As the calendar turns to a new year for communities all around the world, the official kickoff of the Little League® Girls with Game® 50 (#GWG50) Celebration is underway as we join together to honor the incredible Girls with Game who have changed our game and look to inspire the next generation to step up to the plate.
Here is an inside look at some of what is in store for the #GWG50 Celebration in 2024:
Breaking Down the #GWG50 Logo
Developed by Ologie, the same agency that created the newly branded Little League brand identity and logo, which launched in 2020, the #GWG50 logo is designed to represent the weight and power behind this celebration — the significance of fifty years of girls participating, thriving, and achieving in youth sports. It signifies the boldness it takes to compete, the sharpness needed to excel, and the flexibility needed to succeed in a team setting. The distinct shape of the logo can also act as a container to house our more energetic brand elements. It has the presence to stand alone, and the flexibility to work well and pair with any logo. Throughout the year, the logo will also be expanded in a variety of ways, including alternating color schemes and graphical elements within the logo. In addition to the logo, the campaign is focused around four primary colors that represent the Girls with Game and sets it apart from other entities within the Little League organization – Little League Blue, Girls with Game Purple, Softball Orange, and Trophy Gold.
An Inside Look at the Content Coming in 2024
Over the next 12 months, Little League will venture through a series of content franchises to honor, inspire, and recognize Girls with Game at every level of the program. Some of those include:
- Speaking Up: A Girls with Game Conversation Series – Featuring a number of special guests, this conversation series will touch on all areas of the celebration, from acknowledging the past and celebrating the present to looking ahead to the future of the program.
- Beyond the Diamond: 50 Years of Little League Softball – This five-episode documentary-style video series is set to showcase the many pioneers of the Little League Softball program, detailing the exciting 50-year history of the program to show how we got to where we are today.
- #GWGPepTalks – Inspired by the #LLPepTalks series that ran through the pandemic, the #GWGPepTalks will bring short video messages from key alumni and role models throughout the program to inspire the young Girls with Game.
- Written Features and Quote Graphics – Throughout the year, with a heightened emphasis throughout Girls with Game month in March, Little League will be profiling its staff, volunteers, and alumni in a variety of ways to showcase their histories and inspire the next generation of Girls with Game.
Mark Your Calendars
Throughout the course of the year-long celebration, there are a number of key dates and events to keep an eye out for and join in on the celebration either in person or alongside Little League on social media:
- February 7, 2024: National Girls & Women in Sports Day®
- March 2024: Girls with Game® Month Celebration
- June 7-9, 2024: Maria Pepe Little League Baseball Legacy Series
- July 28-August 3, 2024: Junior League Softball World Series
- July 29-August 4, 2024: Senior League Softball World Series
- August 4-11, 2024: Little League Softball® World Series (50th Anniversary), Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods
- August 14-25, 2024: Little League Baseball® World Series, Presented by T-Mobile
- October 2024 (Date TBD): Girls with Game Experience
Making A Difference
While the #GWG50 Campaign is meant to be a year-long celebration, it is only a small piece of Little League’s dedication to the overall initiative. Promoting and encouraging female participation in Little League is paramount to our core values of inclusion and building community. As we endeavor to create equitability in our program, bring new training opportunities to coaches and volunteers, and grow support for local leagues, it is imperative that Little League communities work together to create new opportunities to attract and keep girls in the program. As part of its strategic goals, Little League is committed to providing equal participation opportunities for girls in Little League by 2032, as well as increasing the percentage of female coaches by 30% in that time. Through this initiative, Little League has also partnered with The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport and DePaul University to pursue specific research to learn about current strengths and weaknesses related to engaging girls and women in the Little League program and to pilot a coach-training specific to coaching girls.
Additionally, this February, Little League will be launching a $250,000 grant program as part of the celebration to help invest in the growth, development, and support of female participation across the board. This grant funding will be used for a variety of different areas, including leagues that add softball programs, marketing opportunities to expand existing softball programs, umpire school scholarships for female umpires, scholarships for clinics and other training events, and support of female participation in baseball programs. More information about the grant program will be communicated in February when it launches.
Help Us Change the Game
The #GWG50 Campaign is designed to celebrate 50 years of female inclusion, create awareness, and stir advocacy for including women and girls in sports, but to truly make a difference, we need help from all our volunteers, families, participants, and communities. Here’s just a few ways you can join in on the celebration, and help us change the game forever:
- Local League Celebration Toolkit: To help its local leagues join in on the celebration, Little League will be putting together a digital toolkit for leagues to utilize all summer long.
- Girls with Game Photo Contest: In March, as part of its Girls with Game month celebration, Little League will be launching a specially-themed Photo Contest for communities and families to showcase their own Girls with Game from over the years and help us tell their stories.
- Join the Conversation on Social Media: All leagues, families, and communities are encouraged to join in the conversation by using #GWG50 and tagging @LittleLeague on all its official social media platforms.
- Share Your Story: If you have a Girls with Game story that you think we should tell, feel free to send us details and any relevant photos/videos to [email protected].
In Partnership
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.
To learn more about the entire #GWG50 Celebration, including the 50th Anniversary of the Little League Softball World Series, visit LittleLeague.org/GWG50.