Fairytales, in the form of a 70 mile per hour fastball, do come true. Just ask American teenager and athlete Mo’ne Davis. The Disney Channel recently announced plans to make a television movie about her life. The 13-year-old pitcher from Philadelphia made history last year becoming the first girl to win a Little League World Series game, which was followed by a slew of awards, endorsements and appearances, making her a celebrity and a household name overnight.
And now the Disney Channel wants to make a movie about her life. The network announced it is developing a biopic for television about Davis, titled “Throw Like Mo,” according to a statement released to the Associated Press. Davis will be a consultant on the Disney Channel film project, according to the website, www.nydailynews.com. The network did not specify an airing date or any details about casting.
Davis gained national attention at the 2014 Little League World Series where she threw a two-hitter to help her team, Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons, beat Nashville (Tenn.) 4 – 0 in the opener for both teams. She also pitched eight strikeouts without walking a single batter in that game. The win made Davis the first female pitcher to throw a shutout in the LLWS.
Davis appeared in Sports Illustrated last August, becoming the first Little Leaguer to grace the cover of the national publication. The petite player is only 5’4” and 111 lbs. But she has an arm strong enough to throw a fastball at 70 mph. “To be honest, I never thought I’d be famous for baseball,” Davis said in that SI article. “I want to play basketball, and I could also do both basketball and baseball, but I really want to play basketball.”
The youngster has learned recently that fame comes with a lot of perks, but also some downsides. Although the past year has been filled with the things that fairytales are made, it hasn’t come without controversy. A male college baseball player made a derogatory comment about Davis on social media after the Disney Channel announced its plans to develop the television movie about the young female athlete last week, causing a public outcry.
Joey Casselberry referred to the 13-year-old as a “slut” on Twitter. Subsequently, he was dismissed from Bloomsburg University’s baseball team Saturday for the profane tweet, according to the website, ftw.usatoday.com. Taking the high high road, Davis asked for the college to reinstate Casselberry on the team. “Everyone makes mistakes,” she said in an ESPN SportsCenter interview. “Everyone deserves a second chance. I know he didn’t mean it in that type of way. I know people are tired of seeing me on TV. But sometimes you got to think about what you’re doing before you actually do it.”
Bloomsburg University, located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, about 150 miles from Philadelphia, released a statement which said in part that the institution stands by its decision at this time but the issue may be reviewed in the future, which is common in situations such as this.
While the Disney Channel hasn’t released any specifics about the film project, Davis’ list of accolades and honors are impressive and will surely provide some interesting choices to depict the gifted athlete’s young life. Davis’ jersey is displayed in baseball’s Hall of Fame and she was named Sports Kid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids,
according to information on the website, www.espn.go.com.
In addition to other firsts, Davis was named by the Associated Press as the 2014 Female Athlete of the Year, making her the youngest person to receive the title. She already plays for her high school’s varsity basketball team even though she is still in the eighth grade. The teen said she enjoys playing a variety of sports. Davis can also add author to her list of accomplishments with her new book, titled “Mo’ne Davis: Remember My Name.”
The young baseball star is taking her good fortune and paying it forward. Davis, along with the company M4D3 and the organization “Because I’m a Girl” will release a line of Limited edition Mo’ne Davis designed sneakers and donate a percentage of the proceeds to impoverished girls around the world, according to the website, www.stylemagazine.com.
The prevailing message here seems to be to never give up on your dreams because they may become a reality, even in the most unexpected ways. “Don’t let anyone stop you from doing what you like,” Davis said after the LLWS win. “Just keep dreaming. Go for it.”
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