In their first-ever appearance at the Little League Softball® World Series, Tohoku Little League of Iwate, Japan, has been honored with the 2025 Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award, recognizing the team’s outstanding conduct and camaraderie both on and off the field in Greenville, North Carolina.
“As we reflect on another successful tournament full of competitive softball and lifelong memories, we are proud to name Tohoku Little League as the recipient of the 2025 Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award,” said Ashlea Miller, Little League Director of Softball Development and Little League Softball World Series Tournament Director. “While this marks the first year Japan has ever participated in the Little League Softball World Series, this team has truly lived out the core values of the Little League program and exemplified what it means to be Girls with Game throughout the entirety of this tournament.”
First introduced in 2021, the Girls with Game Team Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to the team that best represents the values of the Little League Girls with Game initiative. Launched in 2019, the initiative celebrates the contributions of girls and women in Little League and inspires the next generation of female athletes at every level of the program.
The award’s recipient is selected through a collaborative vote involving Little League International staff, the Little League Softball World Series Tournament Committee, team managers, volunteers, members of the media, and—thanks to a partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL)—professional softball players who participated in the AUSL Pro Games at the LLSWS.
During the tournament, Tohoku Little League not only competed at a high level but also demonstrated respect, inclusivity, and a positive spirit that resonated with fans, fellow players, and officials alike.
