Arlington, Texas— The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation has opened applications for the 2023 Charley Pride Fellowship Program. In its third year, the program will again see five college students from diverse backgrounds spend their summer working in the Texas Rangers front office for this unique internship program.

Prominent Dallas businessman Roland Parrish and his Parrish Charitable Foundation are partnering with the Rangers Foundation in the Pride Fellowship Program for the third consecutive year.

Created in honor of late country music star and close friend of the Texas Rangers organization, Charley Pride, this program aims to build a launching pad for students from diverse backgrounds looking to gain experience in a baseball front office.

Over the first two years of the Fellowship program, ten individuals have participated, receiving extensive experience in the baseball and business departments of the Rangers’ organization.

“The Charley Pride fellowship program was the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Kendall Coleman, a former Charley Pride Fellow hired full-time as a Rangers Professional Scout in 2022. “The experiences, memories, and relationships that were created are things I could not imagine getting anywhere else during a 10-week program. This fellowship set the foundation and helped guide me to begin chasing my goal of working in an MLB front office.

“I am so grateful for Roland Parrish, the Parrish Charitable Foundation, Ray Casas, Karin Morris, and everyone else involved with the Texas Rangers for their vision and commitment to making a difference. To anyone that is considering applying, I strongly recommend this program and hope you join us in being a part of the Texas Rangers family.”

The Rangers Foundation will hire, train and support five Fellows as they rotate through three front office departments. Fellows will select their departmental rotation based on their interests. These students will gain valuable skills during the 10-week program that will benefit them should they choose to pursue a career in sports or any other industry.

“The Parrish Charitable Foundation and I are very pleased and excited to partner with the Charley Pride family, Texas Rangers, and their Foundation for the third year,” said Parrish. “The Charley Pride Fellowship program gives the interns a real-life experience with a major sports team and the experience looks great on their resume.”

To apply for the 2023 Charley Pride Fellowship Program, visit texasrangers.com/charleypridefellowship.

Additional program details and application requirements are outlined below:

Background

Charley Pride is an American icon and Texas treasure that has exemplified military service, music entertainment and America’s pastime, baseball. Having recorded over 30 number 1 hits with Grammy and Country Music Association Awards under his belt, Charley’s first love was always baseball. He pitched professionally in the Negro and Minor Leagues throughout the 1950s before embarking on his Hall of Fame singing career of more than 60 years. He then became a regular participant at Texas Rangers spring training camps in Pompano Beach and Port Charlotte, Florida and Surprise, Arizona, working out with the team and staging an annual clubhouse concert for players and staff, a tradition that continued through the spring of 2020. On March 14, 2021, the Rangers honored Charley’s memory by dedicating one of the practice fields at their Surprise, Arizona complex as Charley Pride Field.

The Rangers were honored to have Charley be part of the team’s ownership group for more than ten years. A longtime resident of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, he was a regular at Rangers home games when his schedule permitted. He sang The Star-Spangled Banner one final time before the first regular-season game played at Globe Life Field on July 24, 2020.

Program

The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation established the Charley Pride Fellowship Program to help create a launching pad for rising juniors and seniors in college from diverse backgrounds to gain experience inside a baseball front office. The Foundation will hire, train and support the five Fellows as they transition through a 10-week rotation within different Texas Rangers Baseball Club departments. Departments available for these fellows include Accounting/Finance, Ballpark Entertainment, Promotions & Production, Baseball Operations, Business Analytics, Business Partnerships, Communications, Human Resources, Marketing, REV Entertainment, Ticket Operations, and Ticket Sales & Premium Services. These students will be able to experience firsthand what front office executives experience daily while exposing them to the business side of baseball. This unique opportunity will place candidates in roles with the Rangers while providing them with valuable cross-disciplinary experience which will benefit them should they choose to pursue a career in professional baseball or any other industry.

The details of the program were in the process of being finalized when Mr. Pride passed away on December 12, 2020, at the age of 86. The program was officially announced on March 18, 2021, what would have been Mr. Pride’s 87th birthday. Officials from the Texas Rangers were joined in the announcement by Mr. Pride’s wife Rozene Pride, his son Dion Pride, his longtime friends and fellow Country Music stars Garth Brooks, Larry Gatlin, and Neal McCoy, and prominent Dallas businessman Roland Parrish.

Eligibility

• Seeking students from diverse backgrounds to apply
• Candidates must be rising college Juniors or Seniors (enrolled in a bachelor's degree program)
• Minimum GPA of 2.5
• A passion for and knowledge of baseball is helpful but not required
• A 10-week commitment to participate in Pride Fellowship Program

Application Documentation

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Transcript
• A personal statement (500 words or less)
• Two letters of recommendation

Pride Fellow Implementation

The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation will provide five Pride Fellows per calendar year for other departments within the organization. These fellows would not take the place of existing ball club internships, but rather have a different experience provided to them.

Pride Fellows would commit to:

• A 10-week opportunity, 20-hour workweek
• A three-department rotation based on their interests
• No absences (unless excused due to illness, etc.)

Fellowship Positions

A “Charley Pride Fellow” will be able to select three departments to work in during their time with the Rangers. This person will experience firsthand what front office executives experience daily while exposing them to the professional baseball industry. Departments available to fellows include Accounting/Finance, Ballpark Entertainment, Promotions & Production, Baseball Operations, Business Analytics, Business Partnerships, Communications, Human Resources, Marketing, REV Entertainment, Ticket Operations, and Ticket Sales & Premium Services.

Timeline

• January 25, 2023: Applications Open
• April 7, 2023: Applications Due
• May 29, 2023: First Day of Fellowship
• August 4, 2023: Last Day of Fellowship

ABOUT THE TEXAS RANGERS BASEBALL FOUNDATION

Since its inception in 1991, the Foundation has invested more than $65 million in our community and is dedicated to improving the lives of children, military, first responders, and their families, through meaningful programming and partnerships focused on education, health, and athletics. Signature programs include the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota, the 2018 Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence award-winning Richard Greene Scholars, the Charley Pride Fellowship Program and the 50th Anniversary Legacy Grant Program. Faced with ever-increasing need in our communities, we are providing more financial assistance than ever to our neighbors through the support of partner organizations and emergency relief organizations.