Mo’ne Davis Is The First Little League Player To Grace Cover Of Sports Illustrated
Mo’ne Davis, the 13-year-old girl who plays for Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons in the Little League World Series, is making quite an impression in the world of sports.
Such an impression, in fact, that Sports Illustrated chose her to grace the cover of its magazine. Mo’ne Davis became the first Little Leaguer on the cover of the magazine in its 60-year history, according to Fox Sports.
Incredibly, Davis is the first female to throw a complete shutout and the 18th girl to play in the Little League World Series. She is the sixth girl to get a hit in the Series entire history as well. What else can this 13-year-old girl do?
Davis can certainly draw attention to Little League and inspire girls to get involved in sports where males dominate the fields. According to CNN, Mo’ne delivers a 70-mph fastball and has struck out player after player in the Series.
Mo’ne recently told ESPN that she needs to stay calm and cool in the limelight.
“I never thought that I would be a role model at this age…so I just have to be myself.”
The 5-foot-4-inch eighth-grader obviously knows how to keep it together as she makes history in the Little League World Series, and she is impressing girls, boys, women, and men all over the world.
Inside Edition host Deborah Norville wrote in an email, “A girl on the cover of Sports Illustrated for her prowess in a man’s sport. Mo’ne is wowing not just the sports world but all of us!”
Mo’ne started her journey to South Williamsport for the Little League World Series playing baseball in a former Philadelphia dump that served as a field. Now she has earned international attention, fans, and well-wishers. In return, Davis gives back to the sport by increasing interest in baseball and telling the world that girls can follow their dreams, too.
The ceaseless attention and people swarming around Davis to get autographs hasn’t shaken her cool demeanor, although she has admitted that it can be “annoying” at times when she just wants to relax. Her coaches insist that she can “say no” to interviews and autographs if she wants to, and they claim all the players are “completely enjoying themselves.”
According to The New York Times, when Davis was asked what she thought about making the cover on Sports Illustrated, she said, “I don’t know. Kind of surprised, but I mean, it was fun.”
Mo’ne continues to show people that gender-based biases in a variety of situations can be pitched out the window. Everyone will want to “throw like a girl” if it means that they can pitch like Mo’ne Davis.
[Images via AP/Gene J. Puskar]
