Girls with Game® is more than just a phrase. It’s more than just a strategic initiative for the Little League® program. It’s a movement.
And, for the nearly 100 young ladies and their coaches, as well as the all-female volunteer umpiring crew, the 2025 Maria Pepe Little League Baseball® Legacy Series became a celebration of new friendships, inspirational stories, and most importantly one of Little League’s five core values — FUN.
While the weekend itself was filled with competitive baseball, special moments together in the Rec Hall, and an opportunity to meet the namesake of the second-ever event, the excitement of this year’s event started before the players even arrived on the complex.
Girls Got Jokes, As Well
While the event itself was focused around having fun on the field, this year’s participants also proved they had some humor heading into the weekend, providing some of their best jokes that were shared on Little League’s official Instagram account.
What Does It Mean to be a “Girls with Game,” Really?
Heading into this year’s event, all of the participants had the opportunity to answer the question “What Does it Mean to be a Girl with Game,” and as expected, the responses were not only inspiring, but a testament to the power of the Little League Girls with Game Initiative.
Kids Being Kids
From the moment they check in at registration and go to pick up their equipment in the Rec Hall, the focus of the weekend is always on the experience of the players. One of the unique parts about the Maria Pepe Little League Baseball Legacy Series is that all of the players, coaches, and umpires have the opportunity to stay in the Dr. Creighton J. Hale International Grove, the same home to the LLBWS participants each year, where they get to interact with each other, enjoy the fun of the Little League Playground and the Rec Hall, and share all meals with their teammates and fellow participants all weekend long.
Kickstart with a Clinic
Before officially taking the field with their teammates, all of the girls had the opportunity to meet up with their coaches for a quick clinic on Friday evening, giving a chance to showcase their skills and warm up before heading into their weekend of competition.
Meeting Maria Pepe
Following their first dinner together, all of the participants had the opportunity to gather in the Rec Hall for a conversation with Maria Pepe, the inspiring pioneer who the event was named after. As part of the intimate conversation with the girls, the Hoboken, New Jersey, native shared more about her personal Little League story that began in the early 1970s and changed the game forever, opening doors to provide opportunities for females that had never been available before.
Watching See Her, Be Her
In addition to the memory of meeting Maria Pepe, all of the participants also had the opportunity to screen the film See Her Be Her, a story that follows the lives of seven women baseball stars who are at the pinnacle of their game and represent the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, South Korea, Cuba and Uganda. The movie 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 is directed and produced by acclaimed sports photographer Jean Fruth, and co-produced by Jeff Idelson, former president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, who both stopped by to talk about the film. Learn more about the film, here.
Fun Team Names and Exciting Game Action
Over the course of the weekend, each team had the opportunity to enjoy three games across Howard J. Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums, but rather than just keeping the simple name of the color on the front of their jerseys, the teams had the opportunity to bond together and come up with their own names on Friday evening:
- Navy Blue Bombers
- Red Bloodhounds
- Hot Pink Energizers
- Purple People Eaters
- Sky Blue Icebreakers
- Green Broccoli Bros
- Aqua Knights
- Orange Smokin Sluggers
Girls with Game, Together
Joined by Maria Pepe, as well as Justine Siegal from Baseball for All (who provided the coaching and clinic support throughout the weekend), all of the participants, coaches, and umpires gathered together on Howard J. Lamade Stadium on Saturday evening for a group photo, uniting all of the Girls with Game from the weekend together in a moment of reflection, memories, and most importantly setting the foundation for the next generation of Girls with Game to come.
Thank You Sponsors
While the true focus was on making sure all the participants had an experience they would never forget, none of it would’ve been possible if it were not for Little League’s official sponsors who supported the event, providing the uniforms, equipment, caps, hydration, and more throughout the weekend.
We couldn’t have done this weekend’s #MariaPepeLegacySeries without the help from our sponsors! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/tP47Tj9Kbv
— Little League (@LittleLeague) June 6, 2025