As of July 2024, the construction of China's baseball youth training system is still in a stage of rapid development, and it is expected to be further deepened and improved in 2025. The following are the specific directions and measures based on existing policies and plans:

First, the core objectives

Expand the basic population: Exceed 100,000 youth baseball registrations nationwide by 2025 (about 50,000 in 2023).

Improve the echelon structure: build a complete training chain of "U8-U12 (primary school)-U15 (junior high school)-U18 (high school)-professional youth team".

International competitiveness: Strive to achieve a breakthrough in Asian Games medals by 2030, and the U18 national team will enter the top 20 in the world.

Second, the specific direction of construction

1. Campus youth training system

Primary and Secondary School Popularization Scheme:

By 2025, 500 new "baseball characteristic schools" (about 200 will be added), focusing on the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Beijing, Chengdu and other cities.

Implement the policy of "integration of sports and education", and allow students with baseball specialties to obtain extra points for further education through the results of competitions at or above the provincial level.

League System Upgrade:

The National Youth Baseball League (CNYL) has been expanded to cover all U8-U18 age groups, with plans to cover 30 provincial-level administrative regions for the 2025 season.

Introduce the MLB (Major League Baseball) youth training camp model, and select outstanding seedlings to go to the United States for short-term training.

2. Professional echelon construction

Professional Club Academy:

All 10 teams in the China Baseball Professional League (CNBL) are required to set up U15/U18 echelons to achieve 100% echelon coverage by 2025.

Implement the joint training mechanism of "professional teams and local sports schools", such as the Beijing Tigers and Fengtai Sports School to jointly build the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Youth Training Base".

National Team Reserves:

Establish a U12/U15/U18 level 3 national youth team, and organize at least 2 overseas training sessions every year (mainly to Japan and South Korea).

3. International cooperation and technology introduction

Overseas Resource Integration:

Deepening cooperation with MLB and NPB (Japan Professional Baseball), the "China-Japan Baseball Youth Training Exchange Program" has been launched in 2024, and 200 teenagers will be selected to participate in summer training in Japan in 2025.

Introduced the "USSSA Youth Player Evaluation System" from the United States to establish a database of Chinese youth baseball talents.

Foreign Coaches and Naturalized Players:

By 2025, it is planned to hire 20 Japanese, South Korean and American vocational coaches to settle in key youth training centers.

Explore the naturalization path of Chinese American players (such as Chinese American youth players) to supplement key position talents.

3. Infrastructure and technical support

Site Construction:

In 2025, the goal is to build 300 standard youth baseball stadiums (about 120 in 2023), focusing on filling the gap in the central and western regions.

Promote the "community sharing court" model and reduce the cost of youth use through government subsidies.

Digital Training:

Deploy AI batting/pitching analysis systems (such as Rapsodo and TrackMan) to cover 80% of provincial youth training centers by 2025.

Developed the "China Baseball Youth Training APP" to provide online courses, live broadcasts and data analysis services.

Fourth, existing challenges and countermeasures

Lack of popularity:

Countermeasures: Promote baseball into more primary and secondary school sports elective courses, and cooperate with CCTV sports channels to increase the live broadcast of youth events.

Coach Shortage:

Countermeasures: Complete the qualification certification training of 1,000 grassroots coaches by 2025, and introduce senior coaches from Taiwan to support the central and western regions.

Low Family Involvement:

Solution: Launched a "Family Baseball Experience Day" to lower the threshold for participation through insurance subsidies and equipment rental.

5. Participation of social forces

Corporate Cooperation:

In 2024, MLB China has pledged to invest 120 million yuan in the next three years to support youth development.

Brands such as Anta and Li Ning have launched exclusive baseball equipment lines for teenagers.

Folk Events:

IP events such as the "Panda Cup" and "Cross-Strait Youth Baseball Match" are normalized, and the "Greater Bay Area Youth League" is planned to be added in 2025.

In 2025, the youth training system is progressing as planned, and it is expected that by 2030:

China's baseball youth population is expected to exceed 300,000;

The U18 national team may be able to enter the top 6 in Asia steadily;

The proportion of "self-developed players" in the professional league draft will increase from the current 30% to 60%.

Pay attention to the official website of Baseball No. 1 and the official "China Baseball" to get the latest news, and ordinary fans can participate in the experience through channels such as "MLB China Youth Training Camp".