Joto Little League (Tokyo, Japan) has been named the recipient of the 2025 Jack Losch Little League Baseball® World Series Team Sportsmanship Award based on their display of sportsmanship on and off the field. This marks the fifth time a team from Japan has received this award, including the second year in a row. Just two weeks prior, Japan was also named the recipient of the 2025 Girls with Game® Team Sportsmanship Award at the Little League Softball® World Series.
“Sportsmanship is at the core of everything we do within the Little League program and those moments shine the brightest when on the biggest stage in youth sports at our World Series events each summer,” said Pat Wilson, Little League President and CEO. “Over the course of these past few weeks, the players and coaches of Joto Little League have exemplified respect, integrity, and most importantly sportsmanship to their fellow teams, volunteers, staff, and fans both on and off the field. On behalf of us at Little League International and more importantly the approximately two million children and one million volunteers that we serve each year, we are honored to present Japan with this year’s sportsmanship award.”
Voted on by the 20 participating teams, as well as the team hosts, volunteers, members of the media, and the Little League staff, the Jack Losch Little League Baseball World Series Team Sportsmanship Award recognizes the team that exemplifies a tremendous amount of sportsmanship both on and off the field, including the team’s time in the dormitories, dining hall, and interview room as well as their performance on the field.
About Jack Losch and the Team Sportsmanship Award
As a boy, Jack Losch was the center fielder on the first Little League Baseball World Championship team in 1947. As a young man, he established football rushing marks that continue to be in the record books today at the University of Miami where he was an All-American as a senior in 1955. A year later, he became the first Little League Baseball World Series participant to play a professional sport when he was selected in the first round of the National Football League amateur draft by the Green Bay Packers. In 2004, the Jack Losch Little League Baseball World Series Team Sportsmanship Award was established and is presented to a Series team each year that best exemplifies the spirit that Mr. Losch displayed both on and off the playing field.
Previous Recipients:
- 2004-Kutno LL, Kutno, Poland
- 2005-Whalley LL, Surrey, B.C., Canada
- 2006-Whalley LL, Surrey, B.C., Canada
- 2007 -Windmills Alpeldoorn (Netherlands) LL
- 2008-Edogawa Minami LL, Tokyo, Japan
- 2009-Hastings Community LL, Vancouver, B.C.
- 2010-Edogawa Minami LL, Tokyo, Japan
- 2011-Hamamatsu Minami LL, Hamanatsu City, Japan
- 2012-Lugazi LL, Lugazi, Uganda
- 2013-Perth Metro Central LL, Perth, Australia
- 2014-Coquivacoa LL, Maracaibo, Venezuela
- 2015-Webb City LL, Webb City, Mo.
- 2016-Maine-Endwell LL, Endwell, N.Y.
- 2017-Hills LL, Sydney, Australia
- 2018-Honolulu LL, Honolulu, Hawaii; Peachtree City LL, Peachtree City, Ga. (co-winners)
- 2019-Cacique Mara LL, Maracaibo, Venezuela
- 2020-No Award Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
- 2021-Honolulu LL, Honolulu, Hawaii
- 2022-Nolensville LL, Nolensville, Tenn.
- 2023-Kuei-Shan LL, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei
- 2024-Johoku LL, Tokyo, Japan
- 2025-Joto LL, Tokyo, Japan
To learn more about the importance of sportsmanship in the Little League program, including important resources for local leagues, visit LittleLeague.org/Sportsmanship.