We all share the story of Little League®. And when we add to it, when we make it our own, we make it even better. Since the first Little League game was played in 1939, our program has been the reason that communities around the world come alive.
Little League International started this project over two years ago. As we continue to evolve our program and adapt to our changing society, Little League determined a need to create a simplified, inclusive mission, look, and logo, that celebrated our history, while also looking to the future of our program.
The short answer is no. Little League International encourages districts and local leagues to utilize the new logos if appropriate moving forward, however, you may continue to use the current logos. We do encourage districts and leagues to work through their annual budgets to begin to phase out the old brand and bring in the new brand to your local league’s look and feel when the opportunity presents itself. However, especially in these unprecedented times, we understand that leagues have many other priorities to focus on.
The new brand and the logos are the future of the Little League program. They are to be used to help promote the game and the Little League experience moving forward.
If you are interested in using one of Little League’s logos and/or emblem for something at your local league/district, please email [email protected] and outline how you would like to use the logo.
Little League encourages you to use a logo that represents your community and creates awareness for your program. The logos available to local leagues are a compliment to these logos and can be used if desired to provide an official connection to Little League International. However, you are not required to use these logos.
Local league and district volunteers can download special logos for their programs and districts through the Little League Data Center. In order to access and utilize the new logos, local leagues will be required to watch an instructional tutorial on how to utilize the new logos as well as sign an agreement that those guidelines will be followed.
Leagues will have access to two different logos – a version that uses “Official Program” and one that uses “Official Community.” Districts will be able to download an “Official District” logo that is customized with their state and district number.
Little League International hopes that all our volunteers embrace these new assets, however, we know that, especially in these unprecedented times, replacing logos, marketing materials, and other local district and league items with the new Little League brand assets are not a priority. Little League International will be continuing to provide templates, information, and items that make it easy for our local volunteers to share our new mission, look, and logo with their communities.
For leagues, while both “Official Program” and “Official Community” can apply to many uses for local leagues, the Official Program logo may be useful on business-related items such as letterheads, sponsor agreements, etc. The Official Community logo may be beneficial on marketing-related and public-facing items, such as signage, registration flyers, etc.
Whether your neighborhood has been a part of Little League for many years or this is your first year, the name, “Little League,” and its logos and registered marks provide immediate recognition and credibility to your local league.
As much as being a chartered member of Little League gives identity and prestige to your program, it is important to remember that no local league or district can authorize the transfer or usage of any rights to use the Little League brand to any organization or company not affiliated with Little League International.
Full usage guidelines are outlined prior to downloading the logos on the Little League Data Center, in the Little League’s Official Regulations, Playing Rules, and Operating Policies, and on LittleLeague.org.
These three virtues will continue to be the driving force that guides the Little League experience, and we will use a modern style of communication to convey these ideals. We have redefined what these words mean to Little League and, while we will be using the words differently today, the value of those three words will never be lost.
- CHARACTER is knowing yourself and staying true to your values.
- COURAGE is the ability to act confidently under pressure and in the face of adversity.
- LOYALTY is acknowledging where you come from and representing your community with pride.
Little League International’s goal with the new brand was to create a logo that is inclusive of our entire program, and we’re excited to use our new emblem. Our oval logos have been retired.
While Little League International will utilize our primary logo, we do recognize some instances where each division will need their own logos. A new series of division-specific logos with distinct colors have been developed for internal purposes.
The new Little League Baseball® logo uses a light blue that was created based on the traditional blue that can be found in the iconic Little League Baseball patch that has been a piece of the organization’s rich history for decades. In addition, this rich blue color has been customarily seen in a variety of Little League Baseball signage throughout the years and represents the iconic tradition of the program.
The new Little League Softball® logo uses an orange that is based on the history that was made in the first Little League Softball World Series in 1974, representing the orange jerseys worn by the first champion, Wellswood Little League of Tampa, Florida. Since that year, the Little League Softball program has opened the door to create opportunities to hundreds of thousands of young girls and all started with the historic tournament that took place that summer in Freeport, New York.
Representing the green of the fields where children with physical and intellectual challenges get the opportunity to play the game of baseball and softball, the new Little League Challenger Division® logo portrays the Field of Opportunity that the program provides to thousands of children around the world each year. In addition, the logo displays the green light to every child to ensure they know they are welcome to be a part of the Little League program, no matter what their circumstance may be.
Absolutely. We encourage local Little League programs and districts to use the evolved mission statement, as well as our brand story, to help share what makes the Little League special and distinct. Little League International will continue to work to provide templated language that leagues can simply copy and paste into their website sections in the near future. Please continue to check LittleLeague.org for more resources.
Little League International will be working to update all items used by local leagues to reflect our new brand. Local leagues may continue to utilize items that were previously purchased with the traditional logos but are encouraged to transition items to the new brand look and feel as their budget allows.
While local leagues may continue to utilize the traditional championship banners they have in the past, additional options with the new and modern brand’s look and feel will be made available for local leagues beginning in fall 2020. For a preview of these new banners, please visit the ShopLittleLeague.org.
Yes, templates utilizing the new branding and logos will be made available to local leagues through LittleLeague.org. If you have any questions, or are looking for a specific resource, feel free to email [email protected].
With a new, modern look and a modernized communication approach, Little League International hopes that the new brand and modernized logos will encourage new players and volunteers to join the Little League program while remaining true to the values that this organization was founded upon.
If you are interested in using any of the fonts specific to the new Little League brand, please email [email protected] with a detailed outline of what you plan to use them for.
While there are different logos that are specific to each of the different divisions of play (i.e. baseball, softball, challenger), we encourage you to use the primary Little League logo provided in the Data Center for all uses. Little League’s new primary logo is meant to be all-encompassing of all programs and shows the inclusive nature of the program. If you believe there is a reason you cannot use the primary logo for your need, please email [email protected] with a detailed description of what you are looking to do and which logo you are requesting.
Additional questions
If you have any questions regarding how, as a district or league, you can utilize these additional logos, please feel free to email [email protected].