The Little League Pledge is a historical document, written by Peter J. McGovern, then the President of Little League Baseball. It made its first appearance in the February 1955 "Little Leaguer" magazine.

The Little League Pledge was likely drafted as a response to the adding of "under God," to the text of the Pledge of Allegiance, by the U.S. Congress, June 14, 1954. President Dwight D. Eisenhower cited the additional text of the Pledge of Allegiance: "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

The Little League Pledge was sent to U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Feb. 22, 1955. In a response by letter to Mr. McGovern a few days later, President Eisenhower said: "Thank you for...sending me the inspiring and fine pledge that, I understand, will now be repeated at the start of the Little League Baseball games. I am always glad to hear the plans and activities of Little League."

The Little League Pledge is not, and has never been, required to be recited by any person involved with Little League Baseball or Softball. The text of the Little League Pledge has remained unchanged since its inception. It is:
I trust in God
I love my country
And will respect its laws
I will play fair ... and strive to win
But win or lose
I will always do my best

Local Leagues sometimes choose to recite the Little League Pledge at the start of the season or before games. Some local leagues also choose to play or sing the National Anthem of the country in which they are playing.

I assume the author of the Little League Pledge intended for "I trust in God" to reflect the same sentiment as "In God We Trust" on U.S. coinage and currency, as well as the statement "One nation, under God..." in the Pledge of Allegiance. It is a general statement, though not one required to be recited or believed by its members; nor is the statement "In God We Trust" required in the belief system of any particular U.S. citizen who chooses to spend U.S. money; nor is anyone required to believe that our nation is "under God." The Little League Pledge and the Pledge of Allegiance do not bind any person to such beliefs.

The Little League Pledge does not require Little Leaguers to "strive to win," any more than the Pledge of Allegiance binds a person to dedicate his or her life to the principle that "liberty and justice for all" should be applied to all human beings on Earth.

Obviously, we all have the freedom to believe, or not believe, that liberty and justice should be available to anyone. Little Leaguers also may choose whether or not they will strive to win - whether they recite the pledge or not. The fact that these statements are part of pledges recited in ceremonial fashion cannot possibly convince anyone, except the most cynical and far-reaching of observers, that their reading at any event could cause anyone any harm whatsoever.

In short, participation in Little League is not dependent upon the Little League Pledge being recited or believed. In fact, the only criteria involved in applying to participate as a Little Leaguer refer to the participant's age (must be appropriate for the specific division of Little League) and the residence of the child's parent(s) or legal guardian (must be within the league's boundaries).

The National Anthem is played before many Little League games as well. If a child and his/her parents at a Little League game (or any other sporting event) are not so inclined, they are not required to sing the National Anthem, or even to stand while it is played. Millions of good men and women have given "the last full measure of devotion" not only for these rights, but for the rights of private organizations like Little League to include statements such as "I trust in God" in their literature. Part of the Little League Pledge includes a statement regarding respect for one's country. Those who advocate the overthrow of the government in any of the 105 nations in which Little League is played are not barred from playing Little League, even though the pledge contains the statement: "I love my country, and will respect its laws." We have seen that there are very good reasons in some countries for not respecting some of a country's laws. However, I would certainly expect anyone to remain respectful, at the very least, regarding the choice of others who stand, sing, place their hat or hand over their hearts, etc. As we would never presume to require any of these things for any of our 7,400 local Little Leagues worldwide, so we would not seek to ban them.For that reason, it is left up to those elected members of the board of directors at the local level to determine whether or not they will recite the Little League Pledge, sing the National Anthem, or even whether or not to say a prayer. If a person does not believe that the Little League Pledge, or any portion of the pledge, is appropriate for his or her community, then he or she may wish to convince the locally elected Board of Directors of that position. Whatever that decision is, Little League Baseball International will respect it. No rule, regulation or policy of Little League has ever so much has mentioned the Little League Pledge.

A word about Constitutional rights: Little League Baseball and Softball is a private organization. It is not a government organization, and thus is not bound by the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights with regard to the First Amendment's mandate that the government cannot enact any law establishing a particular religion. Consequently, the fact that any pledge may be recited before games or distributed in literature by our member leagues, or painted on an outfield sign at the park, or that a prayer might be recited before games, or that the National Anthem is played, is not an infringement of anyone's rights. Rather, it is an expression of those rights, in a private, non-governmental setting. This is not mitigated by the fact that some local Little Leagues benefit from the use of public facilities, as do many church groups, service clubs and other organizations. As such, our local Little Leagues must decide for themselves: whether or not to recite the pledge; whether or not to play the National Anthem; whether or not to recite a prayer before games (and, if so, whether that prayer will be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, etc.). We will not dictate such things to our local Little Leagues. As an example, we have conducted several Tee Ball games on the South Lawn of the White House. At the invitation of President Bush, Tee Ball teams gather for a friendly game. Before the game, President Bush leads the teams and fans in the Little League Pledge. The fact that a child in the game, or a parent in the crowd does not choose to recite all or part of the pledge should be rejoiced by all concerned as a reflection of the freedom to worship, or not, as we see fit. However, the option for a person to recite the pledge is as valid as those who choose not to recite it. We do remain responsive to suggestions from the field. Often, when we receive reports from volunteers about a specific subject (such as a rule or regulation that should be changed), we receive hundreds, if not thousands, of suggestions in a period of a year or two. For instance, when Little League admitted girls into the program in 1974, it was due in large part to the fact that thousands of our volunteers espoused the change.
 
Over the last eight years or so, we have received a handful of complaints from Little League volunteers regarding the Little League Pledge, from among the several million people who have volunteered during that time. In one of your specific questions, you alluded to the notion that the Little League Pledge is based in Christianity. However, you will notice in the text of the pledge above that it does not mention Jesus Christ, or any other specific religious figure, other than God. So, yes, you may trust in Belial, Mithras, Allah, Lucifer or anyone else you wish. It makes no difference to us. Your local league board of directors could even alter the pledge, if they decide to do so, to reflect your belief in any deity. We would not seek to prevent that. Notwithstanding the recent decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, it does not seem to us that the Little League Pledge should be changed from its original text. Little League has a long record of tolerance for all manner of diversity. For instance, long before African-Americans were admitted to Major League Baseball, they played Little League. In fact, Little League as an organization has never barred any person on the basis of race, color, religion, or ethnic background. In fact, our stated policy, printed on nearly all of our publications, including rulebooks, is: "Little League Baseball does not limit participation in its activities on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual preference or religious preference." We at Little League Baseball certainly respect any choice regarding religion, or the choice to reject religion, by our local Little League programs, and by the individuals who make up those programs.

For Little League International to enact a rule establishing or denying others the right to recite the Little League Pledge, or even to say a prayer, would not be respectful of the myriad of cultures that make up the "quilt" of Little League Baseball and Softball. Therefore, I reiterate that it is incumbent on the parents and volunteers at the local Little League level to decide which, if any, pledges and prayers might be used during ceremonies, which country's national anthem to play, if any, and whether or not the Little League Pledge is recited in whole or in part. This is the way of democracy. The local volunteer knows the makeup of the community far better than we at Little League International, and is thus far more qualified to make such decisions.

Sincerely,
Lance Van Auken
Director of Media Relations and Communications
Little League Baseball International Headquarters
P.O. Box 3485
Williamsport, PA 17701
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