Great Britain Baseball superstar Harry Ford is coming home to grow the game.
The 23-year-old, fresh off his first full season with the Washington Nationals organisation, will be hosting an invitation-only two-day clinic at Square One Cricket in Brighton on 7-8 November. The clinic will take place in three distinct parts; first, a coach’s clinic for local club coaches, followed by a two-day intensive session for domestic players in the Great Britain Baseball programme. The event will be capped off with a community session open to children from eight clubs across the south, ending the weekend with an opportunity for local kids to meet a true Great Britain Baseball role model.
Harry, whose family hails from and lives in Oxford, has been a member of the Great Britain programme since 2021, and has represented GBR on the world stage at the 2023 & 2026 World Baseball Classics, as well as two very memorable tournaments in Europe – the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Regensberg, where he was key in Great Britain’s first-ever WBC qualification, as well as the 2023 European Championship, where he helped lead GBR to their second-ever silver medal.
“Getting to represent Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic was really special to me, especially because of my English roots,” said Harry. “Having the chance to serve as co-captain made it even more meaningful. Baseball has given me so much, and I want to be able to give some of that back. I think there’s a lot of potential for baseball to grow in the UK, and if I can help get more kids excited about playing, that’s something I want to be part of.”
Harry Ford with his teammates at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (Paul Stodart Photo)
This will be the first time a player of Harry’s calibre has hosted such an event in Great Britain. In fact, Harry will be covering all the costs for the clinic himself, with the goal of upskilling current players and volunteers and growing the game domestically. None of the participants will have any costs to pay to attend.
Olympic Performance Director Gary Anderson was enthusiastic about the impact the clinic will have on domestic players, especially after the success of the World Baseball Classic: “Harry’s clinic is a fantastic example of the power of the World Baseball Classic for countries like Great Britain, demonstrating how competing on the world stage can inspire the next generation, raise the profile of the sport and create lasting opportunities for young British players. The impact of the WBC goes far beyond the field of play, and this is a brilliant example of that legacy in action. I’m absolutely delighted that Harry Ford is hosting this event.”
While this clinic is invitation only, the hope is that clinics like this, featuring players of Harry’s calibre, will become a routine occurrence in Britain, and will move around the country to help bring opportunities to all corners of Great Britain. Harry’s generosity and willingness to ensure his event met the needs and desires of the playing community, especially at the youth level, will hopefully set the standard for future events.
Harry Ford touches home plate after hitting a two-run home run against Italy at the 2023 European Championship in Czechia (Paul Stodart Photo)
Work on the clinic started at the World Baseball Classic, with Great Britain Baseball Director of Operations Craig Savage leading the way.
“When we first initiated discussions with Harry’s representatives at the World Baseball Classic in Houston earlier this year, it was immediately clear that Harry shared a strong passion for supporting British Baseball, was eager to give back to GB Baseball, and also the UK baseball community as a whole,” said Savage.
“Thanks to significant dedication and close collaboration with our partners, we are now just weeks away from launching this project, and the excitement is palpable. I am hopeful that this will pave the way for GB Baseball to deliver further impactful initiatives that meaningfully support our broader community going forward. This is just the first step.”
With the clinic just a few weeks away, the anticipation is building – not just for this clinic, but for the future of British baseball. As Harry puts it, “I’m looking forward to getting out there, working with the kids, and hopefully making this something we can continue doing in the future.”
Harry’s clinic will take place as Great Britain’s U23 head into a crucial competition. The team will be in action starting on Saturday, 7 November at 00:30 UK time as they play in their second consecutive U23 Baseball World Cup, this time in Nicaragua. Coverage can be found on Great Britain Baseball’s social media and at BritishBaseball.org.uk.
The British Baseball Federation and Great Britain Baseball would like to place on record their sincere thanks to Harry, his team at RocNation Sports, and the volunteers organising the clinic for their hard work to make this historic event a success.