How Mo'ne Davis Is Changing the World

The fresh perspective and energy of young hearts and minds has sometimes led to inventions and efforts that have changed the world. This is one in a series of articles profiling people who have done just that before their 18th birthday. Our hope is that they will remind you that because of continual progress in education and technology, today’s teens have amazing power and potential to make our lives better in so many ways.

Mo’ne Davis

At just 14 years old, Mo’ne has a resume that is difficult to top. While her celebrity stems from her performance in the 2014 Little League World Series, Mo’ne’s athleticism extends to basketball, which she considers her primary sport, football, and soccer. Mo’ne Davis is changing the world through her refusal to abide by gender stereotypes, becoming a role model for girls and boys alike.

Accomplishments and accolades:

August 2014- Mo’ne graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as the first Little Leaguer to ever do so. A recent analysis of 11 years of Sports Illustrated covers shows that women only appear on about five percent of the magazine’s covers, adding to the impressiveness of Mo’ne’s feature.
August 2014- Helped her team, Taney Dragons, become one of the final 16 World Series contenders.
September 2014: Mo’ne donated a jersey she wore during the Little League World Series to the Baseball Hall of Fame
October 2014- The 14 year old phenom threw out the first pitch at game four of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals
October 2014- Named one of Harper’s Bazaar‘s 2014 Women Who Dare
October 2014- Named one of Time‘s 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014

The Taney Dragons star was even on the roster for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which took place Friday, February 13th at Madison Square Garden.

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What Mo’ne has taught us:

Do not let gender stereotypes (or any stereotypes) get in the way of doing what you love
Aspire to “throw like a girl”
Take time to be a kid. Even with her busy tournament schedules and media appearances, Mo’ne takes time to be a normal teenager. Check out her appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and get ready to want to be her best friend:

The importance of setting and working toward your goals. Mo’ne Davis aspires to play basketball for the University of Connecticut and, eventually, for the WNBA. She explained to the Huffington Post that playing varsity basketball is making her a better athlete and helping her to make decisions, “In middle school, I can get away with small things. The girls now are a lot taller so I’m working on my jump shot and ball handling a lot.” Mo’ne has determined what she needs to do to achieve her goals and she puts those plans into practice every day.
Be uplifting. CNN shares how Mo’ne highlights her teammates, all of them boys, even when the media consistently features our favorite pint-sized powerhouse. On the same note, Mo’ne affirms other female athletes. She appreciated that there was another girl, Emma March, at the Little League World Series who could relate to her experiences.

She teaches us to be grateful through her admiration for her coach, her teammates, and the professionals who inspire her.
Lead by example. Davis explains how she remains gracious, “A lot of adults around me help out, taught me to be respectful, to be calm during everything and not let anything get to you.”
Work hard/play hard and the importance of time management. Mo’ne Davis also excels academically, telling Hunffington Post that, “It’s all about time management, how you plan your projects and not waiting until the last minute.” Mo’ne attends Springside Chestnut Academy, one of the top private schools in Philadelphia, and is an honor student who makes the hour-plus commute from her home in southwest Philadelphia.

While her celebrity and athletic abilities surpass that of typical teenagers, Mo’ne Davis is quick to show us that she is still a kid. Her Twitter picture features her and Tom Hanks and, like she told Sports Illustrated, she’s kind of creeped out by the whole fame thing. Not that that’s going to stop her from taking over the world. Or at least demanding its attention. Mo’ne Davis is changing the world through her assimilation into typically male dominated sports and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Featured Image – People Magazine (GENE J. PUSKAR/AP)