Little League® International continued its Girls with Game 50 Celebration on June 7-9, welcoming nearly 100 young girls and their families to the first ever “Maria Pepe Little League Baseball® Legacy Series: A Girls with Game Experience” at the home of the Little League Baseball World Series (LLBWS).
A weekend filled with teamwork, inclusion, integrity, community, and most importantly – FUN – the Maria Pepe Legacy Series was a historic event that brought girls from all across North America together for an experience they would never forget. Take a look at just some of the fun and memorable moments from the weekend:
Player Clinic
The weekend started after players checked in and made their way to their team dorms in the Dr. Creighton J. Hale International Grove where they met their teammates and coaches. Once they had their uniforms on and were ready to go, they made their way down to the fields to kick things off. First up on the agenda was the player clinic, which was run by the coaches and clinicians thanks to the support of Jenny Dalton-Hill, Justine Siegal, and Baseball for All. The two-hour clinic not only served as an opportunity for the players to learn some valuable knowledge from great baseball minds, but it also allowed the coaches to connect with the players before the games got underway through a series of drills held across the practice fields and batting cages.
Dinner with the Original Girl with Game, Maria Pepe
After the clinic wrapped up, the players got to eat dinner all together in the dining hall, the same one used by the players during the LLBWS. Once dinner was finished, the players were treated to a conversation with Maria Pepe, the inspiring pioneer who the event was named after. As part of the intimate conversation with the girls, the Hoboken, New Jersey, native shared more about her personal Little League story that began in the early 1970s and changed the game forever, opening doors to provide opportunities for females that had never been available before.
“Beyond the Fences” Conversations
Early Saturday morning, before the exhibition games began, each of the eight teams also got to sit down for a “Beyond the Fences” chat with Justine Siegal, founder of Baseball for All, and Jenny Dalton-Hill, a 2022 Little League Hall of Excellence Enshrinee.
Welcome Ceremony and the Hall of Excellence Enshrinement
Prior to the fourth and final games Saturday evening, all of the events participants were welcomed to Howard J. Lamade Stadium for the official Welcome Ceremony of the event where each of the teams were introduced, along with the coaches and umpires who made the weekend possible.
With the players, coaches, umpires, volunteers, and fans in the stands to enjoy the ceremony, Stephen P. Johnson, Little League International Board of Directors Chairman, officially sealed Maria’s legacy into the Little League history books with her enshrinement into the Little League® Hall of Excellence, the highest honor a Little League alumnus can receive. Accepting the award, Ms. Pepe expressed her gratitude for the honor, and how proud she is of the progress girls in baseball has made since 1974, while also leaving those in attendance with a mission to keep pushing forward.
“Always remember the names of your teammates who made this possible, and let’s keep the momentum of girls’ baseball alive in our towns, our cities, our hearts, and our lives. I share this honor with all of you who have played a part in shaping Little League over the past 50 years, and I’m confident the next 50 years will continue to see girls play baseball and softball, and having opportunities that did not exist when I was growing up,” said Ms. Pepe.
Exhibition Games
In addition to all the excitement off the field, it was a weekend filled with high-quality baseball as the 96 athletes were divided into eight teams with names that were chosen by the female participants themselves: Green Beans, Ballin’ Sharks, Purple Penguins, Sky Blue Sharks, Hype Fire, Perfect Storm, Dingers, and Panthers. Prior to each team’s first game in the stadiums, the players were each presented with a commemorative participant medal, honoring the significance of the games that were played. The players shined in their first time on the diamonds at Williamsport, hitting inside-the-park home runs, throwing scoreless innings, and making plays to excite everyone in attendance. Each team competed twice on Saturday and ended the weekend with one final game on Sunday to mark the conclusion of the event.
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.