long beach City World baseball Club
The Long Beach City World Baseball Club is bigger than a baseball team, it is connecting kids to their global community, shaping their worldview as citizens of the world, and building cross-cultural bridges one pitch at a time.
Our Mission
The Long Beach City World Baseball Club was formed to introduce kids from our local community in Southern California to our brothers and sisters around the world through our shared love of baseball.
There is a lot more that unites us as human beings across cultures than divides us. Baseball is a universal language that can serve as a bridge connecting people across borders through a shared love of the game. We may speak different languages, listen to different music, and eat different foods, but we share the same game.
Coach Z
Meet the Coach
My name is Kevin Zvargulis and my nickname is Coach Z. After playing Division I baseball at Davidson College, I hung up my spikes and moved to Niigata, Japan to teach English. It was there—while Ichiro Suzuki was breaking barriers in Major League Baseball—that I came to appreciate baseball as a global language.
Over the years, I’ve traveled through Haiti, Mexico, China, Tibet, and India. These experiences shaped my worldview and showed me how powerful cross-cultural exchanges can be.
In 2024, I reentered the baseball world after 25 years, to coach my 7-year old son’s little league team in Long Beach, California. My intention was to share my love of the game with my boy and to create joyful memories for him and his teammates.
Now, we’re taking the show on the road!
This team is about giving kids from Long Beach the opportunity to travel, to experience other cultures, and to become citizens of the world. Our first stop is Japan, where we’ll play the game, while forming friendships that transcend language.
My coaching philosophy is grounded in joy and character development. We play hard, with an emphasis on “play” and we end every practice with smiling, exhausted, dirty children. Through baseball, we teach leadership, resilience, and kindness. Through baseball we learn how to be better teammates, friends, and now, through this program, more connected as a global community.
★★★★★
Joining this youth baseball team has been a transformative experience for my child. The coaching staff is dedicated and passionate, fostering not only athletic skills but also teamwork and sportsmanship. The opportunity to participate in the Japan tour was unforgettable, creating lasting memories and friendships. We are grateful for the community support that makes this possible!
Pooja D’Souza
Baseball Academy
