1. NEWS RELEASE Contact: Leah Rickelmann
(810) 623-9921
rickelml@mail.gvsu.edu
GVSU Presents: A Team of Their Own
A documentary about the All American Girls Professional Baseball League
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept 30, 2015 — Grand Valley State University’s Veterans History
Project is releasing a new documentary about the All American Girls Professional Baseball
League (AAGPBL). The film will premiere on Oct. 21 at Loosemore Auditorium on GVSU’s
Pew campus at 7:00pm. The documentary includes interview footage with more than 40 of the
women who played for the AAGPBL; as well as, the history of why the league was started, and
why it ended.
The AAGPBL was started by Philip Wrigley and operated from 1943 to 1954. The first
four teams in the league were: the Rockford Peaches, South Bend Blue Sox, Racine Belles, and
the Kenosha Comets. In 1945, the Grand Rapids Chicks became Michigan’s first professional
women’s team. The Grand Rapids Chicks maintained their team until the AAGPBL ended in
1954.
While these women helped to pave the way for women to play professional sports; there
was not much documentation about the league. GVSU Professors Frank Boring and James
Smither, began working on this documentary in 2008. With the help of donors and the support of
University staff the film is finally complete.
All of the work done on the film including, historical research, editing, sound, event
planning and now promotion, was done by GVSU students with help from faculty.
For those who cannot make the October 21 showing, there will also be a showing at the
Grand Rapids Public Museum on November 10. There is an official trailer on YouTube as well
as a Facebook page and a website.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ateamoftheirown?fref=ts
Website: http://www.gvsu.edu/wibdoc/
Trailer: http://youtu.be/phs6yVLbHi0
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