World Tournament Boys League (WTBL) – Youth Baseball

A world tournament in the cradle of Italian baseball

The World Tournament Boys League is the premier summer event for international youth baseball in the town of Nettuno, located on the southern coast of the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the Lazio region. For one week, the Nettuno diamonds host twelve U15 teams from six different countries in an event that goes far beyond the final score: the tournament was created with the explicit goal of promoting inclusion, friendship between nations, and cultural exchange among youths who speak different languages but share the same passion.

It is no coincidence that this location was chosen. Nettuno is historically considered the cradle of Italian baseball: it was in this Lazio town that the game took root after World War II, thanks to contacts with American soldiers who landed on the coast, and it is from here that some of the most important Italian players of all time have emerged. For a fifteen-year-old from California or Osaka, playing on the fields of Nettuno means stepping into a place that truly matters in the history of this sport.

The teams and the format

The lineup is international and ambitious: three US selections (Alameda–San Francisco, San Diego, and Fresno), a Japanese team from Osaka, a Chinese team from Shanghai, a Spanish team from Madrid, and a team from the Republic of San Marino. Completing the roster are the Italian teams, with three interregional selections bearing the colors of the flag — Team Red, Team White, and Team Green — alongside the Italian U15 National Team and the Lazio U15 Representative Team.

The Italian athletes are not chosen by chance: they are selected through a series of tryouts organized in various locations across the peninsula, from Livorno to Piacenza and Ronchi dei Legionari, involving around a hundred young players. The tournament follows a packed schedule, with multiple games per day on each field and dozens of matches throughout the week.

Nettuno and Anzio: two cities, one tournament

The event is co-hosted by Nettuno and nearby Anzio: in Nettuno, games are played on the "Camusi" and "Tagliaboschi" diamonds, while in Anzio, they take place on the "Reatini" field. The two municipal administrations, together with the FIBS Lazio Regional Committee, CONI Lazio, and Panathlon Roma, share the organization, hospitality, and services: the logistics headquarters is at the PalaRinaldi in Anzio, while catering services for the delegations are concentrated in Nettuno. Including athletes, coaches, staff, and families, the event draws over eight hundred people, a number that naturally blends with the seaside life of the coast in the height of summer.

Much more than a competition

Beyond the results on the field, the tournament focuses on fair play: Panathlon Roma awards a prize dedicated to sportsmanship, a recognition that the organizers value as much as the final victory. The event kicks off with the official presentation of the teams, a parade of delegations through the heart of the city that turns the tournament into a collective celebration open to residents and tourists alike.

• Twelve U15 teams from six countries
• Over 300 athletes and about 500 accompanying staff/family
• Three venues between Nettuno and Anzio
• Fair Play Award by Panathlon Roma
• Ideal twinning with Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame

When to visit

The event takes place between the end of July and the beginning of August, during the peak of the Lazio coast's summer season. It is the perfect occasion for those spending their holidays between Anzio and Nettuno: you can spend an afternoon in the stands watching a game, discover a sport still little-known to the general Italian public, and then head back to the beach or stroll through the medieval village of Nettuno, one of the most charming on the Roman coast.