Parents of Athletes Unlimited Softball Star Named Little League Parents of the Year
Ahead of the start of the Little League Softball World Series, the tournament named Jolene and Dave Hoover its prestigious 2025 George and Barbara Bush Little League Parents of the Year.
The Hoovers are the parents of Carley and Hayley Hoover.
The George and Barbara Bush award is given annually at the World Series to parents who exemplify the values of Little League and are dedicated to creating a positive environment and experience for their kids.
Carley Hoover, a current Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) pitcher for the Blaze and former National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) and Team USA player, was also a 2008 Little League Softball World Series champion.
Pat Wilson, Little League President and CEO, said about Dave and Jolene Hoover, "They are the embodiment of that commitment and a positive example for the millions of parents all around the world who trust in our program. From the start, they prioritized fun, growth, and support in Carley’s Little League journey, ensuring that she not only became a great athlete but a great person.”
Hoovers Credit Little League for Daughters' Development
Carley played softball collegiately at LSU where she was a 2015 and 2018 NFCA All-American, while her sister continued her sports career trading the softball diamond for the volleyball court at Southern Wesleyan University.
But Carley and Hayley's love of sports started early as their mother Jolene was a collegiate volleyball coach at Clemson University while their father Dave coached their Little League teams.
The Hoovers and their team from Simpsonville, S.C., found their way to Portland, Oregon, for the Little League Softball World Series in 2008, where they went on to win the title.
It was a pivotal experience for the entire Hoover family that left a lasting impression; the family continued to develop their daughters' talents, positivity, and team-first attitude long past their Little League championship.
In discussing the impact of Little League, Dave stated, "We were just regular parents and wanted the best for our kids. We wanted to expose them to as many positive opportunities and experiences as they could have. Little League was a huge springboard for that. It let her know early on in her life what’s possible; if you set goals, work, and dream. Getting to the World Series was the biggest dream they had at that age, and they learned many life lessons from each year while having fun and handling adversity.”
Carley spoke about her parents' commitment to her and her sister and said, "I felt like my parents went out of their way 24/7 to make whatever my dreams were come true. I am not me without them.”
Jolene and Dave will be honored with the award, alongside Carley, before the 4 p.m. game on Tuesday when Europe-Africa and Central Region teams face off.
Allison Smith is an expert in leadership and organizational behavior in collegiate and professional women’s sports. Smith is a professor (Georgia State University), researcher, and writer. Smith holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in Kinesiology and Sport Studies. Smith’s research centers on combatting the underrepresentation of women leaders in sport, lack of organizational structure for work life integration for sport employees, and lack of programming and oversight for preparing athletes to transition to life after sport. Since graduating with a bachelor’s in journalism in 2011, Smith has sought opportunities to write about sports as a contributing writer focused on the growth of women’s collegiate, Olympic, and professional sports in this new age and movement for multiple outlets including Athletic Director U, and now Forbes.com. As a former Division I and II pitcher and Division III pitching coach Smith will bring unique insight and expertise to Softball on SI.
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