Little League® participates in national effort to promote expanding opportunities for girls and women in sports.
In coordination with the 31st Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) celebrated on February 1, Little League® Baseball and Softball will be spending the month of February recognizing and celebrating the important role females play in Little League and the opportunities the organization provides for girls around the world.
NGWSD is a day to celebrate the extraordinary achievements in girls’ and women’s sports and the positive influence athletic participation brings to their lives. NGWSD recognizes the ongoing effort towards equality and access for women in sports and the nation’s commitment to expand sport and participation opportunities for all girls and future generations.
This year’s theme for NGWSD is Expanding Opportunity. Only 40 percent of high school girls are currently playing sports, leaving three-in-five girls not involved in sports. Decades of research show that girls who play sports have better health, higher self-esteem, greater academic achievement, stronger leadership skills, greater economic opportunity and so much more. Little League amended its Federal Charter in 1974, expanding opportunities for girls to play Little League Baseball, and creating the Little League Softball program. Today, approximately 300,000 girls participate in the Little League Softball program in more than 20 countries.
Throughout the month of February, Little League will be sharing stories across its digital platforms of the countless young girls and women who have influenced the games of baseball and softball, volunteers throughout the program who have shown commitment to the game, and other examples of ways that the dedicated members of Little League are working to expand opportunities around the world for young girls to become involved in sports. Be sure to check back on LittleLeague.org as well as Little League’s social media platforms throughout the month to help celebrate NGWSD. For more information on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, visit NGWSD.org.
If you have a story about how your local league is expanding opportunities for young girls through the Little League program, please share it with us at [email protected].