White House Tee Ball Initiative refers to efforts
by
President George W. Bush to promote
baseball and softball by allowing youth Tee
Ball events on the grounds of the White House
in Washington, D.C.
. The event was first held in 2001.
In 2001, U.S.
President Bush
initiated what he described as the
White House Tee Ball
Initiative. The purpose was to promote interest in
childhood sports, including
baseball and
softball. According to the White House, the
Tee Ball Initiative promoted "a spirit of teamwork and service for
America's youth."
The plan
was to invite teams from around the United States to play tee ball
at the White
House. Teams were to be selected by the
Little League Baseball
Association.
About tee ball
Tee ball is considered the "the entry sport
to
baseball for young players". Tee ball
associations allow children between the ages of four and eight to
play in their leagues. Generally, tee ball takes less skill than
baseball.
The difference between Tee ball and softball or baseball is that
the child hits the ball off of a tee. The ball is not pitched.
Thus, Tee ball allows a young child to learn the skills of hitting,
catching, running the bases and throwing.
It is estimated that 2.2 million youths play Tee Ball.
List of White House Tee Ball Commissioners
History of White House involvement with baseball
George Washington and his men played a
ball game called "Rounders" at Valley Forge
.
President
John Adams played a game called
"bat and ball".
President
Andrew Jackson played a
ball game called "
one old cat".
President
Abraham Lincoln was
depicted in an 1860
political
cartoon showed Lincoln and his opponents on a baseball
diamond.
President
Andrew Johnson, gave his
White House staff time off from work to go to baseball games.
President
Benjamin Harrison was
the first President to attend a major league game on
June 6 1892 when he saw
Cincinnati beat Washington 7-4.
William Howard Taft was the
first President to throw the
ceremonial first pitch on opening day
on
April 14 1910 for
the Washington Senators. Since then, most Presidents have followed
this tradition.
Woodrow Wilson brought his fiance,
Edith Galt, to the World Series.
Franklin Roosevelt encouraged
Major League Baseball to continue playing ball during
World War II.
Ronald Reagan worked as a radio
announcer for the
Chicago Cubs.
George H. W. Bush
captained the Yale baseball team. A left-handed first baseman, Bush
played in the first
College World
Series.
President George W. Bush was a former managing partner for the
Texas Rangers major league
baseball team.
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