More Than a Game
For most fans, Banana Ball is about seeing something you’d never expect on the baseball field. A player on stilts, singing and dancing to “Hey Baby,” or watching the viral TikTok dance come to life on the mound. However, for Jolie Chabala, a Banana Ball game is all about family and spotlighting the community that changed her life.
Jolie and her husband, Dillon, always discussed the possibility of becoming a licensed foster family, but it wasn’t until she helped create Bananas Foster in 2023, that fostering became the answer for the pair.
“Working with Bananas Foster, I hear about the need for more foster parents every day,” Jolie said. “Right now, there are over 400,000 children and teens in foster care, and yet, there are not enough homes for these children to go to. This sense of unknown and constantly moving around creates trauma for these children. This trauma… I knew we could help relieve. After long talks, we became foster parents.”
A Bright Orange New Beginning
The couple became a licensed foster family in 2024 and has provided a safe, loving home for four children, so far.
“These children need to know love, kindness, and support in their life,” Jolie said. “Whether they are with us for two days, two months, or two years, we will love them and give them the childhood that they deserve.”
In August 2024, Jolie and Dillon welcomed one-year-old Jalen into their family. Jalen was in need of a family to adopt him, and Jolie and Dillon said yes. In July 2025, it became official and marked the beginning of their story as a family of three.
Jalen’s adoption day was nothing short of magic as Jolie and Dillon’s closest friends and family – dressed in orange from head to toe – piled into the courthouse to celebrate a new addition to the Chabala family.
“Like the sun, the color orange reflects light and is a symbol of happiness and excitement,” Jolie shared in her testimony. “Orange is bold and bright and can symbolize confidence and willingness to embark on an adventure. We know that our life as a family will be filled with joy, adventure, and happiness. As parents, we will give Jalen the confidence to thrive in this world with the clarity that the world is a better place with him in it.”
Although Jalen’s adoption day proved to be one of the most special moments of their foster care journey, being a foster parent “has been one of the biggest challenges of [Jolie‘s] life.” Despite the daily trials of parenting, she wouldn’t trade being a foster parent for anything.
Leading with Love
Jolie has an understanding of foster care not just as a foster parent herself but through her work with Bananas Foster, the official nonprofit of Banana Ball. She has been instrumental in creating the Bananas Foster platform and programming alongside Savannah Bananas’ owner, Emily Cole, since the nonprofit’s inception in 2023.
“As I walk alongside hundreds of other foster families, I can say with honesty and empathy that, ‘I completely know how you feel,’ Jolie said. “Bananas Foster’s mission to celebrate those who are making a difference in foster care is game-changing for this community.”
Jolie‘s days are spent celebrating, educating, and inspiring Banana Ball fans to get involved and make a difference in the foster care community, but she always returns home to her family and those who need a safe place to land.
This true story is brought to you by The Chabala Family. If you or someone you know is a foster family and are interested in sharing your story with us, please visit Tell Your Story.
Created by Keeley Lamm, Bananas Foster