JOEY LOVES DOGS

The first time Julia and I met with Joey Arietta, the General Manager of the Akron Racers, she told us her story and we hung on her every word. Never before had I met someone so dedicated and unwavering in her goals. Joey never had the option of playing softball on any organized level. Those opportunities simply did not exist for her. Because of this, she has accepted it as her personal mission to change the situation for future generations and the players of the league today.

Here are a few facts about Joey that you may not find in the final edit of the film:

1. She loves dogs. Riding along on a Memorial Day float with the Racers (aka the bed of a truck), I witnessed Joey squeal in excitement at the sight of each and every puppy that passed us by. It was like seeing Julia’s reaction when she realizes that the restaurant in which we’re dining offers pot stickers.

2. Standing at 4’11”, Joey is nimble and easy to lose in a crowd. I could cut an entire blooper reel consisting solely of Julia and me trying to follow her through the stadium on a busy day and screaming the words, “WE LOST HER!” over and over again.

3. She refused to allow us to leave the stadium without taking a plate of sloppy Joes and potato salad with us at the end of a long day.

4. When she receives good news, she says things like, “Holy tomato soup!”

It’s pretty hard not to love this woman. Hopefully you’ll root for her as much as we have.