Academy Notebook: Dash Johnson hired as manager of Academy baseball & softball programming; Spring programming begins

Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation hires former MLB Youth Academy athlete as manager of Academy baseball & softball programming

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy today announced the hiring of Daschal “Dash” Johnson as the full-time manager of Youth Academy baseball and softball programming. Johnson, a long-time coach at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy, is excited to take on this new responsibility and use his experience as a former Houston Astros Youth Academy athlete to impact the West Dallas community.

“I have been a part of this [Texas Rangers] Academy for four-plus years and I have loved it,” said Johnson. “This opportunity means so much to me that it is hard to put into words.

“I grew up at the Houston Astros Youth Academy, and the staff there helped me and molded me as a man, a baseball player, coach and now, manager…MLB has taken intentional steps to help the urban and minority population get back into baseball and now I am able to do it all day, every day.”

While growing up in Houston, Johnson spent five years attending the Astros Youth Academy, learning lessons and “building lifelong bonds” with his former Academy coaches Daryl Wade, Duane Stelly and Brian White. For Johnson, the most memorable moments from his time as an academy athlete were summers spent playing in the MLB RBI League. In his five years playing for Astros RBI, Johnson had three RBI Regional Tournament appearances, two RBI World Series appearances and was awarded the RBI for RBI Scholarship in 2015 for his incredible work on and off the field.

“Growing up and playing in the RBI program is what motivated me to give back to baseball. I feel like the RBI program has done so much for me,” he said. “The relationships I built at the Houston Youth Academy are still my closest bonds today. My favorite mentor and coach, Brian White, is someone I still keep in contact with on a regular basis...Seeing him coach every summer at the Houston YA for 20 plus years, impacting so many lives, shows his heart and will to give back. That's what I strive to resemble for the kids I coach.

“I want to be the person that players are comfortable coming to for hard discussions and advice, on and off the field. I love building meaningful relationships while teaching the game. I love being that mentor and coach all in one,” he added.

For Johnson, stepping into this role is bittersweet, he will have less hands-on time coaching the Rangers Academy athletes, but he will be able to impact the kids on a larger scale and take an exciting next step in his career.

“In my new role at the Academy, I want to continue to give kids opportunities to improve on the field, in the classroom, and get exposure to help them play at the next level if that's what they want. I now get to be available full time to support them in any way they need, like school, life advice, or extra baseball work. I also want to do whatever possible to give the coaches the tools they need to improve these young men and women. I know what it takes to be a successful coach on the field and now I get the opportunity to see what it is like to run a successful program while still fulfilling my coaching urge,” he said.

“Hopefully, I can be a quality addition to this team and assist in bringing in more kids, more success for the Rangers YA and leave a positive impact on the youth!”

Johnson will officially join the Youth Academy's full-time staff in April.

Spring programming

Spring programming at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy started earlier this week on Tuesday, March 22. Programming is open to all baseball and softball players ages 7 to 18, with instruction occurring multiple nights each week through Thursday, April 28.

This spring, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy coaching staff will help build athletes’ skills and knowledge of the game through training sessions that expand on hitting, catching, throwing, base-running and more. Participants will be designated into training groups for specialized coaching based on age and skill level as assessed by Academy coaches and staff.

Registration for the 2022 spring programming will remain open throughout the session. To register your child, visit texasrangers.com/academy.

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.

Dallas Independent School District high school baseball and softball games to be played at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy in March.