While being drafted by Portland Cascade to play professional softball with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is Mia Davidson’s proudest accomplishment, her journey is full of life lessons and impactful moments that all started during her days as a Little League Baseball® star.
“It was fun playing Little League Baseball because at that time, my dad took me to get my hair cut and it ended up being cut really short. I only had a little ponytail,” said Davidson. “After games, I would take off my hat and the guys on the other team would be shocked that I was a girl. That was one of the best experiences, just showing the boys that I could play like them or better than them.”
When Davidson wasn’t on the Orange County Little League diamond in Hillsborough, North Carolina, she was practicing her free throws on the basketball court, getting her touches in at the soccer field, setting up her teams for a spike at a volleyball match-up, or catching up with her teammates on the football field.
“Being a multisport athlete is so important for a young athlete because there are certain things you can take from one sport to the next, especially if you have one that you might favor, like softball,” said Davidson. “For me, one way was how I thought about each sport, like how strategy in basketball and volleyball is more about working with your team, and softball is a little more individualized, but you are still on a team. So, I made sure to carry that teamwork mindset into softball.”
Between getting ready for the 2026 AUSL season with her Cascade teammates, spending time with her friends and family, and pursuing her master’s degree in sports administration, Davidson stays just as busy as she did in her early, multisport playing days. As part of the Little League® Girls with Game® Month celebration in March, Little League sat down with Davidson for a “Six Innings Conversation” to learn more about her journey from Little League to the AUSL and to offer advice for the next generation of female athletes.
First Inning: What lessons did you learn from your early playing days that you have carried into your professional career with the AUSL?
Just finding the fun and remembering why you started playing the sport. Sometimes, because it is my job, I can kind of lose that perspective, and I find myself asking, “Why am I not having fun playing the sport I love?” If you don’t remind yourself that it’s about the fun and love for the game, then there is no point in playing. So, I think just finding the small joys and the small wins when I play.
Second Inning: You’ve played softball at every level from the Little League diamond to college and now professionally. How do you keep the game fun and exciting?
I saw this video by Derek Jeter where he was talking about just having a short-term memory. Yes, you want to take every play and every at-bat seriously, and do what you have to do to win, but at the same time, at the end of the day, it’s just a game. So, when I say, “have a short-term memory,” I just mean learning from what you did wrong and moving on to the next play or game because baseball and softball are games of failure. If you get hung up on everything you do wrong, it’s just going to be miserable. So, have a short-term memory.
Third Inning: What does it mean to you to be a Girl with Game?
Softball has taught me so much. It has taught me how to have confidence even in moments where I might not feel the most confident. It has given me the strength to believe in myself even when times are tough… Being a Girl with Game and being a role model for kids is one of the biggest honors you can ever have. If you know that you’re playing the game the right way and doing what you have to do to be your best version, and kids look up to you for it, that’s truly a blessing. It’s what I strive for.
Fourth Inning: From your experience, what type of experiences or environments help female athletes build confidence and gain leadership skills?
One big experience that did it for me was joining the AUSL. Having people who love the game as much as I do and in the same way, like almost an obsession, opens your eyes to new pieces of the sport, and you think, “yeah, maybe I can do this.” Being around the right people in the right environment gives you so much gratitude and appreciation for the sport. I think when youth athletes get around the right people, it makes the game more fun, it helps them understand the impact the sport can have on them, and it gives them the confidence they might need on and off the field.
Fifth Inning: What advice do you have for a young female athlete who is just starting their career on the softball diamond?
Have patience with yourself. Softball and baseball are not easy sports. Have patience and buy into what coaches are telling you. Be coachable. Be willing to do anything to make yourself better. Whether it looks ridiculous, or you have to move a certain way or have to do a certain drill, just buy into what your coach is telling you and trust the process.
Sixth Inning: If a friend of yours was signing their daughter up to play softball and they asked, “Why Little League,” how would you answer?
I just appreciate everything Little League has done for me. Even when I was playing baseball, it gave me an opportunity to grow and thrive as a female athlete on a field with boys and still be successful. So, the fact that I did that on the baseball diamond and now young girls can do it with each other on the softball diamond, helping each other grow and be empowered, that’s even better.
NOTE: If you know of a Little League graduate who would fit into any of these categories and is not listed, please complete the Little League Alumni Submission form. To learn more about former Little Leaguers who have gone on to incredible careers, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni.
Learn more about Athletes Unlimited and the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) by visiting AUProSports.com.