The very first international team for Champions International was the Chicago Green Sox. Traveling to China for the Beijing International Baseball Tournament, this group of U16 players finished in 1^st place under head coach John Mallee as they competed against teams from China, Korea, Taiwan, and California.

In August 1996, the Chicago Green Sox again went to Beijing. Now accompanied by the newly formed U16 Wisconsin Snappers, the two Champions teams finished 2^nd and 3^rd. Both an U16 and an U13 Champions team would travel to Beijing in 1997, with the U13’s returning again in 1998.

In December 1996, Champions International and the Green Sox U18 team traveled to Australia for the first time as they competed against the Victorian state team and local clubs. In 1997, Champions again went to Melbourne, this time with both an U18 and an U16 team comprised of players from both Illinois and Wisconsin.  1999 saw two more such Champions teams; this time they traveled to Sydney and Perth.

In the northern summer of 1997, Champions International began holding special tryout camps that allowed American high school players to more easily tryout for U.S. colleges. Between 1997 and 1999, Champions International held approximately twenty such camps.

Champions International took two very special high school girls fastpitch softball teams to Melbourne in 1997 and 1998, as well as both Sydney and Melbourne in 1999.  These tour were highlighted by games against Wesley College and Head Coach Jenny Cassidy.

Due to a combination of personal and global circumstances, Champions International went into hiatus at the beginning of this decade. After settling in Victoria with his wife Kelly, director Rob Novotny has recently renewed his passion for combining baseball and international travel.

Teaming with Sydney-sider Narelle Gosstray, the Novotny’s created the Aussie Hearts women's baseball program. In both 2005 and 2006, the Aussie Hearts traveled to San Francisco, California and Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida.  In 2005, the women finished 4^th and the juniors were runners-up at Disney. In 2006, both the seniors and juniors teams finished 3^rd in Florida.  Notably, the 2005 tour included the first-ever international junior girls baseball game in San Francisco.

2007 did not take the Aussie Hearts to America again, but it did bring a U.S. baseball legend to Australian shores.  Aussie Heart coach and former AABPBL player ("A League of Their Own") Jeneane Lesko made her first visit to Australia.  She taught baseball at events in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.  Jeneane inspired numerous women and girl ballplayers, and charmed many members of the media.

2008 was a very busy year for the Aussie Hearts with two tours.  In Febuary, the HK08 tour was the team's first to Hong Kong's Phoenix Cup and the Hearts came away with 3rd place. 

In June, 2008 an elite Aussie Hearts squad was assembled to challenge the best teams in the United States.  The SBK08 team first travelled to South Bend, Indiana and was fortunate to take the Can-Am Tournament for the program's first-ever tournament championship. Then in the Hall of Fame Classic at Simmons Field in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the opening game the Hearts fell 7-6 in 13-innings to the 4-time defending U.S. national champions from New England.  After battling back to make the championship game, the Hearts then defeated New England 7-1 to take home the trophy.

In 2009, the HK09 tour took the Aussie Hearts again to Hong Kong and the Phoenix Cup. 

But the highlight of 2009 would certainly be the emergence of the Aussie Sparks program for high school age boys baseball players and girls softball players. The SF09 Aussie Sparks tour allowed players to learn from coaches at San Jose State and Stanford Universities as well as to play some games against American high school players.  Special thanks to Coaches Anglin, Barlow, Bowering, Cassidy, Johnson, and Lester, as well as EO Anglin.

In February 2010, the Aussie Hearts gathered an elite squad to travel to train in Taichung, Taiwan before heading over for the prestigious Phoenix Cup in Hong Kong.

To learn more about Gosstray, Lesko, Simone Wearne, the Novotny’s, and the staff of the Aussie Hearts, click here.

Through early-2010, twenty (20) baseball and four (4) fastpitch softball, teams have officially traveled with Champions International. For a full listing, see menu navigation bar on left or click here.

Twelve (12) Champions International alumni have signed with Major League organizations.  For a full listing, see menu navigation bar on left or click here.

The ties to Australian baseball players have always been strong for Champions International. Nine Aussies have been placed on U.S. baseball teams. All received offers to play at American colleges. Seven accepted these offers, with two later signing professional contracts to play in the minor leagues for MLB teams.

For a listing of the nine (9) Aussie players who have been placed into U.S. colleges, see menu navigation bar to left or click here.