Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Frances Gilbert directs athletic training for the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball, leading medical and performance staff to support players.
- Her staff blends sports medicine with performing arts medicine to address Banana Ball's unique physical demands and prevent injuries.
- She grew the department from one full time trainer to six, giving each team a dedicated trainer and stronger performance infrastructure.
Fans come to Banana Ball expecting backflips, dancing, players on stilts, trick plays and nonstop entertainment.
What most never see is the team working behind the scenes to make sure those moments can happen in the first place.
Just before first pitch at Wrigley Field, I met Frances Gilbert, director of athletic training for the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball.
Surprisingly, despite being one of the people most responsible for keeping the players performing at their best, she had never been interviewed before.
So, we decided to change that.
To break the ice, I handed Frances one of my interview questions from a small, banana-shaped hat.
“What is the craziest request a fan has ever asked you?”
She laughed.
“In Indianapolis a couple of years ago, a kid handed me his shoe and asked me to sign it.”
She assumed the child wanted a famous player’s autograph.
“I said, ‘Do you want me to take this to someone and get them to sign it?’”
The answer surprised her.
“No … I want YOU to sign it.”
For someone who usually works behind the scenes, it was a reminder that Banana Ball fans appreciate everyone who helps create the experience.
But the more we talked, the more I realized Frances’ job may be one of the most unique in professional sports.
As director of athletic training, she oversees Banana Ball’s athletic trainers while leading the Savannah Bananas’ medical staff. Her department works alongside strength and conditioning coaches, sports dietitians and mental performance specialists to help players perform at their highest level.
But Banana Ball isn’t exactly like any other sport.
“One thing that’s so unique here is that so much of it requires creativity,” Gilbert said.
Traditional baseball has established medical protocols.
Banana Ball?
Not so much.
“‘Hey, I need to be pain-free on stilts,’” she said with a smile. “‘All right … how do we accomplish that?’”
There isn’t a handbook for helping athletes perform while dancing, entertaining crowds and balancing on stilts.
Gilbert says the staff blends traditional sports medicine with techniques borrowed from performing arts medicine to meet the unique physical demands of Banana Ball.
That creativity helps players stay healthy while continuing to deliver the entertainment fans have come to expect.
And that’s where I think her role directly affects every person in the stands.
When players stay healthy, they can perform with confidence.
When they perform with confidence, the energy stays high.
The dancing continues.
The trick plays continue.
The interactions with fans continue.
Ultimately, healthier players help create a better experience for the thousands of families who come to every game.
Gilbert didn’t originally set out to work in Banana Ball.
She spent four years in college baseball before moving into the National Women’s Soccer League. Two former college players—Kyle Luigs and Bill LeRoy—eventually encouraged her to join the Savannah Bananas.
She hasn’t looked back.
Now in her fourth season, Gilbert has watched the department grow from a single full-time athletic trainer to a staff of six, with each Banana Ball team having its own dedicated athletic trainer supported by a growing performance department.
“I’m just so proud of what we’ve been able to build and develop,” she said.
That growth mirrors Banana Ball itself.
As the sport has expanded across the country, so has the infrastructure supporting it.
Fans may never notice the athletic trainers sprinting toward a player or the countless hours spent preventing injuries before they happen.
But perhaps that’s the point.
If Frances Gilbert and her team do their jobs well, the only thing fans notice is another unforgettable night of Banana Ball.
Watch the full interview with Francis Gilbert here!
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