When Little League® opened its doors to officially include girls in 1974, it ushered in a new generation of baseball and softball players. For two of Little League International’s current employees, Jen Colvin and Regina Sanso, their softball journey began in the inaugural year and has since led them to a professional career that helps inspire the next generation of Girls with Game.
While growing up in different communities, both of the former Little Leaguers® got their start in the sport through inspiration from their family.
For Ms. Colvin, who today serves as a Region Operations Managing Director, growing up as one of nine kids opened her eyes to the world of sports.
“It was a great opportunity after having seen my brothers have the chance to play,” said Ms. Colvin. “We were just excited to have had the opportunity to play organized sports. Because, at that point, there weren’t a lot of organized sports for young girls. It still sticks with me to this day. From working as a team to taking ownership of your mistakes while also recognizing that it’s a game of failures and that you have to work beyond it and improve yourself.”
For Ms. Sanso, who currently serves as a Little League Financial Assistant, was inspired by her mother who volunteered to coach a team for her and her friends.
“When I was 12 years old, the neighborhood girls and I weren’t involved in any kind of softball,” said Ms. Sanso. “My mom found out about the league and asked my two closest friends and I if we wanted to play, and that she would coach us in Newberry Little league. I was no star athlete, but it was fun.”
Now, with decades of experience under their belts as Little League employees, both say their time on the field has made their careers off the field more fulfilling. Before Ms. Colvin took on the role as Assistant Region Director in 1999 for the Southern Region, she spent years volunteering with local leagues. When she got the call offering her the position, she said it felt like one of those surreal moments that someone was going to pinch and wake her up from. Five years later, Ms. Colvin stepped into the role of Southeast Region Director where she remained until 2021 when she became the Managing Operation Director of the Southeast and Southwest Regions in 2021.
For Ms. Sanso, her day-to-day work remains inspired by the significance of playing in 1974.
“Playing softball was something my mom thought would be good for me to do in the summer,” said Ms. Sanso. “But, being at Little League, I’ve loved every minute of work. And being a part of this whole thing, knowing that I played in the first year that girls were able to play the sport through Little League, is pretty special.”
What makes working at Little League special for Ms. Colvin is the community aspect of her job. With experience volunteering as an umpire, coach, district staff member, and District Administrator before moving to work in the South Region headquarters in 1999, Ms. Colvin has always appreciated how the community rallies around Little League.
During her own playing days, Ms. Colvin’s team was given the opportunity to travel around the east coast thanks to local donations and volunteers helping the team get to the various levels of the International Tournament. One of her favorite Little League memories stems from that season, and how people went out of their way to make the experience for her and her team the best it could be.
“We pulled into our field after being eliminated from the region tournament, and all of a sudden you saw nothing but headlights turn on,” said Ms. Colvin. “There had been more than 200 people there to welcome us home. That’s just the way our community supported us and that to me is what the program is all about.”
The best advice Ms. Sanso said she can give to girls getting into the sports today is to just be themselves. Ms. Colvin echoed similar sentiments, saying that if they want to play Little League, there is nothing stopping them.
“Go out there knowing whatever you put your mind to, you can do that,” said Ms. Colvin. “This is a sport that anybody can play. It is not a sport where everybody is going to hit a home run every time. But, you must have confidence in yourself. Know that you can do it if you put in the work, and hold your head high no matter what happens.”
Now, 50 years after they each got their start with Little League, Ms. Sanso and Ms. Colvin believe that the future for girls in baseball and softball is still evolving to this day.
“I think they can be right up there with the boys, if not better than a lot of them,” said Ms. Sanso. “Everybody gets their chance to play and now that the girls can and will play, they can go on and hopefully someday even play professional baseball.”
“I think the opportunities are endless and boundless,” said Ms. Colvin. “With social media showing these young ladies that there are possibilities for them, they should know that whatever they set their minds to, they can do it. I think when people understand what our values are within the program, it instills in children not just from the sport aspects, but also life lessons.”
This is the seventh in a series of Little League International Staff Spotlights that will focus on the Women In Little League (WILL) as part of the overall Girls with Game 50 Celebration (LittleLeague.org/GWG50). The #GWG50 celebration is proudly supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods, a long-time Little League partner that is committed to creating opportunities for girls and women in sports and will be activating around key events and milestones this year.