Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n A Roster That Reflects Where the Game Is Going<\/strong><\/p>\n Big League Chew announced its 2026 Big League Crew on March 18, bringing together five ambassadors who collectively touch youth baseball, women\u2019s professional baseball, elite softball, and the entertainment side of the sport. The group includes Mo\u2019ne Davis, Savannah Bananas umpire Vincent Chapman, MLB Play Ball Ambassador Coach Ballgame, professional softball player Jocelyn Alo, and women\u2019s baseball player and coach Val Perez.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery member of our 2026 Big League Crew embodies the joy, grit, and playful spirit of the game,\u201d<\/strong> said Brian Bailey, CEO of Big League Chew.<\/p>\n The selections reflect where youth and amateur sports culture is increasingly focused: crossover appeal, women\u2019s athletics, and fan experience.<\/p>\n Mo\u2019ne Davis and the Women\u2019s Baseball Pipeline<\/strong><\/p>\n Davis first became a national figure in 2014 at age 13 when she became the first girl to win and pitch a shutout at the Little League World Series, leading Philadelphia\u2019s Taney Dragons. She appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated that same year. After graduating from Hampton University in 2023, where she played softball, Davis pursued broadcasting with ESPN\u2019s Little League coverage and joined the Women\u2019s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) in 2025.<\/p>\n Her trajectory from Little League standout to professional women\u2019s baseball player maps a pathway that didn\u2019t exist a decade ago. For youth sports operators, her presence on the ambassador roster ties one of the most recognized names in youth athletics directly to a growing segment of women\u2019s professional sports.<\/p>\n Savannah Bananas Connections Run Deep<\/strong><\/p>\n Three of the five ambassadors have ties to the Savannah Bananas organization. Vincent Chapman serves as the team\u2019s official umpire, known for his signature dance moves and fan engagement style. Val Perez is Head Coach of Banana Ball\u2019s Firefighters and a member of the US Women\u2019s National Baseball Team. Jocelyn Alo became the first softball player to earn a spot on the Bananas roster.<\/p>\n The concentration of Bananas-affiliated talent in the lineup underscores how central the organization has become to sports entertainment culture. For a brand built on fun and nostalgia, the alignment is straightforward.<\/p>\n Alo and Coach Ballgame Anchor the Youth and Softball Angles<\/strong><\/p>\n Alo, a native of Hauula, Hawaii, holds the NCAA Division I all-time career home run record. She is a two-time NCAA D1 Softball National Champion, the 2022 WCWS Most Outstanding Player, and currently competes for The Bandits in the AUSL league and Team USA. In 2023, Forbes named her to its 30 Under 30 list and Sports Illustrated recognized her as Female Athlete of the Year.<\/p>\n Coach Ballgame, whose real name is James Lowe, has spent two decades as MLB\u2019s Play Ball Ambassador, coaching hundreds of thousands of kids globally. His grassroots presence in youth baseball gives the ambassador class a direct connection to the participation side of the sport.<\/p>\n What It Means for the Youth Sports Brand Landscape<\/strong><\/p>\n Big League Chew\u2019s ambassador strategy leans heavily on personalities who bridge professional sports and youth culture. The brand, which launched in 1980 and has sold over one billion pouches, continues to expand beyond gum into licensed apparel, snacks, and collectibles. By attaching its identity to athletes and figures who resonate across age groups and gender lines, the company is positioning its licensing and retail business around cultural relevance rather than a single sport or demographic.<\/p>\n For youth sports brands evaluating ambassador and influencer strategies, the mix here is worth studying: proven youth appeal, women\u2019s sports momentum, and entertainment crossover, all in one class.<\/p>\n Source: Big League Chew Press Release, March 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n YSBR provides this content on an \u201cas is\u201d basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.<\/p>\n About Youth Sports Business Report<\/strong><\/p>\n Youth Sports Business Report<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is the\u00a0largest and most trusted source<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0youth sports industry news<\/strong>, insights, and analysis covering the $54 billion\u00a0youth sports market<\/strong>. Trusted by over\u00a050,000 followers<\/strong>\u00a0including industry executives, investors, youth sports parents and\u00a0sports business professionals<\/strong>, we are the premier destination for comprehensive\u00a0youth sports business intelligence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Our core mission:\u00a0Make Youth Sports Better<\/strong>. As the\u00a0leading authority<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0youth sports business reporting<\/strong>, we deliver unparalleled coverage of\u00a0sports business trends<\/strong>,\u00a0youth athletics<\/strong>, and emerging opportunities across the\u00a0youth sports ecosystem<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Our expert editorial team provides authoritative, in-depth reporting on key\u00a0youth sports industry<\/strong>\u00a0verticals including:<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a\u00a0sports industry executive<\/strong>, institutional investor,\u00a0youth sports<\/strong>\u00a0parent, coach, or\u00a0sports business<\/strong>\u00a0enthusiast,\u00a0Youth Sports Business Report<\/strong>\u00a0is your most reliable source for the\u00a0actionable sports business insights<\/strong>\u00a0you need to stay ahead of\u00a0youth athletics trends<\/strong>\u00a0and make informed decisions in the rapidly evolving\u00a0youth sports landscape<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Join our\u00a0growing community of 50,000+ industry leaders<\/strong>\u00a0who depend on our\u00a0trusted youth sports business analysis<\/strong>\u00a0to drive success in the\u00a0youth sports industry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Stay connected with the pulse of the\u00a0<\/em>youth sports business<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 where industry expertise meets actionable intelligence.<\/em><\/p>\n Sign up for the biggest newsletter in Youth Sports \u2013 Youth Sports HQ<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The best youth sports newsletter in the industry\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Follow us on LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Follow Youth Sports Business Report Founder Cameron Korab on LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n Introducing\u00a0Play Up Partners<\/a><\/strong>, a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.<\/p>\n Play Up Partners<\/a>\u00a0is a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.<\/p>\n Youth sports represents one of the most engaged and passionate audiences in sports marketing. With over 70 million young athletes and their families participating annually, the youth sports industry offers brands unparalleled access to motivated communities with strong purchasing power and loyalty.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve done the heavy lifting<\/a>\u00a0to untangle the complex youth sports landscape so our brand partners can engage with clarity, confidence, and impact. Our vetted network of accredited youth sports organizations (from local leagues to national tournaments and operators) allows us to create flexible, scalable programs that evolve with the market.<\/p>\n Every partnership we build is rooted in authenticity and value creation. We don\u2019t just broker deals. We craft youth sports marketing strategies that:<\/p>\n We\u2019re positioning youth sports as the most desirable and effective platform in sports marketing. Our mission is simple:\u00a0MAKE YOUTH SPORTS BETTER<\/strong>\u00a0for athletes, families, organizations, and brand partners.<\/p>\n Common Questions About Youth Sports Marketing<\/p>\n Where can I sponsor youth sports?<\/strong>\u00a0How do I activate in youth sports?<\/strong>\u00a0What is the ROI of youth sports marketing?<\/strong>\u00a0How much does youth sports sponsorship cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n We have answers. Reach out to\u00a0info@playuppartners.com<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to learn how\u00a0Play Up Partners<\/a>\u00a0can help your brand navigate the youth sports landscape.<\/p>\n Youth sports organizations:<\/strong>\u00a0Interested in partnership opportunities? Reach out to learn about our accreditation process.<\/p>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source youthsportsbusinessreport.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Key Takeaways Big League Chew names five brand ambassadors for 2026, spanning youth baseball, professional softball, women\u2019s baseball, and entertainment Mo\u2019ne Davis, the first girl to win and pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series, headlines the class Jocelyn Alo, the NCAA Division I all-time career home run leader, became the first softball […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2349234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2349233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Big-League-Chew-Builds-2026-Ambassador-Roster-Around-Baseball-Softball.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2349233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2349233"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2349233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2349235,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2349233\/revisions\/2349235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2349234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2349233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2349233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2349233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/youthsportsbusinessreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Youth-Sports-Business-Report-YSBR-Journal-News-Kids-Parents-NIL-Big-League-Chew-3.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/youthsportsbusinessreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Youth-Sports-Business-Report-YSBR-Journal-News-Kids-Parents-NIL-Big-League-Chew-5.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/youthsportsbusinessreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Youth-Sports-Business-Report-YSBR-Journal-News-Kids-Parents-NIL-Big-League-Chew-4.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/youthsportsbusinessreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Youth-Sports-Business-Report-YSBR-Journal-News-Kids-Parents-NIL-Big-League-Chew-1-2.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\n\n
\n
\nAre you a brand looking to tap into the world\u2019s most passionate fanbase\u2026 youth sports?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
About Play Up Partners<\/h3>\n
Why Sponsor Youth Sports?<\/h3>\n
What Does Play Up Partners Do?<\/h3>\n
Our Approach<\/h3>\n
\n
Our Vision<\/h3>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/youthsportsbusinessreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-47.png?resize=500%2C281&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n