin America, Pagan was nominated by his peers and elected to represent the region as a Field Director on the Little League International Board of Directors (1998-2001). After years of volunteering, he began his full-time position as the Latin America Region Director in 1996. Since then, he has led and supported more than 25 countries across the region, and each August, he steps into another important role as the Game Director for all games played on Volunteer Stadium, helping ensure the players and coaches are getting the same exciting and fun experience that he had in 1976.
As the Region Director with a lifelong background in the program, Pagan knows that growing the game is more than just bringing the Little League program to new communities. It’s about creating opportunities for children and their families to experience everything the program has to offer from their local fields to the biggest stage in youth sports. Pagan’s strategic support has led to significant positive growth within the Little League program, including direct entry to the LLBWS for six countries from the Latin America Region; the expansion of the Little League program into Cuba; and the improvement of tournament oversight, which created an equitable playing field across the region.
For his decades of leadership in the program, Pagan was recognized as the recipient of the 2026 President’s Award, presented by Patrick Wilson, Little League President and CEO, as part of the 29th Little League International Congress hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana. The award, presented at Congress events since 1987, recognizes an individual for their friendship, assistance, and leadership to the program.
To learn more about Pagan’s lifelong journey in the program, Little League sat down with Pagan on Volunteer Stadium during the 2026 LLBWS, for a special one-on-one interview.
This feature is part of a series of Little League International Staff Spotlights, highlighting the career journey of the organization’s employees, which began during Little League’s Girls with Game 50 (#GWG50) Celebration (LittleLeague.org/GWG50) in 2024.