Summer coaching staff spotlights

Summer baseball and softball programming is nearing its start at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy. Athletes 7-18 years old can register to participate at no cost throughout the session at rangers.com/academy, with the first day of training scheduled for Tuesday, May 28.

With an influx of athletes participating in the summer session, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy will have nearly three dozen highly skilled baseball and softball coaches staffed to train players across all levels.

Over the next few weeks, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy will highlight the coaches working this summer.

Gabi Quintanilla, a former softball standout at the Youth Academy, will enter her third year coaching at the West Dallas facility where she once trained. With four years as a college softball player at East Central University on her resume, her main focus is to teach the next generation of young girls the fundamentals of the game while prioritizing fun and showcasing the value of hard work, determination, teamwork and friendship, just as her dad did when he coached her growing up.

Quintanilla looks forward to sharing her extensive playing knowledge and love of the game, which she describes as a priceless opportunity.

Alison Robertson, a former softball player previously on the rosters at Hesston College, Arlington Baptist College and Spartanburg College, will enter her second year as a Texas Rangers Youth Academy coach. Her inspiration to coach stems from her deep love for the game, which is evident to the softball players she coaches.

The comfortable and welcoming atmosphere at the Youth Academy aligns with Robertson’s goals as a coach to help widen the range of her players’ abilities while establishing a connection with the girls based on open-mindedness, ultimately allowing for Robertson and her players to seamlessly collaborate and learn from one another.

Benjamin De La Rosa is a second-year coach at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy and was once a Rangers YA athlete himself. After finishing his playing career at Hesston College, he set his sights on coaching and has since found a passion for sharing his knowledge with young players eager to learn. De La Rosa knew he wanted to pay it forward by returning to the Youth Academy, which he says offers a safe space for players to train with a staff focused on teaching baseball while helping young athletes grow to be their best selves on and off the field.

De La Rosa aims to teach each participant that, much like life, baseball takes time to master and requires patience and persistence to become the very best.

Gerry Mecca, a new hire for the 2024 summer session, has more than 30 years of coaching experience that he’ll share with the players training at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy. Mecca found his passion for coaching when, three decades ago, he filled in for a baseball coach who had quit and, from there, never stopped.

He’s excited to join the Youth Academy in giving back to families from the DFW Metroplex by providing free training and wants each athlete to find their love of the sport while having fun building their skillset.

Denver Bowden, a University of Texas at Tyler alum and current high school teacher, has one summer of coaching at the Rangers Youth Academy already under his belt. For as long as he can remember, he’s admired those in the coaching and education professions, so identifying his passions for teaching and coaching was easy. As a long-time Texas Rangers fan, he’s honored to play a role in providing no-cost instruction to athletes in the community who are looking to learn the game.

Bowden hopes at the end of each practice, athletes leave with an expanded knowledge of the fundamentals and importance of being a team player, as well as an understanding that each day is an opportunity to improve.