Academy Notebook: Women’s History Month; Breaking Barriers Essay Contest winners announced

Celebrating Women’s History Month at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy

This month, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy celebrates women’s history by recognizing the female athletes, coaches and staff that work to grow their sport year-round. Softball players Morgan Young and Carina Colunga, softball coach Gigi Garcia and girls baseball players Aaliyah Marquez and Daisy Armendariz look forward to blazing their own trail as the next generation of women making history in the sports world.

Hoping to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a collegiate softball player, Morgan Young was born into the game, picking up a ball and glove when she was just two years old. After completing her first training session at the Youth Academy this winter, Young has already made a splash with her style of play and knowledge of the game but cites other elite athletes as her inspiration to succeed.

"There are so many great athletes that inspired this sport, like Dianne Baker, or Crystl Bustos, who set the example that you can go to the Olympics without ever playing in college or high school,” she said.

“I feel during Women's History Month it's also good to look at other sports besides softball. My favorite athlete at the moment is probably Simone Biles. I like her because she pushed through and persevered during her time at the Olympics, giving herself a break when she knew she needed it mentally and physically.”

Sophomore utility player Carina Colunga shares similar inspiration from an athlete that made history in her sport, legendary tennis star Serena Williams. “She is very influential,” said Colunga. “If you ask somebody to name a tennis player, they'll say her, not a man.”

While refining her play at the Youth Academy last year, Colunga added to her list of favorite female athletes after meeting a group of women that left a lasting impact on her softball career. “I like Mexico's Olympic team, and it's because they visited [the Youth Academy] last summer,” she said. “How much they knew about the sport, the small mechanics, and they talked about how important it was to be confident going up to the plate. It helped a lot.”

Colunga has already noticed her game elevate to the next level since implementing the tips she learned from Mexico's softball greats.

First-year coach, and former Youth Academy athlete, Gigi Garcia, is working to give back to the young women in her community and coach the next generation to success. Garcia shared that as she transitioned from player to coach, she found inspiration in former Washington State softball player Morgan Stuart.

“My favorite athlete is Morgan Stuart,” she said. “She started her own coaching program, The Packaged Deal, around seven years ago with three other college players. That influenced me because I was like, ‘Okay, that's what I want to do after [I finish playing].’ The fact that I'm able to repay my community being here and teaching the game to other young females, that's something special for me because I feel like I'm really following her footsteps.”

While these three young women have impacted the softball community, eighth-grader Daisy Armendariz and fifth-grader Aaliyah Marquez are working to make history on the baseball diamond.

Daisy Armendariz first became interested in baseball after attending a Texas Rangers game as a child. She watched major leaguers like Adrián Beltré and knew she wanted to play baseball. “I hope to show that girls can play and show that we can do the same as the guys,” said Armendariz, who's working to become an influential woman in baseball like Alyssa Nakken, the first female coach in Major League Baseball.

Aaliyah Marquez started playing baseball when she was around five years old. “My dad thought it was a great sport to put me in,” she said. “It was all just for fun until I realized I was good at baseball.” While she’s played softball in the past, baseball is her real passion.

With aspirations to one day become a female collegiate baseball player, Marquez admires Marika Lyszczyk, who became the first female to play NCAA baseball in 2021, paving the way for others to follow. “I want to give girls hope that just because they are girls does not mean they can’t play baseball.”

Every female athlete and coach at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy impacts the game on a daily basis, working to make softball and baseball more accessible to others and create their own history.

Sharon Robinson’s Breaking Barriers Essay Contest 2022 winners

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy has encouraged its student-athletes to use their creativity when celebrating Black History Month by participating in Sharon Robinson’s Breaking Barriers Essay Contest. During February, athletes ages 7-18 submitted essays, poems and illustrations connecting their lives to the legendary Jackie Robinson.

Participants had to recall a time they overcame a barrier using one or more of Jackie’s nine values: citizenship, commitment, courage, determination, excellence, integrity, justice, persistence and teamwork.

The 2022 winners are Spencer Hudson for his original poem “Braking Barriers,” Luciano Lopez for his story “Persistence,” and Alyssa Summers for her story on Jackie Robinson’s determination.

March High School Baseball & Softball Schedule

Below is the schedule of the Pinkston, Sunset and Thomas Jefferson High School baseball and softball games to be played at the Academy in March. Scheduling is subject to change.