The 2024 Little League® season may have marked the celebration of 50 years of softball, but as we said at the end of that year, it was only the beginning and the historic #SummerOfSoftball we experienced in 2025 proved it to be true. Join us as we reflect back on this memorable summer journey, which all kicked off with the Girls with Game® Month in March.
Throughout the month, we showcased some of the incredible stories of our players and volunteers, checked in on the progress of some of our #GWG50 Grant Recipients, took an inside look at the first-ever LLSWS Champions with their visit to Greenville, and kicked off early registration for our 2025 Girls with Game Experience in October.
In April, we shifted gears and thanked the incredible volunteers who make our program possible, including the all-female grounds crew who make the Little League Softball World Series field such a memorable place to play each year.
April also marked a historic month with the launch of our new Little League Softball® Unlimited events, featured in four key cities as part of the overall AUSL “This is Legendary” Preseason Tour, helping fans learn about the league in their own communities while connecting young softball players to their role models. Each weekend throughout the month of April, local Little League Softball programs had the opportunity to learn directly from a group of AUSL players – including Oldsmar (Fla.) LL grad Aliyah Andrews – as part of a panel discussion before meeting and smiling for pictures with the young athletes. In addition to the off-field learnings, the Little Leaguers also had the opportunity to compete on the diamond using the scoring system developed by Athletes Unlimited and used during the AUSL All-Star Cup, including at the 2025 AUSL Pro Games at the Little League Softball World Series, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
Moving forward to May, Little League also saw two of its graduates — Devyn Netz and Raelin Chaffin — officially get selected during the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Draft after earning their iconic “Golden Ticket” moment. Netz, a graduate of Sierra Madre (Calif.) Little League, was selected by the Bandits in the third round, earning the 10th overall selection in this year’s draft. Chaffin, who led her Bossier Little League (Bossier City, La.) team to the 2014 Little League Softball® World Series, earned the final selection in the 2025 draft, being named to the Talons as the 12th overall pick in the third round.
From the top collegiate teams taking the field at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City to the inaugural AUSL season officially kicking off, Little League graduates were taking the field all across the nation to represent their teams and ultimately their communities throughout May and June.
The official first-round pairings for the 2025 LLSWS were also announced in June as part of National Little League Week, announcing that this season would mark a record 27 softball games set to air on linear networks, featuring all seven U.S. Region Championship games as well as 13 of the 22 games at the LLSWS, including the championship game on ABC for the third-consecutive year.
Shortly after the schedule for the LLSWS was announced, Japan made history with its win at the Asia-Pacific Region Tournament in only its first year as a chartered Little League program, giving the Girls with Game from Iwate a chance to compete in Greenville. While they did not win the World Series championship banner, their respect and displays of sportsmanship did not go unnoticed, earning them the honor of the 2025 Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award.
Just a month later, Brazil continued the historic summer with its win at the Latin America Region Tournament, sending Cantareira Little League out of São Paulo, Brazil, to Greenville for the first time in the country’s history.
August in Greenville is nothing short of memorable, from the start of Opening Ceremonies to the fun memories made at the Girls with Game Celebration, and everything in between. On the field, the event proved to be one of the most competitive in the event’s recent history and brought fans both in person and at home to turn their attention to these incredible Girls with Game.
In addition to all the on-field magic, the LLWS Fan Zone was in full-effect throughout the Little League Softball World Series, giving fans the opportunity to interact with Little League’s official sponsors as well as take a trip into the Official Souvenir Store.
The accolades were also brought off the field as Little League announced Dave and Jolene Hoover, parents of 2008 Little League Softball® World Series champion and current Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) athlete Carley Hoover and her sister Hayley, as the recipients of the 2025 George and Barbara Bush Little League Parents of the Year Award. The honor comes as only the second time a softball graduate’s parents have earned the award, with Kathryn Sandercock’s parents, Colin and Trish, earning the accolades in 2023.
While the AUSL Pro Games had to be canceled once again due to inclement weather, the fun and memories between the AUSL athletes and the Little Leaguers in Greenville was nothing short of amazing during their visit.
The love for the LLSWS didn’t end with the final out, however, as the Mid-Atlantic Region team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, became only the second team from the state to take home the championship banner. Just two weeks later, the team was brought to Williamsport for Championship Weekend at the Little League Baseball World Series, Presented by T-Mobile, to be recognized on field and share in the championship ceremony.
Girls with Game is more than just a phrase. It’s more than just an initiative. It’s the foundation for change that Little League and its supporters are able to drive behind in order to provide the next generation of girls with an opportunity to thrive. And, while Little League has seen support of its Girls with Game Initiative thrive all around the world, nobody has stepped up to the plate more than Tori Vidales who selected the Little League Girls with Game Initiative as her charity of choice as part of the AUSL All-Star Cup Season.
To learn more about the Little League Softball Program, including how to find or start a league near you, visit LittleLeague.org/Softball.