Curveballs

“Curveballs… Lessons in the Game of Life” tells the story of the Louisville Slugger Warriors, the world’s only amputee baseball team. The team was started by local Estero resident David Van Sleet who had spent his entire career developing prosthesis for disabled Veterans. According to Van Sleet “I wanted to give hope not only to disabled veterans but also show the world that almost anything is possible if you put your mind to it”. Among the teammates featured in the film are several veterans who proudly served in both Iran and Iraq before losing their limbs. Other teammates like Luke Brittian lost his limbs in tragic accidents; in Luke’s case it was losing a hand to a lawnmower. According to second baseman Derek Holcom “never in a million years did I think I would ever be an amputee,” which was before he was shot by a fellow hunter who mistook him for a deer. But Derek doesn’t focus on the loss; instead, he is grateful for the opportunity to continue playing sports and showing others that being disabled doesn’t mean not doing what you love. According to the film’s director and nine-time Emmy award winner John Biffar, “It’s the most inspirational project I have ever been involved with and I’m so grateful to the players who shared their personal stories with us.” The Louisville Slugger Warriors are coached by former major league players, including the teams head coach Curtis Pride. Curtis played for eleven years on various teams in the major leagues and was the first deaf player to play in the modern era. Curtis has just released a new book chronicling his incredible life story, entitled “I Felt the Cheers”. Also featured in the film is legendary pitcher Jim Abbott, who famously threw a no-hitter for the Yankees with only one hand. According to Van Sleet “Jim has been an inspiration to the other one-handed pitchers on the team who learned from his technique”. While the Louisville Sluggers are all amputees, they play against other able-bodied players who have no such handicaps, so what’s amazing is the Sluggers win more than they lose. While the film is centred around the game of baseball, the stories it shares have more to do with the role that both attitude and gratitude play in living life to the fullest.