How the Savannah Bananas Community Helped a Fan Find Joy Again After Battle with Cancer

A Spokane, Washington, resident says Banana Ball became far more than entertainment as she recovered from cancer and rebuilt her life. By R. Kenner French

Ashleigh Masters with her children | R. Kenner French

When Ashleigh Masters walked into her first Banana Ball game, she wasn't wondering who would win.
She was wondering if the kindness she had seen online could really be genuine. By the end of the night, she says she had her answer.

"It brought so much of me feeling like myself again," Masters told Savannah Bananas On SI and sister company BananaBallInsider.com during an exclusive interview.

For many fans, Banana Ball is known for sold-out stadiums, dancing players, trick plays and nonstop entertainment. Created by Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole, the fast-growing baseball experience has built its identity around a simple philosophy: Fans First. For Masters, it became something much more personal. It became part of her healing.

A Life Turned Upside Down

Over the course of a short and devastating period, Masters says her marriage ended, she survived an assault and she was diagnosed with cancer.

The months that followed became a fight not only for her physical health, but also for her emotional recovery. Her treatment included multiple hospitalizations, a tracheostomy and time on a ventilator. After temporarily losing her ability to speak, she communicated with her young daughters through sign language they had learned together years earlier. When she finally returned home, recovery was far from over. "People thought I was done because chemo was over," Masters said. "But I still had a long way to go." Today, she is cancer-free and continues physical therapy. Looking back, she credits her family, medical professionals and an unexpected community with helping her through one of the hardest chapters of her life.

That community was Banana Ball.

Discovering Banana Ball

Like many fans, Masters first found Banana Ball through social media. Initially, it was the viral clips that caught her attention—trick plays, choreographed dances and a style of baseball unlike anything she had seen before. But the longer she watched, the less she focused on the sport. Instead, she found herself watching the people. She followed players and coaches, listened to interviews and learned about their lives away from the field. "I realized it was about more than baseball," she said. Messages from Coach RAC and Party Animals catcher Bronson “Bronny” Balholm especially resonated during her recovery.

"It just really hit home," Masters said.

More Than a Game

Eventually, Masters joined the Banana Ball K Club, where fans connect online, share advice and help one another prepare for games. Before attending one of her first games, she asked the group whether wearing a "Free Hugs" T-shirt would fit the atmosphere. "The comments just poured in," she recalled. "Everybody was encouraging me to wear it." What surprised her wasn't simply the enthusiasm. It was how welcoming everyone seemed. "It really is everybody," Masters said. "The players, the staff, the fans; everyone." During our conversation, I asked Masters several times whether one player, one coach or one specific moment stood out above the rest. Each time, her answer eventually returned to the same conclusion.

"It's everybody."

Meeting the People Behind the Uniforms

Masters has since attended Banana Ball games in Sacramento, Tacoma and Eugene. During one visit, members of the Texas Tailgaters learned she had recently become cancer-free. Jorden Hussein presented her with a Banana Ball-themed baseball signed by teammates bearing a handwritten message:

"May God bless you."

Later, Texas Tailgater Kyle Martin heard part of her story and asked whether he could simply give her a hug. "It just meant a lot," Masters said. Those interactions confirmed what she had already begun to believe. "They're some of the most genuine people I've ever met."

The Moments No One Else Saw

Some of the memories Masters treasures most happened away from the field. While attending a sold-out game, lingering effects from treatment made climbing to her assigned seats difficult. Guest services quietly moved her to seats that were easier to reach. "They told me, 'If you need anything else, let us know,'" Masters recalled. There were no cameras. No announcement. Just people helping someone who needed it. Masters believes those moments reflected the same "Fans First" culture the organization promotes on and off the field. “They're just incredibly kind," she said. She says those interactions mattered because they recognized progress instead of focusing on limitations. "They acknowledge how far you've come," she said. "It's not, 'You haven't met this goal yet.' It's, 'Look how far you've come.'"

Four Words She Will Never Forget

One of the moments Masters remembers most came through a personalized video from Bronny. She shared part of her story and explained how much Banana Ball had meant during her recovery. Several days later, the video arrived. "He said he'd taken extra time because he wanted to say the right things," Masters recalled. Then came four words she still remembers.

"I'm proud of you."

"It was the first time I'd heard that in forever," she said. She cried. For many fans, the video might have been a memorable keepsake. For Masters, it became another reminder that someone had taken the time to care. It joined a growing collection of moments; a signed baseball, a hug, encouraging conversations and countless acts of kindness; that reminded her she wasn't facing recovery alone.

Why She Keeps Coming Back

Masters doesn't say Banana Ball cured her cancer. She doesn't claim it erased the hardships she endured. What she does say is that it helped her rediscover a part of herself she thought she had lost. "The games are fun," she said. "But it's the people. The kindness, the positivity and the way they make people feel; it really is different." Her connection to Banana Ball wasn't built on one spectacular play or one unforgettable performance. It grew through a series of quieter moments.

A hug.

A signed baseball.

A heartfelt message.

Helpful stadium staff.

Supportive fans.

A community that made her feel seen.

Today, every game is more than a night at the ballpark.

It's a reminder of how far she has come.

"They helped me feel like myself again."

Editor's note: Ashleigh Masters shared her story with Savannah Bananas On SI and BananaBallInsider.com during an exclusive interview. Medical details included in this story are based on her account and were published with her permission.

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