--- title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - Iowa hosts Shanghai youth for softball, cultural exchange description: Iowa hosts Shanghai youth for softball, cultural exchange canonical: https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/iowa-hosts-shanghai-youth-for-softball-cultural-exchange/ article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-07-29T21:11:06.097Z article:modified_time: 2026-07-29T21:10:49.179Z article:section: Paid Partner Content og:title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - Iowa hosts Shanghai youth for softball, cultural exchange og:description: Iowa hosts Shanghai youth for softball, cultural exchange og:url: https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/iowa-hosts-shanghai-youth-for-softball-cultural-exchange/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfdf019b6ac342eab/6a6a6b68fac349dedc432c1b/3._Iowa_hosts_Shanghai_youth_for_softball_cultural_exchange.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1575 og:image:height: 886 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - Iowa hosts Shanghai youth for softball, cultural exchange twitter:description: Iowa hosts Shanghai youth for softball, cultural exchange twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfdf019b6ac342eab/6a6a6b68fac349dedc432c1b/3._Iowa_hosts_Shanghai_youth_for_softball_cultural_exchange.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Iowa hosts Shanghai youth for softball, cultural exchange > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription.  _Iowa and Shanghai softball players competed, connected, and celebrated the game together from the first pitch on July 13, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. MINGMEI LI / CHINA DAILY_ By MINGMEI LI Yellow soybean seeds may have first connected the U.S. state of Iowa and China, but today, yellow softballs and student exchanges are carrying that relationship forward. Students from Shanghai’s Beisibao U13 softball team, along with representatives from the Shanghai Baseball and Softball Association, the Shanghai Friendship Association and the Shanghai Sports Federation, visited Oskaloosa, Iowa on July 10\. During the nine-day Musco Youth Sports Exchange Program, they competed with local players while experiencing life in the Midwestern community. The program began in 2025, when more than 100 young athletes from China and the United States first gathered in Shanghai. Beyond the competition, they shared meals, explored the city and spent time together, forging friendships that lasted long after the games ended. Building on last year’s inaugural exchange, organizers hope the program will become a long-term platform for youth friendship. Jeff Rogers, CEO of Musco Lighting, the sponsor of the exchange program, said sports provide a natural way to connect young people. While Chinese and U.S. athletes compete against one another, they also play in mixed teams, giving them a chance to build friendships on and off the field. “We like all sports, and we’ll continue to do youth exchange through sports,” Rogers said. “It’s not just softball. We’ll look at expanding into football, pickleball, tennis — wherever we can find the opportunity.” David Krutzfeldt, mayor of Oskaloosa, said the long-standing relationship between Iowa and China should continue to grow through closer cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. While hosting the games in the city, he also hopes students will explore the city. “You’re going to truly immerse yourselves in American culture and experience what life is like in the Midwest United States. I expect you will experience firsthand the genuine warmth of our community,” he said. “Our relationship with China is one that needs to be enhanced, needs to be warmer. We have much to offer one another.” He said that he has long been optimistic about the exchanges, recalling Iowa’s early efforts to build ties with China. Krutzfeldt expressed hope that the relationship will continue to deepen in the years ahead. Two-time Olympic medal-winning softball player Michele Smith said softball and sports have the potential to bring young people together across cultures while continuing to grow worldwide. Smith noted that softball has long been popular in both the U.S. and China, recalling that the U.S. team faced China at the 1996 Olympic Games, and she said the students today can find more similarities between each other. “It’s a great sport for girls around the world,” Smith said. She said sport helps people connect despite differences in language and culture, allowing athletes to build lasting friendships. Smith encouraged young women to focus on their shared interests rather than their differences. “Sport brings everybody together, and it reminds us we’re similar. We might grow up in different cultures and speak different languages, but we play the same sport. We meet each other, we stay in touch, and especially nowadays, the young athletes can continue to communicate even after the trip is over,” she said. 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