Coral Springs, Florida – At Williamsport, Pennsylvania’s Little League Girls with Game Experience last weekend, a girl from Coral Springs, Florida, who is eleven years old, played baseball.
For North Springs Little League middle infielder and center fielder Gia Widom, it was a monumental event.
In the end, she was accepted to participate in the three-day event alongside about a hundred other young women from all over the country after she applied earlier this year.
“She loved it,” said Gia’s father, Gary Widom. “The comradery was amazing. And to have girls with the same opportunity as anyone else, it was fantastic.”
Gia has been a lifelong Coral Springs resident and baseball player since the tender age of four.
“What I like about playing baseball is the sportsmanship and the teamwork that all the players have together,” she said. “Hitting, fielding, catching fly balls, and playing positions altogether.”
The small number of female baseball players at North Springs Little League is not unexpected given the large number of female softball players in other leagues.
According to her dad, it’s unusual to see more than one female player on a team.
It is believed by experts in youth sports that there are approximately 100,000 girls that participate in baseball leagues around the country.
“You have all-girls basketball, all-girls soccer. It would be nice to see an all-girls baseball team,” he said.
There should be more female players on the squad, according to Gia.
“I think more girls should play baseball because I feel like if we have more girls playing baseball it will show boys all over the world that it’s not just the boys who can play these sports. Girls can too,” she said.
However, Gia mentioned that she isn’t very bothered about competing against men.
“It just feels good to have good competition. You know, playing with other boys. It’s not like, oh, girls have to play this sport and boys have to play this sport. I can play with them and have the competition I want and need,” she said.
Gia has a karate brown belt, plays travel soccer, maintains a perfect GPA, and plays baseball on the side.
She will be a sixth grader at Coral Springs Charter next year after just graduating from Coral Springs’ Country Hills Elementary.
“I’m just really proud of my daughter,” said Gary.
By the way, Gia’s long-term career goal is to become a veterinarian, but she plans to keep playing baseball for as long as she can.
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