In a landmark partnership announcement that promises to reshape youth baseball’s global landscape, Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform, is teaming up with MVP International Athletics to create extraordinary international experiences for young athletes. This innovative collaboration will launch a series of global tours beginning in December 2024, offering players unprecedented opportunities to showcase their talents worldwide while immersing themselves in diverse cultures under the guidance of MLB veterans.
A Historical First Step
The inaugural tour kicks off December 26 in Australia, where two Perfect Game travel teams will compete against local youth teams. Adding unprecedented value to the experience, World Series champions Tom “Flash” Gordon and Scott Erickson will serve as coaches and mentors throughout the Australian tour. Gordon, a three-time All-Star with a stellar 21-season MLB career, and Erickson, who led the American League with 20 wins in 1991 en route to a World Series championship, bring their wealth of professional experience to guide the next generation of baseball talent.
Strategic Vision and Partnership
“For several years, Perfect Game has thought that a first-class international destination offering would fit perfectly as an alternative to our current domestic events as it offers another way to create life-long memories for our athletes and their families,” explains Perfect Game CEO Rob Ponger. “MVP International brings a tremendous amount of industry knowledge and the needed experience of the travel and logistics of these trips that our customers have come to expect from a PG event.”
The collaboration leverages MVP International’s extensive experience in organizing world-class competitive and cultural sports trips with Perfect Game’s renowned platform and scouting services. This synergy creates an unparalleled opportunity for youth athletes to develop both on and off the field.
Ambitious 2025 Global Schedule
The partnership’s extensive 2025 schedule demonstrates its commitment to providing diverse international experiences:
- Spain (June 16-25)
- Germany (June 21-27)
- Italy (July 7-17)
- Netherlands (July 12-18)
- Puerto Rico (July 19-25)
- Central Europe (July 21-30 and August 2-8)
- Japan (August 4-13)
- Dominican Republic (August 4-11)
These carefully selected destinations reflect both organizations’ dedication to combining high-level baseball competition with meaningful cultural experiences.
Two Distinct Experience Models
Mark “Pudge” Gjormand, Founder of MVP International Athletics, emphasizes the program’s comprehensive approach: “Our trips are much more than your typical youth baseball tournament. They are immersive experiences designed to create defining moments—not just for the athletes, but for their families and friends as well.”
The program offers two distinct types of international experiences:
- Tournament Experiences:
- Concentrated competition in one or two cities
- Structured tournament play against international teams
- Cultural activities integrated into the competitive schedule
- Opportunities for local interaction and exploration
- Exhibition Tours:
- 8-10 day immersive experiences
- Travel across 3-4 different locations
- Exhibition games against local teams
- Deeper cultural immersion opportunities
- Extended interaction with MLB mentors
Impact Beyond Baseball
“These trips will impact the players in ways that go far beyond the baseball field,” Ponger emphasizes. “The players will be able to use the game of baseball to learn about the culture of some of the world’s most celebrated and historical cities and create memories that they’ll be able to take with them for the rest of their lives.”
This holistic approach to player development aligns with both organizations’ commitment to creating well-rounded athletes who understand and appreciate the global nature of baseball.
Early Success and Future Growth
The initial response has been remarkably positive, with the Australia tour already set to field two teams—one for Little League players and another for high school-aged athletes. This early success has generated tremendous excitement about the program’s unique blend of athletic competition and cultural exploration.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” notes Gjormand. “This is a unique opportunity for both players and families, offering experiences that have not been available in the past.”
Looking Ahead
As Perfect Game and MVP International Athletics look to the future, both organizations are already exploring additional opportunities to expand their global offerings. “We are already working together to create many more opportunities in different areas of the world,” shares Ponger. “The response we’ve already received from not only the families interested in the current trips but also many countries that are interested in hosting our teams is exciting and drives us to continue to build out more exciting offerings for 2025 and beyond.”
This groundbreaking partnership represents a significant step forward in Perfect Game’s mission to create unmatched opportunities for youth athletes, now on an international scale. By combining competitive baseball with cultural immersion and professional mentorship, these tours promise to develop not just better baseball players, but more well-rounded individuals with a global perspective on both sport and life.
About Perfect Game
Perfect Game is the world’s largest elite youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, producing over 9,800+ events, hundreds of thousands of games, and showcases each year across the country. Perfect Game is dedicated to giving amateur players exposure to take their game to the next level, whether that be in college or in the professional ranks. At Perfect Game events, players are performing with top-level competition in front of college recruiters and professional scouts from all over the country. Because of this, these events prove to be invaluable to college coaches as well as Major League Baseball, as they can scout a large population of talented ballplayers in one location. To date, more than 2,034 players that have played in a Perfect Game event have also played in Major League Baseball. Since 2003, 14,466 Perfect Game alumni have been selected in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. In the 2023 Draft, for example, 95 percent of all players selected had played in Perfect Game events, and every player selected on the Draft’s first day had previously attended Perfect Game events.
About MVP International Athletics
MVP International is the nation’s leading group of professionals in providing athletes, families, and coaches with impactful and memorable experiences through world-class competitive and cultural sports trips. Established in 2013, MVP International has sent thousands of athletes and their families around the world to compete in different sports, including baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, yoga and pickleball.
