La Rochelle: Challenge de France Recap

From September 2nd to 5th, 2021, the national Challenge de France competition took place in La Rochelle. While other clubs in France were kicking off their seasons and hosting association forums, and the softball championship was resuming, the eight best baseball teams in the country gathered at Boucan’field. Four intense days of organization, logistics, live broadcasts, photo reports, and various media coverage. A very large crowd despite the health pass, and beautiful weather.

This was a great collaboration with loyal partners (Union Financière de France – Wealth Management, Excelia – Business School, Enfants du Rock – Bar restaurant, Mr. Dejameau’s 2CV) as well as institutional partners (City Hall and Departmental Council)

In numbers, it was over 50 volunteers who each contributed to the success of the event. A dozen officials (umpires, scorers, technical commissioners) who kept spirits calm when the wrath of players or managers fell upon them. These are the staffs of eight teams, each with around thirty people, including the players. These are the baseball media: Baseblog, The Strike Out, A Coup sur, Baseball TV France… and local media (C17, Sud Ouest…)

A summer temperature, a joyful success accompanied by music groups that enhanced the evenings after the games.

There were contests with prizes won by many participants.

It was the handover of the President of the French Baseball Federation, Didier Seminet passing the torch to Fabien Carette.

Over 25 hours of live broadcasts for Baseball TV France with commentary by Vincent Picard and Didier Cannioux, with guests, interviews… We celebrated the 1,000th subscriber during the challenge.

It was the celebration of French baseball

Thank you all for its development and its influence, and congratulations to the winners: the Montpellier Barracudas.