ISF and World Baseball Softball Confederation Sign MOU

Oct, 30, Lausanne, Switzerland – The International School Sport Federation (ISF) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) have taken an important step forward in promoting school sport worldwide through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Lausanne.

Representing ISF were President Željko Tanasković, Executive Director Hasnae El Ayoubi, and Sport Director Marko Petrič, while the WBSC delegation was led by President Riccardo Fraccari, joined by Chief Operating Officer Marco Ienna and Executive Assistant to the President Victor Isola. The signing ceremony featured opening remarks by both Presidents, followed by the official execution of the agreement, group photographs, and productive exchanges between the two organisations’ teams.

The MoU establishes a strategic framework for collaboration between ISF and WBSC, setting joint objectives to promote baseball/softball education in schools worldwide, including the potential creation of ISF World School Championships , and assess the integration of WBSC disciplines into future editions of the ISF Gymnasiade.

This partnership also builds upon WBSC’s long-standing efforts to engage young people in sport. One of WBSC’s key initiatives, Baseball5, has emerged as a simplified and dynamic version of baseball/softball —particularly suited for schools and urban environments—helping to make the sport more accessible and inclusive for children and communities across the globe.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari highlighted the educational and developmental value of this approach: “The value of this discipline lies in its accessibility — the ball is soft, it is easy to learn and participate, and it can be played anywhere, even inside schools,” he said, adding that the discipline is becoming “a key tool for teachers and communities to grow sport in a fun and safe way through the Baseball5 toolkit.”

From the ISF side, President Željko Tanasković emphasised that Baseball5 perfectly aligns with ISF’s mission to promote accessible and inclusive school sport: “Baseball5 is inclusive and cost-effective, perfectly matching ISF’s vision of accessible school sport,” he said. “ISF is aligned with WBSC and excited about this new partnership. We look forward to planning our first school event together.”

By working together, ISF and WBSC aim to extend the reach of this globally popular team sport to students worldwide. Baseball/softball are games of strategy, teamwork, and impressive skill sets, qualities that resonate deeply with ISF’s commitment to enriching education through sport. The signing of this MoU lays the foundation for expanding opportunities for young people to experience and enjoy baseball/softball within the ISF competition framework—advancing a shared vision of education, inclusion, and growth through sport.