The sound of children's laughter filled the playground. A special class prepared by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) brought vitality to Seongbuk Elementary School.
KBO held the first class of the "2026 KBO traveling t-ball classroom" at Seongbuk Elementary School in Seongbuk District, Seoul, on the 29th. Present at the site were KBO Commissioner Heo Gu-yeon, Ryu Ji-hyun, manager of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team, and Kwon O-jun, KBO development Commissioner, adding significance.
Now in its 11th year, the "traveling t-ball classroom" is operated with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Through last year it visited 1,183 schools nationwide, and this year the program will continue for 200 schools. In particular, this year 10 of those schools were selected to operate t-ball sports clubs focused on female students to help expand the base of women's baseball.
A KBO official and a Korea T-ball Federation official said, "Many places want to participate in the t-ball classroom. Competition is fierce. We want to accept everyone, but there are limits, so we are doing our best to select."
The purpose of this program is to broaden the base of baseball and help improve students' physical strength by promoting t-ball that anyone can enjoy safely. Participating schools receive t-ball equipment and gloves worth about 2 million won.
Seongbuk Elementary, where the first class was held, is a small school with 155 students but is a "sports-focused school" that is active in physical education. Of the total students, 135 participate in the morning physical education program every day, and classes linked with the Seongbuk District Sports Council are steadily operated. In 2013 the school received the superintendent's commendation for excellence in physical education.
Nam Soo-geuk, principal of Seongbuk Elementary, emphasized again the importance of physical activity through this program. Principal Nam explained the reason for applying for the t-ball classroom, saying, "These days, even when students do physical activity, they often do static, game-centered exercises in the gym or play mobile games whenever they have a chance. Rather than just telling them 'run and play,' I judged that providing an opportunity to participate directly like this is much more educationally effective."
At the class, manager Ryu Ji-hyun taught batting and Commissioner Kwon O-jun directly coached defense, working closely with the students. The students participated actively and had a good time, and after class they received signed balls and national team key rings as gifts, creating special memories.
The atmosphere at the site was heated. Students wearing uniforms from clubs such as Lotte, Samsung, LG and Kiwoom participated, showing strong interest in baseball. After class, a long line formed to get autographs from manager Ryu and Commissioner Kwon, making their "idol-level popularity" palpable.
The students' reactions were also impressive. Yoon Seo-yoon, a student who participated in the class, said, "Learning batting posture directly from the manager made me hit the ball much better. After learning defense, the game became more fun," and added, "It felt like my skills improved immediately, which was amazing, and I want to keep the signed ball and key ring for a long time."
Principal Nam also emphasized the educational value of t-ball. Principal Nam said, "T-ball is accessible to female students as well, and it is an activity where they can learn sportsmanship, consideration and respect beyond simple exercise. It can be a meaningful experience from the perspective of global citizenship education," while observing the children's activities.
Principal Nam added, "Our school has a small number of students but the advantage of a large playground. I wanted to make the most of such space to create an environment where children can grow." This class has also prompted the concretization of school-level plans to revitalize physical education.
Principal Nam said, "Going forward, we will create a self-sustaining sports culture through school competitions and class activities, and actively promote it to parents to further enhance the educational effect."
Ryu, who participated in the first t-ball class for the third consecutive year, also reflected on its significance. Ryu said, "I receive positive energy every time I see the students' passion. I hope this experience leads to continued interest in baseball even after they become adults. I hope the t-ball classroom continues to be operated steadily."
Meanwhile, KBO plans to continue various attempts to expand children's baseball experience, such as selecting five elementary schools from the second semester to pilot operate t-ball and baseball play classes in the form of after-school programs.
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