Curveballs - Film Places First at Film Festival

June 1, 2025

By Nic Francois
Softball News Report

     FT. MYERS, Fla. – The Louisville Slugger Warriors, the traveling veteran amputee baseball/softball team that plays against Senior Softball USA’s celebrity team at the World Championships in Las Vegas, scores another win.

     But, this time it’s on the silver screen.

     Curveballs: Lessons in the Game of Life is a documentary highlighting the team’s players, focusing on how they overcame their injuries to continue playing their favorite sport. David Van Sleet, the organization’s founder and general manager, started the team in 2018 after combining his passion for baseball with his former career with the Army and Department of Veterans.

     “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,” said Van Sleet.

David Van Sleet (center) at the film festival's premier of the documentary, along with Len Whitehouse (left), the Warriors' pitching coach and former MLB pitcher, and Curtis Pride (right), the Warriors' head coach and former MLB player who is deaf.

     Curveballs, directed by John Biffar, began filming in Florida, January 2024. According to Estero Life Magazine, a publication of Van Sleet’s hometown of Estero, Fla., John Biffar is a nine-time Emmy award-winning documentary director and producer.

     The documentary premiered on May 14 at the Ft. Myers Film Festival, located at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center. The film, cast and crew, were honored to take home the first-place award for Best Featured Film that night.

     “It was totally unexpected but overly exciting to hear our Documentary “Curveballs” film was selected as the Best Feature Film,” remembers Van Sleet. “My hopes are that the documentary gets picked up by a national streaming service to display our competitive edge, team skills and the ability to overcome disabilities,” he added.

Louisville Slugger Warriors team on stage at the Ft. Myers Film Festival to accept their award. (Left to right: Curtis Pride, players Austin Woodbury and Michael Came, David Van sleet, players Colton DeRocher and Carlo Adame, Len Whitehouse).

     “The inspiring stories of players on the Louisville Slugger Warriors who’ve faced enormous adversities in their lives lit up crowds who watched Curveballs make its debut,” said a reviewer at the festival.

     The SSUSA family congratulates the Warriors on their win, hopefully with many more to come, and we look forward to seeing them this September at the 2025 World Championships’ Celebrity-Warriors Game.