The first BaseballSoftballUK LGBTQ+ tournament of 2023 was a festival of colour under the sun, as players descended upon Manchester to celebrate LGBTQ+ inclusion!

This is the seventh year that BBaseballSoftballUK has run LGBTQ+-specific tournaments. Designed to be as inclusive as possible, and with the support and guidance from the LGBTQ+ committee, the goal is to add a new city to the tournament schedule each year, to highlight inclusion and support players and friends from the LGBTQ+ community. The tournament is organised with the help of Lou Englefield from Pride Sports, with all profits benefiting the Youth Pride Games. 

In 2022 Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool hosted the events, with Leeds, Cardiff, and Liverpool following Manchester in 2023. Kellogg’s UK and Ireland have supported the tournament for the last four years with the assistance of Ed Woodcock, one of the tournament participants and a Kellogg’s employee in Manchester. Thanks again to Kellogg's for providing the tournament with their famous snacks!

Luis Arrevillagas commented ‘Thank you to all the teams that came to play - we were especially excited to have the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) softball team joining this tournament for the first time in their first year as a club! People really enjoyed the Kellogg’s goodies and we’re really pleased with their support again this year. These tournaments are not only fun, but a great way to show the inclusivity inherent within softball, and we are so grateful to have such a welcoming, supportive community."

Aimee Dyble, captain of the Titans, a team that has not missed a single LGBTQ+ tournament since their inception in 2016, succinctly added," The Titans absolutely love this tourney!"

The final tournament standings were as follows:

  1. Mayhem Freeze 
  2. Titans
  3. Yorkshire puddings
  4. Stingers 
  5. University of Central Lancashire

The next LGBTQ+ tournament will take place on 16 September in Liverpool, with the Leeds date still to be announced. Get in touch with Luis here for more information.