Emilia Romagna Little League out of Bologna, Italy, has been named the 2024 Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award recipient based on their conduct and interactions both on and off the field throughout its time in Greenville, North Carolina.
“As we celebrate 50 years of Girls with Game, we are proud to name Emilia Romagna Little League as the recipient of the 2024 Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award,” said Ashlea Miller, Little League Director of Softball Development and Little League Softball World Series Tournament Director. “Throughout the course of the entire Little League Softball World Series, the Italian team has represented the values of the Little League program and truly exemplified what it means to be Girls with Game.”
Presented for the first time during the 2021 Little League Softball World Series, the Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award recognizes a team that shows what it means to be “Girls with Game” both on and off the field. The Little League Girls with Game Initiative, originally launched in 2019, is dedicated to honoring all the girls and women who have made the Little League program what it is today and those who inspire the future generation of female participants at every level.
Members of the Little League International Staff, LLSWS Tournament Committee, participating managers, volunteers, and media were given the chance to vote on which team they believed should be recognized for this award. In addition, through its partnership with Athletes Unlimited and the AU Pro Games at the LLSWS where the athletes got to interact with the Little Leaguers over the course of two days, Little League International was able to have Athletes Unlimited Softball players contribute to the voting to ultimately determine this year’s recipient.
This year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Little League Softball World Series and 50 years of girls in the Little League program as Little League honors all its inspiring girls and women through the Girls with Game® 50 Celebration. To learn more about this year-long celebration, including the strategic initiatives for the future, 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.
Previous Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award Recipients:
- 2021: Robinson (Texas) Little League
- 2022: Negros Occidental Little League (Bacolod City, Philippines)
- 2023: Lombardia Little League (Milano, Italy)
- 2024: Emilia Romagna Little League (Bologna, Italy)