Mo'Ne Davis Predictably Named 'SportsKid of the Year'

Sports Illustrated Kids has named baseball phenom Mo’Ne Davis as its “SportsKid of the Year 2014.” The honor and accompanying cover story rounds out what I can confidently say has been the best year of the eight grader’s life.

Davis catapulted to fame this summer when she became one of only 18 girls to ever pitch in a Little League World Series and the first female player to pitch a shutout in the history of the Little League World Series.

Davis has appeared in the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Teen Vogue and landed the cover of Sports Illustrated. She was also the subject of Spike Lee’s 16-minute documentary, Mo’Ne Davis: Throw Like A Girl.

The story focuses not just on Davis’ accomplishments, but on the impact she has had on young girls across the country who now have a female baseball player to look up to. Says 10 year-old Isabel Tilles:

She made me believe I could be just as good or better than the boys. I don’t have to model myself after a male baseball player, like [San Francisco Giants catcher] Buster Posey, who’s my favorite. I’ve got Mo’ne now