What a coach first noticed about Mo'ne Davis
The first headline, leading off a , didn鈥檛 even note her name. 鈥�South Philly girl, 10, excels in several sports.鈥�
Three years later, Mo鈥檔e Davis鈥檚 was first tweeted by first lady Michelle Obama. Mo鈥檔e, now a 13-year-old pitcher 鈥� with a fastball that crosses the plate at 70 miles an hour, was named Sports Illustrated Kids鈥� 鈥淪ports Kid of the Year鈥� on Monday morning.
The designation is just the most recent for Mo'ne. Earlier this year, she became the first Little Leaguer to land a Sports Illustrated cover聽while playing for the league. She was the fourth girl ever to play in the Little League World Series.
The media narrative surrounding Mo鈥檔e began by examining the young girl鈥檚 talent and soon followed her team, , to the final competition. Today, hours after Ms. Obama鈥檚 announcement and the official release, it鈥檚 clear that Mo鈥檔e herself won鈥檛 soon leave the national eye.
Mo鈥檔e, of Philadelphia, didn鈥檛 start playing sports on the pitcher鈥檚 mound. Instead, the Tribune noted her broad athleticism, reporting that a coach saw her perfect football spiral when she tossed the ball to her older brother and cousins.
The coach was Steve Bandura, a program director at a South Philadelphia recreation center. He then invited her to his formerly all-male team鈥檚 basketball practice.
At practice, the boys practiced the three-man weave drill, in which players pass moving between three lines.
鈥淗er eyes were just glued on the drill and when it came time for her turn, she went through it like she has been doing it a thousand times,鈥� Mr. Bandura told the Tribune in that first 2011 story. 鈥淚 just knew right then.鈥�
Bandura recounts throwing and catching a baseball with Mo鈥檔e for the first time in a , directed by Spike Lee and released in late October.
Mo鈥檔e threw to Bandura, who tossed the ball back, he says in the film. A split-second worry entered his mind 鈥� most first-time glove wearers hold the mitt below their chin to catch a baseball, and the ball hits their face.
Not Mo鈥檔e.
鈥淪he catches it and gets right in the back of the line, like she鈥檇 been wearing it for her entire life,鈥� he says.
Both her family鈥檚 attention and the national spotlight saw Mo鈥檔e's talent when the team made it to the Little League World Series 鈥� her mother, Lakeisha McLean, then understood her talent, Ms. McLean says in the short film by Mr. Lee.
When the Taney Dragons made it to the Little League World Series in early August, and other outlets lauded the team鈥檚 diversity.
鈥淭aney mirrors much of the city. African American, white, four of mixed race, including a son of a Vietnamese immigrant, tall (6-foot-1), not so tall (a breath over five feet), from all over, top students at eight different schools, public, charter, parochial, and private, most on generous scholarships. Plus the singular Mo'ne.鈥� 聽
Though the team would to Jackie Robinson West, from Illinois, 鈥渢he singular Mo鈥檔e鈥� has stayed in the spotlight 鈥� and now, many note her importance to and her contributions to gender equality.
"Boys diss softball players just because they don't think we're as good. I think most girls would be afraid of playing baseball and not willing to take the chance,鈥� a Pennsylvania 16-year-old told ABC News in a .听
One 11-year-old told ABC that Mo鈥檔e 鈥渞edefines 鈥榮he throws like a girl鈥欌�� 鈥� the name of the Lee film and .
The first lady, in an Aug. 18 tweet, agreed.
, 鈥淢o鈥檔e Davis: Remember My Name,鈥� through HarperCollins in mid-March.
