Star-studded coaching staff imparts advice at Trailblazer Series

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- At a legendary facility like Jackie Robinson Training Complex, which has seen plenty of elite players hone their skills and build Hall of Fame careers, it is not surprising that the coaching staff in attendance this weekend is equally talented.

During a spectacular Trailblazer Series weekend that commemorated the iconic namesake of the complex on Jackie Robinson Day, an all-star group of coaches brought their knowledge and expertise to the excited collection of 11- to 13-year-old girls dialing in their baseball skills at the historic training grounds.

Three coaches -- Mo’ne Davis, Veronica Alvarez and Kelsie Whitmore -- brought varying levels of experience and expertise.

• Mo'ne, women's baseball pioneers tip cap to Jackie

For starters, despite her distinguished playing tenure, Davis found herself on the coaching side of the game for the first time.

It was a learning experience from the start for Davis, who grabbed the nation’s heart and attention in the 2014 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

She later became the first Little Leaguer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and became a national celebrity on talk shows.

So how did it go on her first day of coaching?

“It’s been fun,” said Davis, 21. “I’m not really an early [morning] person. But getting up early and then getting so much done before lunch time is always good.”

But the reaction from her team wasn’t one she expected.

“Honestly, from the first reaction, it seemed like they didn’t like me,” Davis said with a slight laugh. “But I’ve got to remember they’re also young and they’re quiet. I feel like they started opening up and realized that I’m learning just like them. They started talking more … and it started to get better.”

She soon realized they may have been too young to remember her Little League exploits: “I’m just Coach Mo to them.”

Davis said she is also learning from a coaching staff she calls “amazing.”

“I feel like I’m learning every day,” said Davis, a Philadelphia native who played softball at Hampton University. “Just being able to be around them and hearing so many stories and seeing actual professional women’s baseball players is cool, because growing up I didn’t see too many.”

Sarah Padove, MLB’s Manager of Baseball & Softball Development, said Davis helps bridge an age gap between the Trailblazers and some of the more experienced coaches on the staff.

“What’s awesome is the kids do know her,” Padove said. “They were very young. She’s been able to stay relevant and the kids know her. We’ve got coaches who played on the Colorado Silver Bullets [from 1994-97], so she does bridge that gap. We’re blessed to have her on this staff.”

On the other end of the coaching spectrum is Alvarez, a Miami native who played catcher at Villanova and is a three-time medal winner as a backstop in the Women’s Baseball World Cup.

She also won gold in 2015 at the Pan American Games and has been the baseball Women’s National Team’s manager since 2019.

The Oakland Athletics also named her coordinator of player development for Latin America, continuing her rise through the ranks of the organization.

But this weekend’s activities hold a special place for her.

“I love this event and will continue to say this: This event, the Trailblazer Series, is my favorite event,” said Alvarez, who just turned 40. “There’s a little less instruction than at the other events -- and I love instruction and player development -- but this is some of the first times these girls get to play with other girls.

“It’s an opportunity for them to be baseball players and not be the person who stands out who is different than others on their team. They’re just baseball players here.”

Whitmore is something in between -- a standout softball player at Cal State-Fullerton and the first female member of the Staten Island FerryHawks, an independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball club.

• Her baseball journey has just begun. Stay tuned

And she’s someone who isn’t quite ready to stop putting on the eye-black and trotting out onto the diamond as a player.

“I don’t know,” she replied when asked if coaching was in her future. “Most people transition to that. I don’t know if I want to coach. All I’ve ever seen myself do in baseball is play.”

Added Whitmore, who is expected to sign with a club this season, “I haven’t thought about it much. My mind is focused on the present and trying to get better as a player.”

She struck up friendships with former Atlanta Braves pitcher Julio Teheran, four-year Major League second baseman Dilson Herrera and close friend Matt Solter, a former Minor League pitcher, on a team skippered by former Mets player Edgardo Alfonzo.

The San Diego native -- a pitcher and outfielder -- is impressed by how far baseball has come for women.

“It’s really cool to see now what these girls have,” said Whitmore, 24. “We never had an event when I was growing up that had this many girls in it.

“We would usually have to invite the boys over because we didn’t have enough to make two teams.”