Fresh off the heels of its 50th Anniversary celebration, the Little League® Girls with Game® (GWG) Initiative saw direct donations from two great supporters in 2025, showcasing the importance of the initiative and the impact it has on young girls around the world.
The first donation came through the support of Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s Tori Vidales, who chose the GWG Initiative as her Athletes Cause for the AUSL All-Star Cup Season. After the inaugural AUSL season that saw her Talons team take home the championship, Vidales competed in the AUSL All-Star Cup in honor of the hundreds of thousands of young girls who take the Little League field each year, raising more than $2,000 for the cause. During her time in Greenville, North Carolina, as part of the AUSL Pro Games, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Vidales also took time to sit down with a pair of Little Leaguers® for a fun “Between Two Innings” conversation.
Along with Vidales’ support, the GWG Initiative saw continued support from the Grassroots Baseball team, with proceeds from its cross-country SEE HER BE HER documentary and book tour being donated to support the cause. See Her Be Her shatters a variety of stereotypes, as the seven players — through perseverance and resilience — push the boundaries of what’s possible both on and off the field. The film highlights their resolve to fight for gender equality for all female athletes and first aired during the Girls with Game 50 Celebration in 2024, which honored 50 years of female inclusion in the Little League program. Earlier this year, the book was also provided for free to all 96 participants of the 2025 Maria Pepe Little League Baseball® Legacy Series, along with a special screening for all the participants.
“We could not be more grateful to Tori Vidales, Athletes Unlimited Softball League, and to Grassroots Baseball co-founders Jean Fruth and Jeff Idelson for their trust and confidence in Little League and the Little League Girls with Game Initiative,” said Liz DiLullo Brown, Little League Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Business Relationship Officer. “This initiative has evolved from a simple desire to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day back in 2019 to now serving as a cornerstone to elevate our commitment to providing opportunities for girls to participate on all levels of our program. Through this effort we are committed to seeing girls experience the positive benefits of the Little League program.”
Since the Girls with Game Initiative first launched in 2019, it has since become so much more than just a celebration of girls and women in the program, but instead the foundation for Little League’s Female Initiative moving forward, which include creating more participation opportunities for girls in softball and baseball, opportunities to include more female volunteers in key positions and elevate unique tournament experiences for Softball World Series participants. Due to its efforts and the support of all our fans and volunteers, Little League has seen a 25% increase in Little League Softball® teams since 2019.
With a continued focus on female inclusion across its entire organization, Little League is making a positive impact on Girls with Game all around the world, and the GWG Initiative will continue to be a strategic focus for the organization in 2026 and beyond. Learn more about these efforts, and what you can do to help, by visiting LittleLeague.org/Impact.
To learn more about the Girls with Game Initiative, as well as take advantage of the great merchandise and local league toolkits available to help celebrate, visit LittleLeague.org/GirlsWithGame. Local leagues and districts are encouraged to bring the celebration of the initiative to life in their own communities, helping to provide more opportunities for young girls and female volunteers to get involved in the program.