After the Game: A 20 Year Look at Three Former Athletes

April Abeyta is a filmmaker and former collegiate athlete. While playing basketball at Chapman University, she was inspired to combine her passions for sports and film to elevate the stories of collegiate athletes who played not for scholarships or spotlight, but for the love of the game. 

“I wanted to give them that spotlight,” says Abeyta. “Shine a beam on these incredible athletes playing in the shadows. I wanted to tell their story.”

After the Game follows the twenty year journeys of Michelle, Polly, and Coach Mary, who all played a pivotal role in the success of the Chapman team. This film is a long time coming for Abeyta who found renewed motivation after realizing that although participation in women’s sports is on the rise, gender equity in sport continues to stall. She also believes that in these troubling times, her film’s positive message is one that needs to be shared.

Abeyta says that when sports return, they will return with the same challenges. However, these are the necessary challenges that push individuals to be their best while fostering the most important sense of community and belonging. “For all student athletes, it’s more than just a game,” Abeyta declares. “It’s a warm-up for life.”