The Pipeline: From Little League to the League

It starts young

Little League baseball in Fort Myers dates back to 1956. For generations, kids in this city have learned the game on local diamonds long before anyone knew their names.

On the football side, Pop Warner football through the Peace River Conference gives young players their first pads, first coaches, and first Friday-night dreams.

Big-league baseball in the backyard

Terry Park has hosted big-league spring baseball since 1925 — Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb both played there. Today the Boston Red Sox train at JetBlue Park and the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium, so the major leagues still come to Fort Myers every spring.

National showcase baseball also runs events in Fort Myers every year, putting local players in front of the wider game.

The high school factories

North Fort Myers has sent eight or more players to the NFL. Bishop Verot has won seven state titles. These programs are where the pipeline turns into a path.

The honest twist

Here is the part people do not expect: Fort Myers High has never won a state football title. This city does not keep its crowns at home. It exports them — to college campuses and to the pros.