August 29, 2025

“That the children playing today in Ra’anana will represent Israel in Los Angeles 2028”

Chairman of the Israel Association of Baseball, Ari Varon, believes in the future of the sport, “that it will stay here for decades to come,” and in his words, we must not imitate the Americans: “Baseball in Israel needs its own original path.”

By Oren Aharoni

translated from Hebrew Article https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sport/other-sports/article/18706229

Israeli baseball is at the dawn of a new era. After years of near-underground activity, it’s about to shift into high gear. The direction is Los Angeles 2028, where organizers have reinstated baseball to the competition list after its absence from the Paris 2024 Games. At the helm of this movement is Ari Varon—the newly appointed chairman of the Israel Association of Baseball—bringing great passion to the role.

Varon, a Tel Aviv resident (married with three children) born in Oregon, USA, has lived and breathed the game since he was twelve. A year later, his family immigrated to Israel, settling in Ra’anana, where he accidentally came across a baseball practice—and never left the game, growing strong before becoming a key figure.

Now, in his new position, he will try to expand the base of young players in Israel and lead the national team to further successes on the international stage. “To me, baseball is much more than just a game,” Varon says in an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom. “It’s a place where I learned values, gained lifelong friends, and now I want to pass that on to the next generation in Israel.”

One of the first things Varon emphasizes when talking about baseball is the personal significance the game has taken on in his life:

“I arrived in Israel as a teenager, hardly knowing a word of Hebrew. Baseball was the place where I found a shared language. It didn’t matter that I didn’t speak Hebrew—on the field, everything was clear: rules, teamwork, responsibility. It gave me a tremendous sense of belonging.”

He continues: “I am a father of three, and I want [my kids], too, to have the opportunity to grow up with the values that baseball offers—discipline, teamwork, and also patience. It’s not a game of instant solutions, but of planning, strategic thinking, and proper use of opportunities.”

The Vision: Leagues, Fields, and the Olympic Dream

Varon stepped into his role at a critical moment. Although the sport had already gained international exposure—particularly after the historic success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics—conditions in Israel remain far from ideal. The number of fields is limited, youth leagues struggle with funding, and schools almost don’t recognize the game.

Varon declares: “I want baseball to be accessible to every child in Israel who wants to try it. That means more fields, more coaches, and a structured program that connects the sport to the education system. It can’t remain an ‘American niche’ game—there’s real potential here, and children who come to it fall in love with it very quickly.”

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With baseball’s return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028, Varon sees a dual opportunity: on one hand, to continue showcasing the national team on the world stage; on the other, to show children in Israel what they can achieve.

“Anyone who watched the team in Tokyo knows it’s not a fantasy. Israel can compete with the true giants. My goal is for us to go to Los Angeles with a young, hungry roster, one that represents not only the American immigrants but also the ‘natives’ who learned the game here,” Varon exudes optimism.

One of Varon’s greatest challenges is fostering a different sports culture than the one in which he was raised. In the United States, baseball is almost a religion—stadiums are full, millions of fans, and a whole language of statistics and data. In Israel, by contrast, it’s a game familiar mainly to North American immigrants, one whose popularity must still be built.

“I understand why some say baseball is too slow,” he admits with a smile, but believes the perception can change: “One who understands the game discovers a whole world. There’s deep tactical thinking, drama unfolding in a small moment, and most importantly—it’s a team game. You can’t succeed alone.”

According to Varon, Israeli culture can actually give the game an interesting twist: “There’s energy here, creativity, healthy chutzpah. That’s what’s needed to develop an Israeli style of baseball, one that doesn’t try to copy the Americans but finds its own path.”

When asked what motivates him to invest so much of his time and energy, he almost doesn’t hesitate: “I feel a mission,” he says simply. “There were moments when I asked myself why I’m doing this—it’s not always easy. But then I see a ten-year-old child stepping onto the field for the first time, hitting the ball, feeling that thrill—and it reminds me of myself at that age. If I can give another generation that experience, I’ve done my part.”

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The challenges, Varon knows, are numerous: raising funding, convincing decision-makers to invest in fields, expanding the fan base in a country where sports already compete for attention amid countless alternatives. Still, Varon is convinced the right way is slowly and surely, with long-term, structured investment.

Varon concludes: “We’re not looking for shortcuts. The goal is to build stable foundations so that baseball will remain here for decades. My dream? To see a full baseball stadium in Tel Aviv, with families coming to enjoy the game—and to know that the children who played today on the fields of Ra’anana or Petah Tikva are the ones representing Israel on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles.”

This article first appeared on Israel Hayom on 25 August 2025. It is translated and reprinted here with permission.