With a record-holding NCAA Division I volleyball coach for a mom, and a dad who was an All-American track and field star, Carley Hoover’s journey in sports was written long before she ever stepped onto a Little League® diamond.
While growing up in South Carolina, Hoover found her love for softball while watching the Little League Softball® World Series (LLSWS) on television with her father.
“What got me into Little League was seeing it on TV. Female sports are everywhere now. You are walking through the airport and seeing it on TV, and it is so cool that we are living in that age,” said Hoover. “Back in the day, only the finals and semifinals were on TV, so you had to be really good to get to that stage. I was watching it with my dad, and he said, ‘We could do this. Let’s join the Little League. Let’s be the best in the world. Let’s do it.’ That is where it came from. I saw the best and thought I could do that.”
In 2008, Carley Hoover achieved that goal, leading her team to victory at the LLSWS in Portland, Oregon. Nearly two decades later — after a successful collegiate career at Louisianna State University, multiple years pitching with Team USA Softball, and being drafted into the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) — Hoover returned to the LLSWS, this time in Greenville, North Carolina, with her parents, Jolene and Dave, as they accepted the 2025 George and Barbara Bush Little League® Parents of the Year Award.
As she took in the fun and excitement of the atmosphere in Greenville, Little League sat down with Carley for a “Six-Inning Conversation” to find out what it was like to be back at the LLSWS and how her Little League experiences have impacted her journey today as a professional softball player.
First Inning: How does it feel to be back at the Little League Softball® World Series?
There are a lot of memories I haven’t just put away; I have just been living in other softball worlds as I have continued to age. It has been fun to open that box again and think about old and fun stories about Little League. As a kid, you didn’t realize what a big deal the Little League Softball World Series is, and what a big deal it is to win it. Now, to see everything that goes into it behind the scenes, like the all-women grounds crew, there are so many little details that Little League does so well. It has been really cool to come back and be a fan.”
Second Inning: As their daughter, what does it mean to you to have your parents recognized as the 2025 Little League Parents of the Year?
Little League would not have been possible for me if it weren’t for my parents and my dad driving me an hour and 15 minutes to practice every day. My parents made it happen for me, so for someone else to tell them they did a good job, and not just me, it was special to me and means a lot to them.
Third Inning: What is something you will take away from being at the LLSWS with your parents?
Almost like a championship or a memory or an experience, it is not something that can be taken away from you. This is going to be a milestone in my life where I can look back on and appreciate the chapter that Little League was for me, and appreciate everything it did for me. What my parents were for me then, and what they are for me now, it’s just a cherry on top of everything. It just makes it a little sweeter.
Fourth Inning: You grew up playing softball, volleyball, and football. What are the benefits of playing multiple sports as a youth athlete?
It is so beneficial to learn team building, how to be a good teammate, and how to be a good person. Different skills transfer in every sport. So, I think it’s so important to grow up and just be well-rounded.
Fifth Inning: What advice would you give to parents raising Little Leaguers?
Top advice I’d give to other parents, especially Little League parents, is no matter what to just be encouraging. No matter what happened, even when I messed up, I was encouraged to figure it out. No one wrote the blueprint for me. They let me figure it out, and they led me to the answer. I feel like I see a lot of parents just kind of overdo it sometimes. Your kid is going to get there, they are going to figure it out, and they are going to know it a lot better if they can get there in their own way, and you can just be supportive.
Sixth Inning: If someone was looking to sign their kid up for baseball or softball, and they asked you, “Why Little League?” What would you share with them?
Why Little League? The culture and people. There is no comparison. No matter where you are in life, it is the people who make it. I feel like the people I grew up with in Little League, my teammates, coaches, parents, volunteers, every single stage we were at, everyone was so wonderful. Even now, being back at the World Series with the production team and everyone involved, it is just so awesome.
Learn more about Athletes Unlimited and the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) by visiting AUProSports.com. To learn more about Little League Softball and find a league near you, visit LittleLeague.org/Softball.