More than 50 years ago, Victoria Roche made history as the first female to play in the Little League Baseball® World Series, competing with her teammates from Brussels (Belgium) Little League. Since then, more than 20 females followed in Roche’s footsteps, making the trip to Williamsport with the dream of being the first female to clinch the championship title.
While the names of those pioneers will forever be etched in program history, there is another group of inspiring Girls with Game® who also have a story to tell. Roche might have been the first female in the LLBWS, but she was not the first female to play on the iconic field of Howard J. Lamade Stadium.
In 1975, athletes from eight teams spent the end of their summer in Central Pennsylvania, but for the first and only time in Little League® history, four of the teams were there to compete in the Little League Softball® World Series. Among the four were the Girls with Game from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, ready to represent their community and the entire Central Region.
“I remember seeing Lamade Stadium for the first time. We had our pictures taken at the top of the hill, like the teams today still do. I just thought, ‘Holy cow, look at this place.’ It was incredible,” said Mimi Smith, 1975 LLSWS participant. “In Wisconsin, we played on little fields with bleachers, had matching t-shirts and shorts during the regular season, and got the boys’ old uniforms for the All-Stars season. Then we got to Williamsport, and we were all decked out and looked like we were players on a team.”
As a kid, Smith could always be found outside. So, when Little League Softball was founded in 1974 – following a legal battle won by 12-year-old Maria Pepe – it was a no-brainer for Smith and her sister to be two of the nearly 30,000 girls who signed up in the first season. They attended tryouts, were selected for teams, and it was the highlight of their summer.
One year later, in Smith’s second year playing, she made the Sturgeon Bay Little League All-Star team. With the softball program being so new, communities across the country were still figuring out how to bring it to life and incorporate it into their local leagues. Luckily for the Sturgeon Bay girls, their community jumped on board quickly, giving them support that felt equal to the baseball program.
“Little League Softball was the first team sport opportunity for girls in our community, and everybody in our community loved it and cheered us on,” said Smith. “Looking back, you didn’t realize at the time how much was going on behind the scenes. We were 12 years old. We showed up, played, and did what we were told. Years later, we are finding out about all the fundraising and things people in our community did to help us. They had the games on the radio, wanting to be a part of it. We found this stuff out years and years later, and it was eye-opening.”
Fast forward 50 years, and Smith returned to Williamsport for the first time since their tournament run with teammates Jody Wheat and Ann Jarman, as well as 1976 LLSWS participant Heather Spetz. Walking through the dugouts of Lamade Stadium, seeing kids slide down the hill, and sitting in the stands with thousands of fans flooded them with memories.
Wheat learned the game from her dad and three older brothers, playing against each other in their backyard. When a softball program was added to Sturgeon Bay LL and tryouts opened, it was a big deal not just for Wheat but for her entire family. They bought her a glove, got her to tryouts, and she got to play on her first team, made up of all female athletes.
“It was absolutely amazing to have had that experience. So many people would have loved to have had that opportunity,” said Wheat. “It’s lifelong friendships, lifelong memories. It’s getting together with your friends years later, like we are now, and rehashing what we did. I remember playing ping-pong in the rec hall with a bunch of the other kids. I remember all of it. We had so much camaraderie, and everyone was so welcoming. We just had such a great bonding experience.”
The Central Region girls may have finished in fourth place, losing both games, but when Smith thinks about the top five things that have happened in her life, competing in Williamsport is a part of that list.
“I don’t remember how every play happened, but I remember stepping onto the field and looking up in the stands and seeing my mom and dad there, and I was confused how they got there. I didn’t know they were coming,” said Smith. “Being dairy farmers, you didn’t just leave. It was all day, every day. Seeing them in the stadium made me feel so happy. Through the years, my dad kept all the clippings and stuff, and I didn’t know he was saving all of that. They were proud of all of us kids and really wanted to support us.”
In 2025, as they looked out from the Visitors’ dugout at Lamade Stadium, ready to take the field for their ceremonial first pitch at the 2025 LLBWS, Mimi, Jody, Heather, and Ann couldn’t help but feel that same sense of pride their parents once felt while sitting in the stands 50 years ago. Pride in the friendships they have maintained, in what they accomplished, and the part they have played in making youth sports more inclusive for females.
“It makes me feel wonderful that we were a part of building that,” said Wheat. “Little League has progressed so much. I coached softball with a friend of mine, and he remembered watching us play in Sturgeon Bay and then listening to our games on the radio while we were in Williamsport. To hear that, you just remember how groundbreaking it was. I try to remind my players that a lot of women came before them to make what they have today possible.”
For female athletes whose journeys on the field are just starting, Smith hopes they dream big and remember to have fun.
“You never know what it’s going to be like unless you do it. Dream big. We never thought that we’d make it to Williamsport. But if you dream big, dreams can come true. Shoot for the stars. Be a good teammate, because it’s not just you that got you where your team is. It’s everybody. Have confidence in them,” added Smith. “And again, the biggest thing is having fun because that’s what it’s all about. It’s a game. Losing is not fun, but you learn from that, and it’s an experience. You just put that in other aspects of your life and carry it forward.”
As a former softball coach and physical education teacher who worked daily with young females, Wheat’s advice is to never think about the limitations.
“Any chance you get, you take it and grab it by the horns and go. Don’t turn it down. You never know what you can do. You never know what your possibilities are,” said Wheat. “There shouldn’t be any limitations when you’re that young, and that’s how we felt when we were that young because nobody told us there were supposed to be limitations, and look where we got.”
Each year, Little League International pays for the housing, travel for international and domestic teams, meals, and accommodations for all teams that compete at all seven World Series tournaments. The cost of operating all of Little League’s Region Tournaments and the seven World Series Tournaments totals more than $12.5 million annually, with the Little League Baseball® World Series in Williamsport costing approximately $7.5 million alone, as part of Little League’s overall annual operating budget. Ranging anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000, the average cost to travel teams to the LLBWS each year is approximately $30,000 per team, while the average cost to run a U.S. Region Tournament (both Baseball and Softball) each year is approximately $450,000. The organization continues to look for ways to enhance the overall experience for not only the players, coaches, and umpires, but for all fans and families who make the bucket-list trip to the birthplace of Little League each summer.
To learn more about Little League’s efforts to enhance the World Series experience and donate to support these efforts, visit LittleLeague.org/Impact.