Six Innings with Little League® International Board of Directors Treasurer and Former Chairman, Davie Jane Gilmour, Ph.D.

From a young age, Davie Jane Gilmour, Ph.D., was taught by her parents to always try new things. Little did she know at the time, but this advice would eventually help lead her to be multitalented in sports, music, and academics, rappel down a four-story building, and go ziplining for the first time.  

In 2011, Dr. Gilmour instilled the “try new things” mindset into Little League® when she became the first female to serve as Chairman of its International Board of Directors. During Dr. Gilmour’s tenure, she oversaw the celebration of Little League International’s 75th Anniversary and the 26th Little League International Congress of Minneapolis before her time as Chairman ended in 2017. Today, she continues to serve on the board as its Treasurer and as a Williamsport native, can often be seen around the Little League Baseball® World Series each summer.  

“While I was honored to be the first woman to serve as Chairman, more importantly, I should not be the last. So, what I want to do is set an example for the path forward for all the women who come after me,” said Dr. Gilmour. “How do you do that? You do it by being the best you can be in the position you are in. You learn from your mistakes and make a difference if you can, where you can.”  

In addition to her work with Little League, Dr. Gilmour has been a trailblazer in her professional career as the President of Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, from 1998 through 2022. During her tenure, the college saw many positive changes, including increasing its baccalaureate offerings, establishing its first graduate-level programs, developing it into a national leader in applied technology education, and establishing the athletics program as an NCAA Division III program.  

“You need the discipline to be successful in anything you do, and when you put athletics and academics together, you have the perfect recipe for success,” said Dr. Gilmour. “Athletics requires more than physical stamina, it requires mental ability, acuity, teamwork, organization, and structure. All those things apply in the academic environment, as well. To be successful as a student, you have to be able to manage study, rest, class projects, and interpersonal relationships. They are like glove and ball – they go hand in hand. Creating that environment on a college campus where NCAA athletics can thrive also creates an environment where students can thrive, creating immeasurable opportunities.”  

To round out the Girls with Game 50 celebration, Little League sat down for a special #GWG50 Six-Innings Conversation with Dr. Gilmour:  

First Inning: Reflecting on your childhood, what experience or advice did you receive that you have carried into your professional career? 

My parents taught me to always try and experience new things even if it was hard, difficult, challenging, or something new because you can’t predict how you’re going to feel about it. I think that is something that I have always carried with me. My father also always said, ‘Good always wins. Sometimes it just takes time,’ and when I would put those two pieces of advice together, I was never afraid of trying something new. I looked at it as an opportunity for growth, development, or excitement.

Second Inning: In 2024, Little League held its Girls with Game 50 Celebration, honoring females from the past and present who have made the program what it is today. As the first female to serve as the Little League International Board of Directors Chairman, what does it mean to you to be a part of this celebration? 

Being identified as a woman who played even a small part in the last 50 years, no matter how small that part is, is extremely humbling and rewarding. When I think of young women today, it is important that they have role models, both on and off the field, so if I was able to influence one young person, then I count myself successful.

Third Inning: Looking back on Girls with Game 50, what was your favorite part of the year-long celebration?

One of the most rewarding parts for me was seeing the young Girls with Game and the professional women getting the same attention as the boys. Seeing the International Board of Directors attend the Little League Softball® World Series in Greenville, North Carolina, was important. Being in that environment was very important to me, but hearing the young girls talk about their experiences, listening to stories from the Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball players, and being around all the women and players was all so refreshing and heartwarming. Seeing all of it gave me hope for the future. Professional athletes being supported in that way is so reassuring because that did not happen when I was growing up, it made me hopeful for the future.

Fourth Inning: With your experience at the collegiate level, bringing NCAA opportunities to the Pennsylvania College of Technology, and serving on the Division III Presidents Council, why is it important for athletics to align with academics? Why is it important for those experiences to start at the youngest, Little League levels?

The competitiveness of both academics and athletics is important. It’s not only competitiveness within yourself, for your records and your accomplishments, but it’s the competitiveness that you get in the spirit of team camaraderie; because, if you know how to function in a team on an athletic field, then you know how to function in a team in a workplace. So, why is it important at the youth level? If you not only understand the fundamentals of Tee Ball, but also what it means to support somebody and work as a team at a young age, then you are setting a platform for your life that will make you a better player, person, and eventually, professional.

Fifth Inning: Based on your professional experience, what advice would you give a female who is just starting their professional journey? 

Never let anybody tell you that you can’t do something. It is so important to believe in yourself and to find a way around whatever real or perceived obstacle is put in front of you. There are real obstacles and there are perceived obstacles, but a tenacious, smart woman with good support and determination can accomplish anything she sets out to do. The days of women being told they can’t do something need to be long gone.

Sixth Inning: While Little League rounds out its celebration of the past 50 years, what do you think is the future for females in the sports industry, whether it is on the field or behind the scenes?   

Women are going to be in broadcast. It is not going to be atypical; it’s going to be every day. We see women broadcasting women’s sports, but we are going to see women broadcasting all sports and doing more than color commentary. We are going to get a seat at the table. One of my other favorite quotes by Shirley Chilsom is, ‘if there is not a seat at the table, then bring your own chair,’ because the time for women to have their voice is now. The foundation has been established by many people, including men, we will only see greater things from this day forward. We will see women’s sports continue to develop and thrive. We will see women playing sports of all kinds. We will see women with equal pay to men in sports. We will see equal recognition for women in sports and we won’t even remember the days when it was not equal in the next 50 years.

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NOTE: To read more of the Special “Six Inning” Features as part of the Little League Girls with Game 50 Celebration, visit LittleLeague.org/GWG50. The #GWG50 celebration is proudly supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods, a long-time Little League partner that is committing to creating opportunities for girls and women in sports and will be activating for this celebration around key events and milestones this year. 

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About the Little League® International Board of Directors

The management of the property and business affairs of Little League Baseball, Incorporated, is vested in the International Board of Directors. The Board has the control of the corporation and the power to appoint such standing committees as it shall determine and to delegate such responsibilities as it shall deem advisable. 

Along with more than a dozen at-large members from a variety of occupations and backgrounds, the Little League International Board has nine Field Directors, each representing one of Little League’s nine regions, who are nominated by their peers for election to four-year terms by their region’s District Administrators. 

The members of the Little League International Board of Directors are volunteers in this service to Little League Baseball and Softball. They receive no compensation for their dedicated work on behalf of the program and the children of the world.